TALLADEGA SCENIC HIGHWAY ON MT. CHEAHA ~ ALABAMA ~ photo taken by Dianna Stover
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Monday, May 14, 2012

PIC OF THE WEEK - HOMESICK FOR IOWA

I talked to my mom yesterday for Mother's Day, and I guess it's made me a bit homesick for Iowa. One of my Iowa cousins posted (on FB) how all the motorcycles are starting to come out and enjoy the Spring weather and it reminded her of my dad. He used to give her rides against her mom's wishes, but hey, isn't that what Uncles are for? 

I never had the opportunity to ride through my ol' home state while I had my motorcycle, but the wide open feeling you get when driving along a mid-western highway with nothing but open corn fields and an occasional farm to dapple the country side... I'm thinking how awesome that would have been. 

HOMESICK FOR IOWA
 
All these pics were taken in June of 2009, on Highway 61, south of Dubuque, Iowa. For some of you, these may seem, uninteresting, but they take me back to a time that was so long ago, so youthful, so carefree, so... smelly.  (You never forget the cows and pigs... never.)

Iowa... A great place to grow!

Have a nice week everybody!

Lady R

17 comments:

Webster World said...

It is great! The sights the smell. Yes even the dairy farms. North of Saginaw is mostly lakes and forest but riding west of here and running in the tumb is mostly farm. The best are the roads less traveled. The dirt roads are the best to see what one never sees.

mq01 said...

it does look like great riding country! i guess i rode iowa, i think. i rode the southeast corner of NE and believe crossed the state line at the state corners a few times... dang now i gots to go look at google maps ;) day dreaming of rides, ahh, happy monday ladyR!

Trobairitz said...

Very pretty scenery.

I can see why you'd want to ride through on two wheels. Everything looks and smells different.

Bitchy said...

One of my best friends lives in Iowa, every time a job comes up there I volunter for it. They all think I am nuts, but you can not beat the mid west for hospitality.

SonjaM said...

Yep, I can smell the manure ;-)
Looks lovely, but maybe a bit too flat and treeless for my taste.

Lady R (Di) said...

Dear Webster,

Every time I smell cows and pigs, I'm reminded of home. Funny, huh? I remember creating some mighty awesome memories on those Iowa dirt roads too... Learning to drift before drifting became popular. (In our four door family "74 Impala!) LOL!!

Lady R (Di)

Lady R (Di) said...

Dear Mq01,

I remember riding across the entire state of Nebraska (from East to West) every time we headed out west to visit our western cousins. As a kid in a car with 3 little brothers... I thought I was in Pergetory! ugh!!

Now that I'm old and wise(gaff)I really appreciate the beauty of farmland. Maybe it's because we don't see much of it around here.

Either way... I still have a dream of riding my home state... on two. When I do... you'll be invited!

Lady R (Di)

Lady R (Di) said...

Dear Trobairitz,

The looks and sounds... definitely different, but still so beautiful in it's own right. I think we appreciate the scenery elsewhere because it's not what we see every day. I've learned, that what I used to consider very boring to look at, extremely comforting today.

I guess that's what homesickness does to you.

Lady R (Di)

Lady R (Di) said...

Dear Gina,

That's what my southern husband said the first time he visited my home state. He noticed how friendly and talkative Mid-westerner's are and he said... "Southern hospitality could take a few notes from these Iowa folks."

I always felt very proud of my upbringing. I guess my parents had a little something to do with that too, though. lol!

Where is Iowa is your friend?

Lady R (Di)

Lady R (Di) said...

Gina,

I meant to ask... where IN Iowa is your friend? lol!

Goofy me.

Lady R (Di) said...

Sonja,

When my mom travels to the south, she complains about the view, or lack of it. She can't see anything but trees!

It's kind of interesting to notice the "narrowing" of your view as you travel from the mid-west to the south.

Like you observed... it goes from one extreme to the other.

Lady R (Di)

Bitchy said...

Bondurant...About 20 miles north north east of Des Moines. Her husaband calls me her evil twin, lol... The only way we look alike is we both have dark graying hair.

Lady R (Di) said...

Gina...

That would be close to the Iowa Harley Girl, Stephanie! Cool!

John Evans said...

Beautiful shots -- my favorite being the house on the rise. Like you're coming home.

No country like this in CA. Central Valley comes closest, but it's flat -- unlike the rolling country in your images.

I'd imagine I'd feel freed from a cage, with all that wide, open space around me.

Lady R (Di) said...

John...

I really appreciate the Iowa countryside much more, now that I don't live there. It's so nice to travel from Alabama to Iowa and notice the gradual change of the landscape.

We live in a beautiful country! Thank you for visiting Southern Comfort!

Lady R (Di)

Anonymous said...

Im from west of dubuque and i miss home like hell lol its always good to know other people feel the same way!!!

jm said...

I'm from that area. Found your post when I googled "homesick for Iowa." I'm in California right now, generally considered paradise by so many, but I miss Iowa so much.