Miss you Dad

In remembrance of my Dad and our special drives in the country, I did just that... a drive in the country!

3 years ago on October 29th my Dad was called to his eternal home.

We took many drives together, especially in his later years! I loved our fall drive to check on the corn and see the farmers working in the fields. Driving through the bluffs of SE Minnesota near Iowa's north border is where dad called "home", God's country, the farms and land of my people.  

 One of my favorite photo's of Dad and I is not about our faces, 

the resemblance is in our hands. I have my dad's hands...I love that.

Many of these photos have been in prior blog posts, they are my favorites and make me think of times with my dad (so bear with me)

Bucksnort dam was always our second stop... 

Right after "Cabin Coffee" in Chatfield.  Coffee and sweets were dads go-to right up to the end.

Dad would have said, "it's been a good year for the corn". I dont know how he knew but he did. I pulled over in the stretch of gravel road to watch the combine in action. They are often in a plume of dust, you can see it if you look close. 

The Storlie School house that my dad attended as a child! It is now someones residence and only .1 miles from my Great grandfathers farm (that is no more)

The road signs to Great-grandpa Andrews farm... 

It's a dead end, minimally maintained road! The sign reads, "Travel at your own risk".

 I've seen it in worse condition. 

The windmill that my great-grandpa Andrew built still sands, the fan blades are long gone but the structure is still there to mark where the old barn once stood.

You can see the white Storlie School from my Great-Grandpa Andrews farmstead. If I remember right my Grandpa Alfred & grandma Blanch, along with my dad and his siblings lived on this farm for awhile until grandpa Alfred got his own.

I took this photo years ago, my Dad in his 80's walking the farm field of his childhood

This gravel road leads to the Farm my Grandpa Alfred owned. 

and there it is, except all the old buildings have been torn down. The buildings are rebuilt, and ironically enough the old windmill to Grandpa Alfreds barn still stands... It's down near the bottom left o fthe photo.

Close up

The cute old sign pointing to Scheie Church

This is the church that my dad attended in his older childhood, he was confirmed here. I didnt stop to go inside this time, but I've been inside many times before with dad. We found he and his twins confirmation photos on a display board in the back of the sanctuary.

I struggled a bit to find all of our favorite spots, but I think Dad was giving me a sense of direction because I did ok. I still wish he was sitting next to me, talking about when he was a boy, and taking me to other sites that are now only in my memory. 

I talked to dad while I drove, I thanked him for sharing his life with me, for sharing our family roots, and for loving our family.  

Lots of farm machinery on the roads and in the fields. Dad, I think the farmers had a good year.

Last stop on the way home was Stewartville where my dad was laid to rest. He was so proud of the little bench that he and mom chose as a part of the design to their headstone. I sat there and remembered our little road trips to God's country. Thanks dad for spending time with me and sharing your family history. I'm trying my best to remember how to get places on those back country roads where they all look alike.

Ok...a photo of our faces, some say I resemble him  

One day all I'll have are the memories...

I try to get my dad out for a drive once a week.

We like to go for drives in the country, 

we always stop for lunch, usually a diner in a small town.

Our favorite is "Home Sweet Home" in Lanesboro MN

Dad grew up on a farm in rural Canton in southern MN, dad calls the area, "God's country". 

 I know all the schools he attended, and sometimes just the spot of land where it used to be. 

I know about the farmsteads from both sides. I know where the creamery is that grandpa hauled his milk to, and the fields that he farmed. I know where the windmill is that my Maternal grandfather built and it's still there today, it's takes a four wheel vehicle to get to it, an overgrown dirt path, but worth the short drive into the field. 

I love the country as much as my dad, we never tire of these views

Lots of horse and buggy's on this day. 

We were standing in the Henry town cemetery as this one traveled by us. 

The Amish are plenty in this neck of the woods. My dad and his twin were actually born in an Amish home. I've been in it once or twice.

Rain coming down behind this farm....so pretty

We ran across this old school house near Dorchester, Iowa. 

(Just on the border of Minnesota and Iowa)

Dad says it's a threshing machine.

One day all I'll have are the memories, 

so I try to make time to be with my parents as much as I can.  

Getting dad out is both good for him and my mom!

 Dementia is a hard a tiring thing for both the person who has it and the caregiver. 

I often think of questions for my dad, thinks I wonder about and that often come to mind when we are driving in little country road with corn fields on both sides. I this day I asked,

"Dad, how do they make Straw?" His answer, 

"It's made from the stalk after the grains are harvested" 

Now I know!

I noticed that the parents large flower garden was getting overrun by weeds, 

so I came back a few days later to work on it

The "Before"...

Mom and dad cant help themselves, it's hard for them to just sit and watch, 

they worked a little but sat more. 

It's good for them to more a little and feel helpful.

The "after"

 what a difference a little time grooming makes.