I was due for a road trip with Dad.
The kind of road trip that leads us down gravel roads and
off beaten paths to country, "God's country", as my Dad calls it.
I never tire of the stories Dad tells of his boyhood, he shows me the schools he attended,
the roads he walked, the family farmsteads and the fields he worked.
It's beautiful country in southern Minnesota, with rolling hills and valleys defining the landscape.
Fall can be especially beautiful if you catch the colors.
We were a little late this year but the sights and smell of country never disappoints!
We saw a lot of this
Smoke billowing around the combines as the farmers bring in the beans
I bet the farmers are appreciating these beautiful fall days extending into November.
One of my very favorite places...
Minimum maintenance road
TRAVEL AT YOUR OWN RISK
This little path leads us about a half mile in to where my
Maternal great-grandparents once lived and farmed the land.
Heres what's left...
the windmill stand that my great-grandpa Benson built himself.
Dad is pointing to where the house used to sit
Appreciating the times spent with my dad, telling stories, his dry humor, and quick wit.
It was a beautiful November day!
Thanks for taking us on this road trip with your dad, Jackie. You know how much I share your passion for following gravel roads.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing you are to your dad, to take him back in time to memories and to places that were once so important to him. Love what remains of the windmill.
Every time we go, I find out something new. I love the windmill too!
DeleteI love that the windmill stand is still there! Your trips with Gramps are so sweet. You honor him so well by spending this time with him and letting him show you things and tell all the stories!
ReplyDeleteIt's easy with Dad...we share the same love for the "old country". I love seeing where he went to school as a little boy and the stories about his childhood!
DeleteThat "smoke" (actually dry dirt/dust/silt left from September's flooding) is pretty much finished for this season. Hard to believe it, with all the awesome weather/temps!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, dirt is what dad said it was too. Everything got covered from the Root River when it was high. I have never seen that much cloud around a combine....cool stuff.
ReplyDelete