First frost

I traveled back home to northern Iowa this week, and overnight, the temperatures dipped well below freezing.  I just had to go outside and take a few pictures of the first hard freeze of the year.  I took these pictures while on a very cold walk on the new trail that circles the Worth County Fairgrounds in Northwood.

My sister calls this the Northwood "skyline" -- the grain elevator where my dad used to deliver his corn.

The menu board was still up at the 4-H food stand, although the picnic tables were empty.

There's a barn quilt above the entrance of the Kiddie Barn.  Barn quilts are very popular in Iowa right now.

I have many happy memories of summer evenings spent watching country music acts and figure 8 races from the top row of wooden benches in the fair's historic grandstand.

A few trees are a little reluctant to give up their leaves for the season.

Couldn't resist walking through the fall leaves just to hear them crinkle under my feet.

Ole!

If you're ever in Des Moines, treat yourself to a trip to Tasty Tacos.  My sister and I stopped by their Euclid Ave. location on the northeast side of Des Moines.  We went with the classic beef taco, which is folded in a soft, bread-like shell.  For dessert, I ordered a cinnamon-sugar version of the soft taco shell (sorry, I can't remember its name, but it's on the dessert menu.)

By far my favorite taco joint in town.  Go there.  Soon.

Dog-gone fun

For the record, it is really, really, really hard to take photos of dogs.

These doggies didn't want to stand still.  There was way, way too much excitement at the Central Iowa Pet Expo at the State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.  This pooch was sporting purple to celebrate the occassion. (I'm not sure why she was purple, by the way.)

It would be great to adopt a dog, but my hubby and I have decided against it.  We're both away from home too much, and we don't like the idea of caging a dog outside or inside while we are gone.  We both grew up on farms, so we think dogs should be free to roam.

But...maybe someday we might give in a get a little lap dog.  They can be so friendly and adorable.

The Pet Expo has become an annual tradition for my sister and I.  My sister has always loved animals.  When we were little girls growing up on the farm, she spent all her time outside playing with the cats and dogs in our farmyard. 

Now my sister has a house cat, and she loves to buy her little toys.  She bought a hand-made pet pillow for $15 at the Expo this year.  She called me as soon as she got home to tell me that her cat loved the pillow.  Best $15 she ever spent :)