Independence Day in Iowa

Cara and I started out our 4th of July by jogging around Keosauqua. We only ran for about 20 minutes, but the heat and humidity, even at 8am, made it feel like we were out there for an hour. It was fun though, as we got to see a lot of the town and chat with some of the locals.

We then drove around and toured SE Iowa. I showed Cara some of the places I remembered visiting when I was a kid--my Grandma's old houses in Milton and Douds, the "Dutchman's Store" (run by Mennonites) in Cantril, the "American Gothic" house (which Grant Wood used to paint his famous picture) in Eldon, and the park in the middle of Fairfield's square where we used to to see the band concerts.

We went to the American Gothic house hoping to get some decent pictures of the house and possibly one of us posing in front of it. Before we pulled up to it I commented to Cara that we should have brought a pitchfork to use in the picture. As I was setting up my tripod across the street from the house, a man, the caretaker, came out of the backyard with a pitchfork and asked me if I'd like to use it. I was amazed and very appreciative. The man was very friendly and we talked for about 15 minutes. He mentioned that they were hoping to build a visitor's center near the house, which is owned by the state and currently is home to the town's postmaster. With the assistance of my tripod and the camera's self-timer (thanks Harrison!) I was able to get a few good shots of Cara and I in front of the house. Unfortunately I could not remember the exact pose from the Grant Wood painting, so the photos may not be entirely accurate. The one thing we did get right is the scowls on our faces--we look pretty mean, perhaps too mean.

The town of Keosauqua was busy celebrating the 4th throughout the day. They had a stage set up near the Des Moines river with a steady stream of local entertainment--mostly bands playing country covers. They also had vendors selling various food items and games going on in the park. At about 9pm (or dark:30 as the locals told us), the fireworks show on the river began. Cara and I, along with about 1,000 of our closest friends, sat along the river to watch the show. The fireworks were very impressive, especially for such a small town.