Iowa

The Sears Tower, one building that we had to visit, could be seen in the distance, (who could miss it?), and our plan was to walk a little further and then possibly get a taxi the remainder of the distance. That didn't happen, we just kept walking, our talking and diving in and out of the stores that tempted us and, before we knew it, we were at the doors of the Tower. Riding to the top, we gazed at the view. Though I had seen Chicago from the air, I hadn't realised just how much water was in and around the city. Anna had made a promise to Ricki and here she attempted to fulfill it, after coercing Caro into joining her. Watching them, I wondered just how did Ricki get Anna to promise to spit from the Tower????? (Very dainty spits though, we were in an enclosed building!!) Mission accomplished, we left the Tower to continue our walking....and more walking.......and even more walking...So much to see, so little time!

    Darkness was well upon us as we made our way back to the car. Back in the apartment, groaning about sore feet, Caro worked out the distance we had covered....... 62 blocks, 62 large city blocks! After a busy, tiring but wonderful weekend, Anna and I set off for Iowa. There was plenty to see on the drive, more flat land and corn.......lots of it! The recent heavy rain was evident with flooding in many fields. I was amazed to see one flooded area with waves! Waves belonged at a beach, not in the middle of a field in Iowa! Stopping for coffee we were entertained with listening to the waitress, her accent was definitely unusual and all Anna and I could do was giggle. I had never heard anyone with the woman's style of speech, or accent, and have yet to meet anyone to match her. More giggles when Anna realised that the silo's scattering the countryside, a new sight for me, were the cause of my "slightly off-colour" comments. The reason for the man made ponds was a topic for discussion......decorative or functional use? Are they made for the purpose of providing water in the case of fire as has been suggested to me?

    Arriving at Anna's home, where I would be spending the next 9 days, we had Kendall to help drag the bags inside. Despite me resisting the temptation to shop, they had got heavier and heavier! I cringed at the thought of carting them around for a few more weeks. I found a solution to this problem though. When I left Iowa, I also left clothing that I was sure I wouldn't need for the remainder of my trip. Anna would kindly store my belongings until my return to the states.

    My daily contact with Mike continued, and as there was a computer in the bedroom, I made full use of it, often tapping away late into the night. Being apart was harder since we had met and, while I wanted to, and would, carry on with my travel arrangements, I was also impatient to go home and make a start on whatever needed to be done so I could return.

    Some tentative plans had been made for my time in Iowa, but we dispensed with them, opting to take each day as it came. Over the course of the next few days, I met family and friends of Anna and Kendall. Memorial Day was a family occasion as it was also Dawn's, (Anna's daughter), birthday. A full house with both family and friends arriving for dinner. During the evening, there was a lively discussion regarding the location of New Zealand. Some surprise expressed when I said that NZ was not near Greenland, as one person thought, nor is it part of Australia, as many people think.

    There was a frequent visitor to the house that I took pleasure in observing. A squirrel would make it's way along the roof, venturing close to the window as it made it's way to a tree. I had caught fleeting glimpses of squirrels at other locations and I had fallen in love with them. (Yes, I know they are a pest, but they are still cute). I could often be found in the sun room waiting for "my" squirrel to make it's daily appearance. We dined out often and I found the variety of eating places impressive for a small town. One drawback, or is that oddity, was that most seem to close between lunch and dinnertime. Anna and I discovered this one day as we went from restaurant to restaurant, getting hungrier with each closed door we saw. A good standby, the fast food diner, was open. We were so hungry we could have been served deep fried cardboard and enjoyed it!

    Going to Des Moines for a day of sightseeing, we stopped, on the way, at Anna's workplace. Strolling around the office area, it was interesting to see Anna's work space. Neat and tidy with pictures giving it a personal touch. Concientious Anna was to be commended as she turned a blind eye to any work that was sitting, awaiting her return. Arriving in Des Moines, I must have looked the part of tourist. My mouth was open as I stared at the skywalks. One could get around a city without ever walking on a footpath!! Anna explained the reason for the skywalks but I couldn't comprehend the need for them. I do now though. A winter in NJ has shown me that keeping out of the cold is a wise move, and NJ does not have the bitter winters of Iowa! Another fascinating sight was a government building. Never had I seen a building with a gold dome! Scaffolding was surrounding it and workman were re-gilding it. I learned that the gilders? had come out from England to do the work. It surprised me that the needed skills were not available locally, but then again, how much demand would there be for the re-gilding of domes? (Having said that, I have since seen gold domed buildings in many cities). Making our way to a shopping mall we stumbled across an antique sale. I was laughing at some of the things being offered for sale. Old cardboard boxes, falling apart, were apparently worth a reasonable amount of money. What have I disposed of over the years that I should have carefully packed away??? I could have sold my unfinished quilt for $90 too, instead of passing it on to my daughter! Putting aside the concerns of how I was going to pack everything, I did some shopping. I had not found everything that was on the request list from my children and grandchildren, so tackled that. Packing videos and CDs wouldn't be a problem, the large Teletubbie was another story. The look on my grandaughters face, when she finally received it, made carrying it around well worthwhile.

   During one of our outings I sighted a wooden statue of Indian design. I had seen the same statue in Delaware, and, when I mentioned this to Anna, I was told that the carver was traveling around, his goal being to have a statue in every state. It was the second one for Iowa, the first had been carved from cottonwood it was either eaten, presumably termites, or rotted, (I can't remember which), so it had to be replaced. A pleasant evening was had when Blazer, another chatter from TA, with his wife and daughter, came for a visit. Blazer was much the same as he is in chat, very quiet, (he also remainded true to his chatting self in that he didn't hug), his wife is also quiet, but their friendly teenage daughter is a natural chatter.

    Already it was my last day and Anna and I went to the swinging bridge.I had been putting this off but could not delay it any longer! There was a playground in the park and before tackling the bridge I took the chance to swing........I love swings, and the higher I can go the better. I had my reservations about the bridge though, it was over deep water, and that I don't like! But, I had promised myself I would walk across it before leaving and today was the day. I stepped into the bridge, determined to get across. Taking small steps, I shuffled across and back as quickly as I could, thankful that there was nobody else there who might have started the swinging motion. Overtaken with a brief moment of bravery I stopped long enough for Anna to take a photo, proof for Kendall that I had taken the walk across the bridge.

    The next morning, after saying goodbye to Kendall, (who I had teased unmercifully during my stay), Anna and I headed for the airport at Des Moines. Anna was quiet, I knew she was not looking forward to saying goodbye any more than I was. Each time I left a friend, I always thought of the meeting as the only one we would have, but, I also was grateful that I have been more fortunate than most. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people, and with some, I have had the privilege of staying with them and getting to know them even better. The airport loomed ahead of us, a blessing in disguise, there wasn't much time before I had to board the plane. With long hugs, and wiping of eyes, I was on my way again.