Waubonsie Overview~

We enjoyed an excellent sermon at The Connection this morning.  Since the media has been hyping the beginning of the End Times, Pastor Ricky laughingly mentioned that he was very happy to see us :-)  The sermon was full of thoughtful, clear & informative quotes directly from the Bible.  After lunch at the Classic Café - we left from Malvern for one of our Sunday drives.

The Soy Bean fields have turned golden~

It was another in a string of very warm & very humid days.  Friends from Church have recently purchased land in the country & we decided to go that direction & see if we could find the area.  There's signage all along the Loess Hills that designates the Waubonsie Loop.  Part of a National Scenic Byway - it is definitely one of the most scenic areas we've found to date. 

Gaining elevation~

As we left the valley floor & climbed into the hills, the views were beautiful.  Butch has driven the school bus on many of the country roads by now & it amazes me how far out some of the children live.

Goldenrod~

We had a nice breeze, the winds have accompanied the unseasonably warm days - which at least makes them bearable.  Butch had passed the sign for the Overview.  We followed the rock road over hill & dale - still climbing & soon found the spot.

The Sign~

Flowers were planted around the sign, those flowers were covered with butterflies.  We parked along the edge of the road & unhooked the one strand of barbed wire that formed a makeshift gate.  It was just a short walk through the very tall grass to where the views opened up.

The way we'd come~

Just a few homes in the valley - it was easy to imagine how it looked when the Indians were living in these hills.

Stunning~

The gold, soon to be rust of the soy & corn fields just added scope to the beauty of the SW Iowa landscape.

Vast spaces~

This seemed a very special place.  What it's history is - I'd like to know.  In the summer, the teepee is covered with canvas,  in the winter, just the poles stand.

Teepee~

There was also a large feeder, filled with corn.  I'm sure the local squirrels & birds take full advantage of the buffet.  The only sound was of the wind in the trees...  I want to come back, see these views as the trees turn color & again in the Winter months under the white of snow~