I will miss Hickory Park in Ames

Our car automatically stops in Ames so we can eat BBQ at Hickory Park. There is usually a long line but it is worth the wait.

I will miss the horizon.

When I first moved to Iowa, wide open spaces made me nervous. Now I love it and fenced in overly treed areas make me nervous. If there is a storm coming, I want to see it move in from Nebraska. Perhaps when I move to Maine I should live on a hill facing west.

Matthew's Brain freeze

Iowa Weather

I will also miss Iowa weather. Ok, not the 25 below weather but spring, summer, and fall are great. I also love a good spring storm. I don' t want a tornado, but a good thunderstorm is so cozy. Living in Iowa has taught me about tornado sirens and heading to the basement. I tune in to Ed Wilson on channel 13 for my weather advisories. He is like an old friend. I will miss Ed and my other friends at channel 13.

Believe it or not.....

I will miss the clean Iowa (and midwest) public restrooms. It is so nice that after driving a long time to walk into a clean, good smelling restroom. Also, many of Iowa's restrooms have an historical theme so you can learn things while visiting. Not while sitting though. The displays are in the foyer. Also, the restrooms are now wireless. This is one of the cultural differences between Maine and Iowa....clean public bathrooms. Someone works hard to make them this way and I appreciate it.

And I will really really really miss Aldi

Those who know me know I love my Aldi. Milk for 1.99; who doesn't love that? The best gourmet food at affordable prices. This is probably the hardest thing to leave. I will just have to go get an an Italian sandwich and then go to Mardens every time I miss Aldi.

Iowa green

I will also miss how green Iowa gets. The best way to demonstrate this is to show a painting by Grant Wood.

I will miss the Grotto of the Redemption

We have brought many relatives to see this amazing monument. Since my Dad is a rock hound, this is the perfect tourist destination. Every time we have visited we are in awe of the brilliance of the stones. Take the time to see the clip.

What I will miss #2

These favorite things are in no particular order. I will just put them up as I think of them. For more years than I can remember, Sunday night has meant one thing: Sound Off on channel 13. It is a sports show. A few weeks ago, Kelsey was still up while Tim was gone and was trying to talk to me during the show. I kept shushing her. She finally asked me what I was doing watching this sports TV show. I laughed and explained that I watch it every week. Mom is full of surprises. Here is a clip. There an even better one but that one may be a little off color. Worth watching though. Here is that URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBtl4qoZbmk&feature=related

I am going to miss these guys!!!

Bye, Keith. Bye, Andy.

We are leaving my beloved Iowa

Since I last blogged life has made a sudden U-turn. We are going back to Maine. I will be blogging about all the things I will miss. Today we went to see the I-cubs for mother's day. I love this park. It is set between two rivers: the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. It is great to sit and see the gold dome of the capital in the background. The kids love running through the splash pad, even when it is only 60 degrees out.