A mix of photography, recipes, personal thoughts, faith, and lots of family stuff, but not necessarily in that order.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Road trippin'.....

The Mr. and I decided we needed a road trip on Saturday. 
I'm so glad I have a husband that is willing to ride along and be glad about it.
 I get no grumbling from my man.
It get us out of the house, we have some good conversations and enjoy just being together.
We headed south of Rochester, to some of my most favorite parts of Southern Minnesota
"God's country" my dad would say.
 A few years ago my Dad introduced me to BuckSnort Dam, (east of Chatfield), 
this is the true color of the water here, it's a blue-green all year long

We never really have a agenda, we just know the general direction we want to head,
so we start driving and see what we can see. 
Pilot Mound is a township 10 miles east of Chatfield
I  saw this little white church (with a steeple) and had to check it out.
To my surprise and delight it was unlocked.
Oh you know I went in....

 I fell in love with this little country church, the wooden pews, 
the quaint sanctuary so small and inviting.
After checking out the sanctuary, I went up a steep flight of stairs 
to a small balcony that housed about 8 folding chairs, 
 perhaps a small choir sits up there?
 Then, I saw the ladder.
 I decided not push my luck, and stayed off it, but I know it led to the steeple. 
 Back down I went, this time one more flight of stairs to the fellowship hall. 
I just had to smile as I pictured it full of members & guests enjoying 
some sort of Christmas dinner.  Maybe they host a lutefisk dinner
 like so many Lutheran churches in the fall.
 Another 10 mile further east on Co rd 30 we run into
 Arendahl Lutheran Church.... Beautiful church, bigger and locked  :(

Time for lunch...Rushford is just down the road 
The creamery...a favorite 
Rushford has some beautiful old homes, 
I was coveting this one! 
and then there's this.....  
...and this

13 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for taking us on this trip with your Jackie! I absolutely love the little country church (inside and out). It looks like it could be in a magazine.

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    1. I was beyond excited to find it unlocked!

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  2. Anonymous9:13 AM

    I love your spontaneous road trips and the pictures that result!! I'm coveting that house with the turret too!

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    1. It's so fun Jac! You cant have the house....It's mine :)

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  3. I wish I would have been along. Oh, my, that church. I always try the doors, too, and typically they are locked. That church reminds me so much of the one I grew up in.

    But it's the corn crib which really grabs my attention because it's like the one on my childhood farm. You just do not see these any more.

    Thanks for taking us on this beautiful Saturday drive. I loved it. And I am fortunate to have a husband who also enjoys such drives in a general direction.

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    1. Audrey I was pretty excited to spot the corn crib!.... I told Rick it was an old corn crib, neither one of us have ever seen one like it, I've only seen the round ones :)
      I'm glad I was able to stir up some memories for you, it was a fun drive with many treasures along the way!

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    2. My siblings and I played in the corn crib all the time. Sadly, it was torn down as were all of the old buildings on the farm where I grew up. Progress, apparently. I wonder if my middle brother, who still owns the farm, regrets tearing down some of the buildings. But come to think of it, my dad is the one who tore most of them down. So sad. At least the barn is still there.

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    3. ...and the memories :)

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  4. Simply beautiful! I share your love of old, quaint churches:)

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    1. Country churches are the best!

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  5. Anonymous7:24 AM

    Many years ago, a friend's mom passed away and I was asked to provide the piano music and vocal for the service. Love that building and, yes, I stayed for 'lunch'. The large Victorian, located on "the Avenue" is(was?) owned by the retired Rushford postmaster and I have been in it several times in past years......gorgeous!!! The Creamery (about 11 miles from my/our place) is one of our faves, especially during the summer when we've been out on the motorcycles and are in 'need' of some ice cream!!! Great pizza, too!!!!!!! The Arendahl Lutheran Church is just as classic as the Pilot Mound structure. You would have loved that one, too!!!!! Hugs............

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    1. Doreen, Jackie should have had you along as her tour guide. Time for a road trip back to the Rushford area sometime.

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    2. Yay, I usually have dad with who grew up in the area, I can never get to the old homestead as dad calls it, there are so many things to see, I'm sure Doreen could show me a few a well . I love when we stand in a field that used to be a farm, and dad says, "look across the valley over there, that was uncle Grants place" Now if I could keep it all straight

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