Family, Piggly, Wapsi, and Salty Hog Pie

We enjoyed a relaxing morning, hanging out with Francie and Bob, Parker and Beau, while plans to go to the gym, somehow fell by the wayside. We pulled up stakes and headed west, across the Mississippi, but only after laying in tasty picnic supplies from the Piggly Wiggly in Galena.

We pulled off the road in Anamosa, Iowa, and had our lunch by the clear, winding Wapsipinikon ("Wapsi") River, all set about with limestone bluffs, while Dora indulged her water crazies with leaps off and back up eight-foot river banks and much swimming and retrieving-of-sticks.

We have been astounded by the quiet beauty of the rolling landscapes along our route, from Pennsylvania, a beautiful two miles or so of West Virginia, then Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and now Iowa, with more to come! With leaves just starting to change, the tapestry is green, with bright yellows interspersed, clumps of dark green around the farmhouses, and vast expanses of umber fields.

Where "every aspect pleases, and only man is vile," --- yes, the strip of Anywhere, USA box stores and fast food franchises along the strip where we're staying in Council Bluffs is pretty vile. It's hard to conjure an image of the leaders of the local Indian nations sitting down here to resolve anything. Had they but known what the next wave of settlers would bring!

We grabbed a late-night dinner at an all-day breakfast place --- one of a chain, we learned --- of Village Inns, with interiors designed to look like the 50s never ended. Dinner was fine, though and the people were friendly and thoughtful. I will end with a photo of a special we did not have.

.