Pumpkin contest for REALTORS

Hawkeye Pumpkin

Countrywide Mortgage Bank is having a pumpkin carving contest tomorrow. This is our entry. Two of the staff members did this one....go Hawks!

Again it burned

Our favorite restaurant in Northeast Iowa went up in flames this morning. It was just 10 months since it burned on Christmas eve. There is no news as to why it burned during the night. All the guns that were saved in the last fire and the antiques burned this time. I am so sorry for our friends, Cindy and Mike and their large family.

Feels like Alaska

It was warmer in Alaska when I was there then it is here today! Here are a couple more Alaska pictures. See the fresh snow on the mountain.

ENMU graduation

Congratulations to my daughter-in-law; Andrea Clark. She will graduate from Eastern New Mexico University in December and we will be THERE! She has worked so hard and is a mother and wife in the process. Congratulations, Andrea.

Fall flowers are so pretty in Iowa

Here are some fall flowers I took last week.

Gas was 2.50 a gallon

I showed houses in Wilton, Iowa last night....gas was $2.50 cents. I showed houses there on Tuesday and gas was $2.59. I like that!

Corn is getting ripe

Fall is a beautiful time in Iowa. A farmer near our home has shucked back the husk on several corn plants to reveal beautiful ears of corn. Farmers are combining soybeans but haven't really since the corn being harvested yet. The ears really "need to drop." Today our weather has turned rainy and cooler. It is to be in the 30's on Thursday night but then warm again. I have lots and lots of green tomatoes but not too many red. I sure have enjoyed fresh, great tasting tomatoes this fall.

It is not 17 cents

Well, gas prices have gone down. I paid $3.09 on Friday and they range around Johnson and Cedar Counties from $3.09 to $3.29. I was in Tipton today and they are $3.19 but there are some here in Iowa City/Coralville for $3.09.

This gas pump is at Balltown...inside the Breitback's Balltown, Iowa restaurant. Note 17 cents.

Snow

Yes, it was snowing in Alaska when I was there. It was on the mountain tops as you can see from the picture but I never felt a drop. But yesterday I heard there was now in Fairbanks. I was about 200 miles from Fairbanks.

It was in the high 30's overnight here. The trees are just barely turning...and some are really pretty.

Here is the parking lot at Walmart at Wasilla...where have I heard the name of that town before?