I went to Van Buren County, Iowa, last Saturday. Intended to stay 3 nites but the weather was wonderful and I was enjoying myself I ended up staying one more day. This is the old Manning Hotel B&B that I stayed at one nite. My room was right above the T in Hotel. Was a good experience.
Of course the room was a small bedroom with this antique furniture and bathroom, complete with creaky floors and an all night light shining in thru the door transom. No TV, phone, frig, or dryer. Working at the hotel coffee shop when I was about 15 was one of my very first jobs. So I thought I should spend one night there. After that I stayed with friends.
This is the Bentonsport bridge on the Des Moines River. As you can see the river was very low. We were looking for steel spikes that loosen up from the old timbers that are visible only when the water is low. There used to be a dam across the river many years ago. The guy is Bill Printy who is a black smith and makes beautiful things from the spikes.
This is Betty Printy "whipping" up a challis for a church that needed to be done ASAP. She is the partner of Iron and Lace. The lace being the queen anne's lace flower that is fired into her pottery. She and I go back to our growing up years in that area.
http://ironandlace.com/index.htm Her website if anyone wants to learn more about the area.
This is April, their daughter (who I happened to help deliver 30 years ago) I got to work with her to pick up some skills of wrapping warp on a huge 60 inch loom.
This was one of the best things about the trip. I got to have a REAL pork tenderloin sandwich as only VB County can make. It was awesome!!
I have more pictures to share but that's it for now.
Thought for the day: It is good to have an end to journey toward: but it is the journey that matters, in the end.... Ursula K LeGuin
2 comments:
Looks like you had a good time. I liked my short time in Iowa, too.
What a great bit of nostalgia! "Especially" your pork tenderloin. ;)
Seriously, it looks like you had a very nice visit. And finding "loom work" must be a sign, too, eh? You can't get away from fate, DC! How're things coming with your new floor loom?
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