Angie Went On A Bear Hunt And Wasn't Afraid Until Ruby Confronted Her But now They Are BFF's

So I went on a field trip to Mediapolis to pick up a title....kinda like that song our little kiddos sang in preschool...
I'm goin' on a bear hunt,
goin' a on a bear hunt,
I'm gonna catch a big one,
gonna catch a big one,
But I'm not afraid,
 I'm not afraid.

Okay, that song has been stuck in my head for days. I am sooo happy it is out of my head now!



But now I have THIS image stuck in my head!!!

Would love to credit this photo but am unable to find proper credit.

I started my field trip to Mediapolis in Frytown of course, and passed several horse and buggies on the way to Kalona...it was a cloudy day the first time I went. The second time, it was bright and sunny.

I stopped
 
at the
 
Kalona
 
Cheese
 
House.

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Where they make world famous cheese curds!!!

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It's very cool inside....

After making off with a 1 lb. package of cheese curds, I headed to Kalona where one
 is greeted by the Kalona welcome sign.

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I drove by this blue house with a pretty tree blooming in the front.

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And I waved a
 
big "HI"

to our friends at Kalona Auto Parts...
Hi Lynn,
Hi Loren, Hi Alvin and Dennis!!!!

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I pass the Kalona Village Museum and snapped a couple pics...

Leaving Kalona, I pass Amish kids on their way to their schoolhouse...

See the Amish schoolhouse in the middle of the picture down below, back in that pastoral setting?
Look for the bell tower or steeple.

So I come into the huge metropolis of 
Riverside.

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I drove through Riverside and I took a couple snapshots of some cute  houses I admire...

And of course a drive through Riverside is not complete without gawking at a replica of the USS Enterprise.
 

Riverside, Ia is the birthplace of Captain Kirk don't ya know!

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Onward

down the

highway

I go.....
Here I am, on the road again, here I am, up on the stage, here I go, playing star again, here I go, turn the page.

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And then I got bored and took a picture of all the crapola crapmeister crap on my floorboard.

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But I remembered I had my Mumford and Sons CD in the car...they're an English band that plays alternative bluegrass...it's fantastic!!

They won Best New Group last year at the Grammys.

Still on the Avenue of the Saints aka
I-218, you will drive past Swedesburg, you've seen this big Swedish animal thing haven't you, advertising the museum?

A ram maybe?

A Swedish ram?
Heck, I'm lost with what it is. 

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I thought I would drive into tiny Swedesburg and take a picture of the Swedesburg Museum.

There
was a pretty church on Main Street in the little town too.

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This building was on Main Street as well.


It looks like a former service station from back in the day.

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And now it's a salvage store called Burnies Salvage Store.

Of course I had to pop in and check it out....

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...and purchase a few things like these vintage plastic tupperware bowls below which Tim and I use ALL THE TIME!
And the cylinder thing below is actually four spice shakers. They used to have spice names on them like cinammon and such. I thought they would be awesome for outdoor entertaining, picnic style.
And I love the picture I got for $1 that says Cherry.

So then I drove into Mt. Union, parked on the side of the road, and snapped a shot of this cafe, which was a former gas station. The gas station operated clear up until 1991.  The cafe owner, Ruby, came outside the front door with a look on her face and demanded to know what I was doing.

My first impulse was to flee like a 12 year old caught tee-peeing, but I could tell, Ruby was my kind of gal. I stated that I liked old gas stations and then I asked if this cafe is still operating. Ruby said yes. I asked if I could get a cup of coffee to go. Ruby said yes very suspiciously, but then told me to come in.

This story ends where Ruby and I become best friends forever because I LOVE Ruby!!! She works six days a week
every week and serves breakfast and lunch. She's a gem!! The second time I passed through Mt. Union, I brought Ruby those cheese curds from the Cheese House.

Because did I mention Ruby and I are total best friends now? Don't tell her that though, she doesn't know it yet.
 
But we so are.

So after picking up a title in Mediapolis, on my way home near Crawfordsvile, IA, I stopped at a place off of 218 that I'd seen numerous times but didn't know what it was.
So I pulled up because I saw the "Open" sign.
 
Okay, that's a lie...I so saw the "Wine" sign from the road and that kinda drew me in too.
Geez, can't catch a break here.

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This is El-Len Artistry. They do custom framing and let me tell you, I saw a piece he was working on and it was gorgeous. They sell pictures and prints here, candles and towels, wine and books and puzzles.
 
It's very cool.

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I may have purchased an item or two that day.

The picture to the left is a photograph
from a photographer from Washington, Iowa. The frame guy framed it. I LOVE this
photograph...it's geese on snow and the beak and leg and feet color is simply fantastic.
And the frame is perfect with this picture!

And this picture is two photographs from the frame guy's wife's garden. The top picture is of an unopened Queen Anne's Lace flower.
This picture really spoke to me.

It said BUY ME.

And then I went back to the office and worked my tail off because I spent money on pictures and cheap Tupperware that was not completely one thousand percent necessary to have or need, really, to live a full or complete or productive or joyful life or even to move forward in life.





But it made me happy. And that's good enough.

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! :)

Have a good Thursday!!! Talk at ya soon!