Mike Houge

Mixing work and relaxation:

This July 4th weekend we went down to Marion, Iowa (near Cedar Rapids) to help our kids with several projects on their new home. We worked hard and actually got a lot done to my surprise, none of this one step forward and two steps back stuff. We did have one minor misstep, Yogi their pet dog ran away at the sound of fireworks and was lost for eight hours but it had a happy ending and all were glad to be reunited.

 

While in one of the prettiest parts of Iowa I did manage to get my lazy self out of bed early two out of three mornings and scout for new photo opportunities. On Friday I drove the Grant Wood Byway looking for that perfect Grant Wood image and found Central Park near Center Junction instead. What a nice park- it truly has something for any outdoor person - lake, trails, camping, canoe rentals and a beach with a volleyball net. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to get away for a weekend.

 

On Sunday morning I drove to Palisades-Kepler State Park just east of Marion near Mount Vernon.Ia.Like so many of Iowa's state parks, the CCC's in the mid 30's left behind some beautiful limestone buildings along with roads and hiking trails. The lodge and rangers home are in great shape and a must see. As you drive in you will also see some indian mounds on your right and the rocks down by the river are laden with fossils from millions of years ao ( a mammoth's tooth was once found exposed in these rocks). Also noted poet Carl Sandburg was a yearly visit during the 20"s and 30"s.

 

Both of these parks are worth visiting, so I hope you'll get to find some free time to go visiting and enjoy some of the beautiful places Iowa has to offer. I hope your 4th of July was a good one and as always thanks for stopping by.

Late Bloomers:

Here it is almost July first and the cone flowers are just now starting to bloom. I know this year I've been a little impatient for things to green up but it seems the flowers are a little behind this year. Even the garden blossoms are behind as my pumpkin/ squash plants are just now going crazy.

 

This last week on the Houge acreage has been awfully routine- mow, weed, trim, pick strawberries and start all over again. Last Sunday evening we did have some really nice cloud formations and I proceeded to chase them until sunset but I couldn't quite get at the right time at the right time. Ahhh... chasing the light, someone should write a book about that someday.

 

This weeks sunflowers were taken near Eleanor Bedel State Park and I have to give Dan Ruf credit for calling me up and letting me in on the "spot", thanks Dan. It sure feels good to get out and chase flowers again, not until I was out there setting up my image did I realize just how much fun the challenge is.

 

I called the O'Brien County Nature Center Wednesday to ask how their prairie was coming along and they also said it would be one to two weeks before there will be much to see. Well I hope you enjoy this weeks images and here's to the late bloomers everywhere. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to stop and smell the flowers along the way.

Sunrise Visit:

It was one of those early summer mornings that we photographers love- calm,partly cloudy and a light dew. I was up before dawn so I could catch the best light and my timing was dead on for a change. Fort Defiance was quiet as usual- not a sole around and the daises had a nice dew on them and no breeze-nice!

 

After several minutes capturing flowers in the prairie, I headed down to the lower part of the park to see if there was water flowing in the creek. Wow, what a perfect morning- it was so quiet you could not only hear the gurgling of the creek down below but the forest was alive as everything was waking up with the sunrise.

 

I spent a couple hours walking through the park, not only taking pictures but also absorbing the peace and quiet that surrounded me. What a great way to forget the pressures and fast pace of the work week. I hope you find time to kick back and relax in your own way this weekend and find this weeks images peaceful. Thanks for stopping by.

The Arrowhead:

As many of you already know, the northeast part of Minnesota is one of my favorite spots in Minnesota. Possibly it's my Norwegian heritage or maybe I was a voyager in an other life but this region tugs at my soul. There's often a little voice in the back of my mind that tells me it's time to head back north.

 

Last week my wife and I couldn't resist any longer and we made plans to visit the arrowhead of Minnesota. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a cabin at Cascade lodge, which surprised us as it was the first true weekend of summer. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, highs in the upper 60's and lows at night in the 30's with clear skies and a light breeze. The folks at Cascade Lodge couldn't be nicer and the restaurant there serves the best bread pudding in the arrowhead.

Besides the rest and relaxation, I was able to shoot pictures twice a day minimum and see some of the best sites up north. On our way to Grand Marais one morning we were able to spot an Eagles nest along the lake shore with little heads bobbing up and down. We stopped and watched the action several time on our trips up and down HWY 61 and I have to say it was one of my highlights.

 

The only disappointing part of the trip was the lack of wildflowers. I think we were about three weeks to early for any color, although the Marsh Marigolds were thick along the highways and the parks where there was standing water.Cascade River, Bluebird Creek and Cadunce River offered me hours of picture taking, not to mention Artists Point at Grand Marais.

 

Once again, if you love the outdoors and haven't found the Arrowhead region of Minnesota, I encourage you to find a long weekend to get away and head north. There truly is something there for all outdoor lovers. Thanks for stopping by.

The routine:

It's the middle of May and the mowing and garden work seem like I've been doing it forever, not just weeks. It's so nice to be spending time outdoors again, even if it means doing household chores. We live on a small acreage, only 3 1/2 acres, so what isn't garden or flower beds is grass. It takes my wife and I about four hours to mow and a minimum of one hour to do the trim work, but it's such a routine that we just do it an move on th the next chore.

It's time to put the garden in but it's been so wet and cool that the plants are still in the greenhouse anxiously waiting to be put into the ground. The one thing that has done well without our help is the asparagus, it seems to really love this damp cool weather and the straw berries are in full bloom and it's beginning to look like a bumper crop.

 

I've been traveling to the local prairies trying to spot any flowers blooming but I haven't had any luck so far. Several of the prairies really need to be burned off badly, not only for the benefit of the struggling plants but it might also reduce the tick population. They are so thick this year that even repellent doesn't seem to help.

Most of the flowers I've captured this spring are from Fort Defiance State Park and Huston County Park and from the wooded areas, but I'm not picky- I'll take what I can get. Have a great week, see you soon.

May flowers

 

My blog for the last two months has been "when will spring arrive", well it's officially here. The anticipation almost drives us nuts but when it finally does arrive- it usually does so with a vengeance. Here are some of the signs- the flowers have started blooming everywhere- the geese are having their babies- the swallows are back- I have had a tick (several) attach itself to me and I've had my first mosquito bite, yes, spring is here for sure

 

April showers have sure helped with the flowers. One of my favorite stomping grounds- Fort Defiance State Park, has a large variety of flowers right now and by the look of the green floor, there will be a lot more coming. I drove through Huston County Park, near Ruthven today and not only saw lots of baby geese but the trails have lots of violets dotting the forest floor.

 

I personally find the "spring green" of the new leaves and grass attractive. There's something about seeing the early morning rays of sunlight striking the newly sprouted leaves that refreshes my soul. It may sound silly but I also look forward to spring and summer clouds- they're bigger and fluffier than the dark flat winter clouds. Already this spring we've been greeted by some really amazing clouds- it bides well for the season. This morning on the way to work I had to stop for a few minutes as a really beautiful group of clouds clustered above a newly planted farm field and I watched as the shadows of the clouds danced over the field. Wow- that's part of this wonderful season and I hope everyone of you will take time to smell the roses this year.

April flowers;

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh spring in Northwest Iowa. The aroma of wet earth, the awaking chorus of a dozen varieties of song birds, the chirping of crickets and the drum of marsh frogs- these are the sounds of spring one misses after seven months of dormancy. All you have to do now is look around and the signs ao spring are everywhere- the grass is getting greener- the buds on the trees are starting to sprout little leaves and the perennial flowers are starting to bloom.

Dan Ruf alerted me to the fact last week- that the Pasque flower was blooming- a first for me to observe. So I was up early last Sunday morning and drove to Freida Haffner prairie to hopefully photograph the hard to find prairie flower and sure enough they were waiting for me to discover them near the kettle hole. It was a little windy and quite chilly so the conditions weren't as I had hoped but the experience was good and I shall return for more images before they disappear for the season.

 

Fort Defiance is another good area to find early wildflowers and this year is no exception. The small round-lobed Hepatica is always a welcomed sight and you can often find it near the base of a tree struggling to send its tiny lavender or pink flower skyward. I can't help but be amazed at how many of these tiny flowers survive the harsh Iowa winters. Another hardy wildflower in Fort Defiance that is always one of the first to poke through the rich soil is the Dutchman's Breeches. What a unique looking flower- clusters of white/pink heart shaped flowers on a leafless stalk. I remember the first time I found this flower on a hike in Lost Island Huston Park, I couldn't wait to get home and grab my field guide to wildflowers so I could identify my find.

 

On the home front we also have a flower that is always the first to bloom and that would be the hardy Crocus. We have only the purple variety at our home but I hope to correct that situation this year and plant a variety of colors for next year. The world of flowers is still quite new to me so I hope you enjoy my journey this summer.

April catch-up time:

 

It's been a busy couple of weeks here in Northwest Iowa. My youngest daughter Ariana and her husband Dan had to make a sad and quick trip to Iowa from Texas two weekends ago due to a death in his family. We took this chance to run down to Cedar Falls and visit them for the first time since Thanksgiving. Even though it was a bitter sweet meeting it was still great to see them again.

They're back in Texas now but it sounds like Dan will have a job offer in Cedar Rapids and if it goes well our kids could finally end up back in Iowa to stay- YEA!! They will have been in Texas for a year in June and the short trip back reminded them of how much they missed Iowa and family.

 

Last weekend Dan Ruf and I spent Sunday in Dolliver State Park and the Brushy Creek area trying hard to capture some good photography. Although the calendar says it's spring- Mother Nature isn't so sure. Every where we looked all we found was dull water and brown-dead grass.

Brushy Creek Recreation area was created by damming the Brushy Creek and creating a 690 acre lake. It presented itself to be quite a challenge with all the dead trees sticking halfway out of the water. There are 45 miles of trails and two open shelters there with two campgrounds, a definite must see location.

Dolliver State Park is a 1925 state park perched on a hill looking over the Des Moines River. It's a pretty park with not only two shelters but also two family cabins nestled in the south end of the newly expanded campground. Prairie Creek feeds into the Des Moines River and has a nice trail following it. Although I didn't see them- there are several Indian mounds in the park of various shapes- not to mention miles of trails. Both parks are southeast of Fort Dodge and if you like the outdoors I think either parks would make a great location for a family camp out.

Signs Of Spring:

 

I had a six hour road trip today, so I had a lots of time to think. It seemed my eyes spent most of the trip searching for signs of spring. The first sign I look for each year are the returning birds. This year the DNR are draining a slough not far from my home and there are hundreds of fresh frozen fish scattered all over the dry lake bed. The bonus to this mess is that it has attracted the attention of dozens of eagles as they head north. I've lived in this area all my life and I have never seen so many eagles. Needless to say I've almost been late to work several days this last week.

Another obvious sign are the little green blades of grass that pop up right after the last snow bank melts. The maple trees buds are looking like they will burst open at any time now and the branches of the willow trees and dogwoods are getting more colorful by the day.

 

One scene that always makes me smile is the way the returning geese stake out their nests. I don't think there is a muskrat hut in nine counties that isn't spoken for. It's also nice to see the meadow larks come back along with the robins which have been back for weeks now. I always wonder what they find to eat this early because during the summer all I ever see them eat are worms and bugs - not many of them around yet.

 

We're expecting several inches of rain this week which will not only clean things up but green things up. If we get several inches of rain along with some wind it might even take the ice out of the local lakes. I for one can't wait for that to happen so I can dust of my kayak and take it for a spin. I hope spring comes quick for you and I'm going to get a jump start and share some of last years spring images. Have a great week!

March

 

Around here we call March the "in-betweener" month. That period between winter and spring. I've always felt March must go through an identity crisis, due to the fact that one day it feels like spring and the next day it feels like winter. Today was a prime example, first it gets icy, then it sleets for a short time, a little while later it snows like crazy for approximately 3 hours. The next thing you know- the sun comes out, the temperature reaches 37 degrees and almost all the snow/sleet we received today disappears. If I was mother nature- I'd sure have a complex.

 

I went back over some of my stored images today and sure enough-- past Marches have been all over the board. One thing always seems certain- during the state basketball tournaments we always seem to get nasty weather, so we have to be patient and get through them before we can get our hopes too high.

My wife has really been in the spring mood- planning vegetable and flower gardens not to mention the fact that she bought a stock tank for one of our new flower garden projects. It seems she's been getting ideas from someone by the name of Mary Jane Butters. From the looks of the stacks of books and magazines on the table, spring won't be here soon enough for her.

 

The nice days we've had in the 60's this week have really been welcomed. All kidding aside- I've not lived in Iowa all my life not to know that spring seldom arrives much before April 1st and we have to just be patient. But that won't stop us from planning our gardens and purchasing our flower and vegetable seeds. So here's to those early signs of spring like the geese and robins, swelling buds on the maple trees and daylight savings time. Bring it on!