Union Pacific 8044 Passes Through Mount Vernon, Iowa

Union Pacific Railroad's locomotive 8044 rolls eastward through Mount Vernon, Iowa a few weeks ago. From top of the original Lincoln Highway bridge, which is now restricted to pedestrians only, you can get close to rail traffic complete with an aerial perspective. On this day 8044 pulled metal ingots, scrap, tankers, and a lot more. On again/off again talk of adding a third line to accommodate additional freight traffic continues.

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Winter's Rest After Harvest

A Massey Furgeson combine sits idle in an open field just north of harvested corn from the fall. Judging from the age of the combine and other vehicles parked in the field, the harvest machine may have sat still for some time.  Spring is just ten days away. Maybe we will see planting start soon however the near frozen soil and rain/snow conditions have something else to say.

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Smooth Union Pacific Rail at Mount Vernon, Iowa

Two tracks from the Union Pacific Railroad come through Iowa from the Mississippi to the Missouri Rivers. This closeup of the one rail shows the granite rock ballast (roadbed,) ties, fastener plates and spikes. Recently I read where railroads used thermite welding beginning in the 1930s to join sections of rail together, then polished the join level for that smooth ride which also eliminated some of the clickety-clack sounds. The things you learn.

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A Visit to Lisbon Iowa's Historic Standing Rock

Years ago while sitting through a college lecture on Iowa geology I learned of various house size boulders that lay scattered around the state, courtesy of the last glacial advance. Interesting I thought, and filed it away.

Fast forward to today. I looked for a location near Lisbon, Iowa by using a detailed map on my smartphone. The map contained names of county roads. There it was, Standing Rock Road. Suddenly the long ago college lecture came roaring back. After a quick aerial map search of the road and farm properties I came up empty with the location of the boulder. Determined to find the rock, I went to Lisbon last week, found Standing Rock Road, traveled the entire length of the road three times but the boulder remained elusive.

Finally after receiving some instructions to the boulder from the Lisbon Historical Society I located the granite structure.

Standing Rock is located on private property in the middle of a corn field and is situated on the slope of a small hill. It is located about a mile or so west of Standing Rock Road. There must be a story there as to why the road and the structure don't more closely relate. The people at the historical society said the best time to see the rock is before planting or after harvest. Otherwise the structure is difficult to see.

Standing Rock has been used by humans for a long time. The well rounded grey granite was purportedly used as a marker to define a boundary of the Black Hawk purchase by the U.S. federal government of lands owned by the Sac and Fox tribes in 1832. On the Iowa map (above) the Black Hawk Purchase shown in yellow. Standing Rock's location is at the apex of right facing green arrow - pointing to the yellow purchase. This long standing belief has been investigated at the National Archives collection but without actual confirmation documentation - yet. Still it is an imposing sight to see a house size boulder resting on fertile Iowa soil.

Discover Standing Rock for yourself. Take Iowa Highway 30 to Lisbon, Iowa. On the south side of town along Hwy 30 is a golf course named Hillcrest Country Club. Turn south on Country Club Drive for about a mile, then veer right on Standing Rock Road. You are traveling south on that road until it ends in a couple of miles. Turn right (west) at the T intersection at Day Road. Go about a mile and a half west. Standing Rock will be on your left a short distance from the road in a field. It is located across the road from a property filled with many old vehicles and machines. The field where Standing Rock sits is surrounded by what looks to be an electric fence. GPS coordinates: 41°52′27″N, 91°24′47″W.

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Busy Day at the Bird Feeders

Day two of a March storm yielded almost 8 inches of late season snow in eastern Iowa. With food sources scarce as a result of the storm several bird species decided to drop by 42N HQ to chow on free seed. I think this is a red-bellied woodpecker, one of two who tapped various tree branches for insects before finding a much easier food source. I am also experimenting with a teleconverter lens that increases zoom by 40%. The lens requires manual focus and lots of light I am discovering. These five photos are the best of the shoot. I like the top photo the best because it is unusual, has two seeds on the woodpecker's mouth, and most importantly, is in focus. 

The northern cardinal (male) gives this common sparrow the once over look. 

After scaring off the sparrow our scarlet cardinal showed more of his coloration before jumping to the ground to feast on various seeds shaken from the feeder.

This less colorful female cardinal stayed close to the red male - it is almost Spring you know.

Sparrows represent the majority of the winged feeders visiting the seed outlets. However, in the morning a flock of crows pecked around the snow for seed. Birds have to eat.

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Snowy GAR Gravesite

Last week's snow almost buried the headstone of a veteran of the Civil War and Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) member in a small cemetery south of Lisbon, Iowa. The GAR, a fraternal and political organization dissolved after the last living Civil War vet passed, however GAR is supported today by other groups dedicated to preserving the gravesites of Civil War veterans. This particular grave is located close to the authentic Gettysburg Battlefield boulder which was officially secured and transported to Lisbon's cemetery in 1916.

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Iowa's Winter Corn Stubble

Harvest means corn ears and most of the stalk are removed from fields generally in autumn. Many farmers in Iowa leave stubble (including the root system) in place to not disturb soil layers. This practice results in less erosion and reduced loss of nutrients. The next crop is generally planted only inches away from these former plants, allowing a season or two of non worked soil. On this early March day, stubble also serves as forage for fattening black angus cattle.

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