Message in the Bottles

At the Labor Day flea market in Marquette, Iowa there are many vendors situated near the Iowa-Wisconsin bridge. Vendors sell anything and everything. On this day there was a selection of old time medicine or tonic bottles for sale, many for $3 a piece. While there were no rolled-up bits of paper in the bottles, a few contained something in them - dead bugs. That's the message.

Czech & Slovak Museum's Rails Have Witnessed Much

These concrete railings are part of clock tower stage at the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Back in 1995 Presidents Bill Clinton, Vaclav Havel and Michal Kovac stood near this spot to dedicate the museum. Having survived that attention these railing were flooded in 2008 when the Cedar River reached a historic 500 year high mark. Today the area looks much improved and awaits the next event.

Cherries or Miniature Red Apples?

I don't know what kind of cherries these are. They are about pea size and are growing on small trees in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Maybe these are an apple variety - who knows? Nice to see them before we receive serious frost.

Purple Buzz on a Noxious Weed

A bee gathers pollen from a flowering Canada thistle today in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The thistle is regarded as a pesky noxious weed in these parts but can be quite beautiful if not on your property. Fortunately this purple flowered weed is located on an empty lot in the 2008 flood zone close to the Newbo area of Cedar Rapids. Someday some commercial venture will once again occupy this space but until then...a bee is happy.

Leading Edge Orange

Close up of a restored DC-3 prop. A pitted and bug soaked leading edge on the right. More DC-3 photos to come.

Fuel Pit Stop for St. Lukes Helicopter

So, I'm on the Iowa City airport tarmac taking photos of a vintage DC-3 a couple of weeks ago when out of nowhere a helicopter shows up. The copter lands, fuels and then leaves in a hurry. It is based in Cedar Rapids but must have needed fuel now rather than topping the tanks at the Cedar Rapids airport.