Greetings from Iowa!

As I type, I am in Kalona, Iowa right down the road from several Amish farms. A few hours ago, buggies were driving up and down the road as their various owners were making their ways home after spending the afternoon visiting with neighbors after church. They dress in their "Sunday best" for the day, and right after service, they all get together at someone's house for a big Sunday dinner. At the end of the afternoon, they climb in their buggies to make the trek home. Although they don't really like it if you go to their farms and take pictures (although, they apparently enjoy talking to strangers), they are just fine with it when they are driving down the road--at least so says our host here at the Carriage House B&B.

So far this trip has been amazing. There was that little glitch when my sister's flight out of Sacramento was cancelled, and she arrived 23 hours after she was supposed to, but she got a night in Phoenix out of  it, and I got breakfast alone at Karrays' Cafe in Bellevue, NE--where they are apparently not sure about outsiders eating Saturday breakfast alone. It was an experience, though,  and I read a lovely article in The Atlantic about genius and the synergy of opposition, particularly as it related to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. For a life-long Beatles fan, it was a lovely way to spend a meal! (And the coffee wasn't bad either.)

But back to the trip: we drove through Des Moines this morning and found the house where my grandparents lived when our mother was born, got stuck in road construction trying to find a Starbucks so this caffeine-dependent Washington girl could survive the morning's drive across the state (totally unsuccessful by the way), and drove through farmland so green it could put Ireland to shame. It was beautiful!! We also drove through the Amana Colonies north of Iowa City before making our way to a diner where we ate grilled cheese sandwiches and hand dipped ice cream cones, and finally ended up here in Kalona, where we made friends with the dog (a golden retriever named Zoe), five horses, three cats, and a chicken named "Chicken." We sat under a tree and listened to the wind in the trees while my sister was on the lookout for more buggies-- and a better picture than the last one! It was lovely, restful-- and humid!

The humidity--although not unexpected--can be a bit overpowering. I guess since its only been in the 80s its not as bad as it can be, but since the weather is turning toward hot(ter), I guess I'll get a chance to see how much worse it can get. But as long as there are no floods or tornados, I'm ok with it!

Tuesday morning we head to the archives and the real reason for the trip, but for today (and tomorrow), we are playing tourist in a beautiful part of the country--and enjoying the peace and quiet!

The Braham girls send you greetings from Iowa!