HOME!!!

Twenty-eight hours and I arrived in Philly at the bus depot across the street from the SEPTA commuter train, rode 50 minutes to Lansdale station where the sight of Wendy's truck was a rainbow in my day. I was not just a weary, dirty traveler, I was unsanitary.

A positive note for Greyhound; Cleveland had a clean station, but on the equipment downside the air systems and coaches were troubling, as was the Toledo German Shepherd K-9 sniffing and barking at the under-bus luggage and shipping boxes.

Though the transportation part of this trip was a definite challenge, the slice of life I saw was as interesting as anything I've seen beyond dust fuzzies. Everything from fellow retirees to shirtless, tattooed gang-bangers, including toothless, meth abused youth; every skin color, myriad accents, and an occasional turban with East Indian music discernible from earbuds.

The stay in Des Moines with Marilyn and Alan just couldn't be beat. Their newly purchased home is in excellent order, comfortable and projects and plans for it are moving forward apace. It is spacious and inviting. Thank you, for all the comfort and food, Marilyn and Alan.

The days there were filled with visiting. Susie came for a quick weekend stay to increase the female camaraderie. Thanks again, Alan, for not frowning at our hilarity.

Susie set up her equipment and gave us all a concert...

And, yes, she did sing Pancho and Lefty. One of my favorites. What a nice Saturday evening her many songs made for us. Some people do house blessings for their new homes. Susie played and sang songs. No doubt, it accomplished the same.

Besides music, another of my favorite things in life is to be outdoors, and that's where we were a lot of the time. The farmer's market and Better Homes and Gardens demo garden you've seen on the Facebook postings already.

Then, there was Reiman's Gardens...

Marilyn--lookin' good.

The grounds are next to Iowa State University. Their mascot greeted visitors.

Evergreens and dill.

Color, forms and textures made wonderful plantings throughout. 

Petunias!

Butterfly.

River Birch is becoming my favorite tree.

Another River Birch. These are striking at all times of the year.

Sycamore.

Apple tree canopy; a living grotto. Appealing shade and forms. 

Marilyn's knowledge and active interest in the botanical qualities and aesthetics of these wonderful gardens and terrain are infectious. I was a most fortunate visitor to walk along with her as she absorbed the surroundings and explained what she saw. Her landscape customers are fortunate.

Ever since I heard of it, I've wanted to visit the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge to see the tall grass prairie that the "sod-busters" changed in a generation to the tilled fields that now fill 90% of all land in Iowa. Marilyn drove us there...

The varieties of plants were astounding. Among them were animal pathways, and mashed places where the buffalo or elk laid down. 

It was the warmest part of the day and the buffalo were hanging out down by one of the gullies. Once there were 40 million on our continent. Elk numbered even more.

Walking along the well maintained pathways we could get a good sense of the one-time vastness of the prairie.

The several thousand acres are fairly well cleared of non-native plant life. But, it will take another 200 years for the grasses to form the thick rooted sod that it was originally. 

These are the milk-weeds' pods. The Monarch butterflies need these plants; great amounts of them have been eradicated on the butterfly migration routes.

Over and over I am struck by the varieties of colors. Some are subtle...

Others are brilliant. 

I am struck by my fading care of the tough bus travel, and find foremost in my mind satisfaction with visiting Marilyn and Alan, Susie driving in from St. Louis, and Iowa itself.

This was the excitement when I got home...

Austin and friends

Snickerdoodle's special pen in the background.

Jasmine, the super milker nanny.

A bored Aidan climbed out his window onto the deck roof...

...to fly one of his five paper airplanes.

Just before the 6:39 a.m. school bus arrives...hmmm, bus again. Thought I'd forgotten about that.

Toby joined me on the porch/deck for my morning coffee. It was mild out for a couple of days.

While I was away I learned that Keoni became Concert Master at the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and Aidan became First Chair of the cello section of Philadelphia Regional Youth String Music orchestra.

A shoutout to them: Congratulations! for your wonderful accomplishments.

By Friday, the pace has picked up. While Wendy drove Aidan to orchestra practice in Bryn Mawr, I drove Keoni to his orchestra practice for Sunday's concert. A snippet is here...Keoni Orchestra Rehearsal  My apologies. I can't think of the name of this orchestra. I'll amend tomorrow.