Iowa Arboretum with Janice!

Janice was in Des Moines for a nursing conference, so after her conference finished she came up to Ames to spend a couple days hanging out with us! Rick and I picked up her Catalpa seedlings at the Iowa State Alumni Center before she got in, and after a fun evening of grocery shopping and La Fuente and some Hearts (Rick won. Again.) We called it a night.

Saturday started off with sausage, eggs, toast, and coffee (all prepared by chef Rick!) then we walked the block and a half to the farmers market where we bought all kinds of lovely local produce! Green beans, and white "green" beans, Janice got some beautiful purple, orange and red peppers, an eggplant, some AMAZING apples, a little loaf of zucchini bread (with pecans), and some pumpkin bars!
I'll be so sad when the farmers market is over at the end of the month.

From the farmers market we went out to the Iowa Arboretum to do some bird watching and look at trees.

Rick and Janice beneath a Weeping Willow

ACORN! It's so pretty! 

Erin and Rick beneath a maple (Janice took the photo - I'm never in pictures!)

A Chickadee ponders on a shepherd's hook

House Finch in a pine tree

House Finch in a pine tree

English Sparrows (also called House Sparrows) in a pine tree

  After a couple hours at the Arboretum, we wandered to main street Ames where we had lunch at Olde` Main and checked out Oktoberfest. I also introduced Janice to Chocolaterie Stam where she got some chocolate goodies to take home to share, and my new favorite drink, the Spice Chai Latte` mix we use at Stam! SO GOOD! It's warm, foamy, goodness gets me through long shifts on a regular basis.

Then it was time for my shift to start (I worked 3-11pm) Way later than we're normally open. But we did have a good bit of a business because Oktoberfest and the polka band were literally RIGHT in front of the store.
Also, I got to watch my boss (the shop's owner) bustle in and out of the store in full Lederhosen regalia.