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~  

Plattsmouth, NE

 A sunshine beauty of a weekend for our birthday's!  We love the Classic Cafe in Malvern - it's our usual spot for a late Sunday breakfast. We wanted to do some more exploring, so we turned toward another historic town, Plattsmouth, NE.

Heading over the PlattsmouthToll Bridge~

 To get there, the most direct way - you take the toll bridge - built in 1929.  It is a real beauty - with it's cantilevered truss style construction.  The sides aren't high & the drop down looks like a long way...

Looking over at the Train Trestle~

 A toll has been in place since the bridge was built.  The $1.50 expense is more than worth the trip over to the NE side of the river.  Now, the funds collected go to maintain the structure.  Even though it's the shortest way to get there from Glenwood, most of the traffic now goes further north & over the new bridge on Hwy 34.  Once across, you enter the town in less than a mile.  I didn't take any photos of the town itself, but we walked the main street, which was quiet.  As we passed Rohan Photography, Dan came out & invited us into his shop!  He had a beautiful book of photos from his trip to Washington State!  We ended up spending quite a while swapping stories & admiring his amazing photographs!

Next, we drove out to the Shilling Wildlife Management Area - just at the end of the town's main street.  The sun was getting low in the sky - perfect for taking a few photos - even with my smartphone.

Greenbriar gone wild~

 I've been researching the invasive species in Iowa & still think I've identified this plant correctly.  To see how destructive it is once it gains a foothold is downright scary!  As damaging as Blackberry is to Washington state & without the yummy berries!

Thorny too!

 Just the small needle sharp thorns make it difficult to walk through - the vines are so small & tough that they tangle your feet at every step.

Huge Tree!

 Some of the trees are huge - so beautiful to see - yet there are almost as many that are dead & bleached white.  I've been told that the big flood of 2008 drowned the root systems.

Where the Platte River joins the Missouri~

Here, the Platte River almost looks to be wider & bigger than the Missouri. What fun to stand where Lewis & Clark camped on their way to the west coast!  We've also visited Fort Clatsop, at the western end of their great trek! 

History on the banks of the river~

 As we watched the two rivers flow by - we heard the unmistakable sound of ducks!  Lots of quacking ducks!  Looking up - huge flocks were flying overhead!  Wave after wave of them - across the deep blue of the late afternoon sky...

Ducks flying over~

Magical~

Sunset~

It doesn't take long once the sun goes down, for the temperature to drop.  We had to remind ourselves that it was February after all!  A very far away place from where we've spent our birthday weekend for the past several years on Whidbey Island!