Dusty Romance of the American Small Town Market Square... in Chariton, IA

 There is a pretty park nearby, Red Haw State Park, where we camped for a night. The next morning, we came to town for breakfast. I like to photograph the ghost signs, old buildings, etc. The small grocery is a going concern, with food, snacks, curios, antiques, etc.

 The long view of the ghost sign in the previous post

 Neat, and functioning court house on the square.

 The alley with the stairway of the evocative lion head. A story could surely be crafted around that feature.

A poor photograph of the best building on the square.

Ghost Signs, Details, Trims and Surfaces Found in Kansas and Iowa Towns Last Week

 Lately, I need to do close-ups of the ghost signs as well as full view. Chariton, IA

Patterns on metal stair way in Chariton, IA

 Another painted detail

 Chariton, IA

 As we left Manhattan, KS. Once advertised a local radio station

Table top design in McNally's grocery in Grinnell, IA

Trying Another Video: My Gymnastic Robin

As you see, we have a seed cake suspended in a wire cage just outside my office window. Makes for wondrous bird watching at times.

Robins usually hop around on the ground, rooting for worms; tho I have seen them in fall and winter looking for food in berry trees. This year, we have a robin who have taught itself to land, balance and hang from the seed cake feeder. This is so much fun to watch!

Video: Bold New Effort for me....needs improvement

For several days, I kept seeing "flashes" of a very large raptor bird (large for my back yard). Sure, we have marsh hawks and a kestrel now and then. This was bigger; I believe it is an immature redtail hawk. We often see them sailing around over head; seldom this near.

I happened to have the camera with the video function at hand. The bird swooped into the garden, then landed on the wire above. I seldom use the video; maybe this will motivate me to do better.

Alas, the bird apparently caught my "pet" vole, that lived under the deck and amused me each morning on the ground beneath the bird feeder, zipping back and forth with seeds. No more.