Late Summer Rambles

This morning, Alfie and I went on one of our rambles around the prairie and the countryside.  I've written about the prairie before (here and here), but today, rather than our usual circuit, Alfie and I went to the "dog prairie."  The dog prairie is the section where dogs are allowed off leash, in contrast to the main prairie where everyone lets their dogs run illegally.  The dog prairie is a much newer section which is being restored to prairie from corn fields.  It shows.  It's basically a flat field with mown paths.

Views of the dog prairie

Still, Alfie had a good time, running and sniffing, wild and free.  And while many plants were still in bloom, like goldenrod and sunflowers, there were others beginning to go to seed.  I love the texture of the dried seed heads.

Coneflower and Black-eyed Susans (I think)

Driving home, we took a roundabout way down country roads through the fields.  Around here the main crops are corn, soybeans, and wind.  There's something great about driving down a gravel road on a cool, sunny morning, windows down, through acres of corn with huge wind turbines stretched out like a row of sentinels.

And then a gorgeous red barn before turning for home.

Early Spring at the Prairie

Yesterday was a cool and blustery day, but sunny, so it was a good day for a walk in the prairie preserve.  Early spring is a quiet time at the prairie.  Nothing is blooming except some crabapples and lots of dandelions in the mowed "park" section.  The tall prairie grasses are short, just beginning to grow, so there are wonderful open vistas.

Wind farm southwest of the prairie

No goslings yet

On a different subject, a friend dropped off this gorgeous potted hyacinth the other evening.  How glorious!  Our whole house smells heavenly!

The chocolate mini eggs are in a much smaller dish now.
And, why, yes, that lid is slightly askew.  How could that have happened?