This week I'm in Iowa, the red buds are in full bloom and all the trees are gorgeous. Everything is so green. It's quite beautiful here with many picturesque barns and I am hanging out with my son, yay!
One day I painted at Ledges State Park with a couple of local plein air painters that I met in Santa Fe a few weeks ago. That day was spent painting and connecting with new friends. We all have so much in common (hello geocachers!) and I really enjoyed the companionship of painters who love to be outdoors too.
Virginia Bluebells in Iowa, 11x14 pastel
Ledges State Park, Iowa 11x14 pastel
I went to the Des Moines Farmers Market on Saturday. It was raining, but still fun - I got fresh doughnuts for breakfast and beautiful lilacs for Mothers Day.
Des Moines Farmers Market
Also, I've heard of cheese curds and really don't know what a cheese curd is. So I asked. It seemed like a simple question. The woman selling them said "it's just cheese". I said what's the difference, though? "All cheese is a cheese curd before it's mushed together" she said. Sooo, it's just a different shape? She said again "It's just cheese". I guess she can only answer that question about a 100 times a week and I was the 101st. So, I bought some and ate them.
Beautiful barns all around
Pella, Iowa plenty of tulips - a week after Tulip Time
I learned what a century barn is, differences of silos, that there is a Fall Barn Tour in Iowa and a lot of random farming facts. Also, the shoulders on the roads are gravel, which I guess works well for tractors. I think it's also for photographers - so when you are driving and taking pictures and accidentally run off the road a little ... the gravel is a good heads up. Just sayin'.
Last, I learned what Dutch letters are and I finally tried cheese curds. It's just cheese, ya know.
