Welcome to Iowa

This is the Soybean/Corn field that is just down the street from us. The lights in the background is the gas station/corner store that serves our rural community. Heaven help us if they leave.

Neighbors

Our neighbor's across the street have been trying to build a garage for the past three years and they have yet to even begin. This lumbar has been sitting in their yard for those three years aging in the environment.

The Spine

We've just left our road to cross Giddings Street, the spine of Kelley (the only road in or out of the town). That light is a car coming, probably someone coming home from Ames since we rarely get people driving through.

Finch's Farm

This is the functioning farm in Kelley. They have a small dairy herd and own most of the land around the town. The light you see is the light over their dairy barn, this is where the cattle spend the night.

Finch's Farm again

This picture is a bit better at showing the farm.

Ride it like you own it!

We doubled back to head back into town and to get batteries for the camera since it was about to die on us. We also decided to stop and take a rodeo shot on our propane tank in the back yard.

Oops... but still cool

I don't have a tripod so we tried to get a snapshot of both of us hanging on the soccer goals in the park behind our house but instead got this photo. I thought it was an interesting shot so I decided to keep it.

Full moon

Another shot from the park

Auto shop

For some reason, building racing cars is a big thing in our town. This garage in particular is always lit up late into the night with the owners inside working on their cars.

Off duty

Escape the Camera!!!

This is such a nice climbing tree and we wanted to get a picture in it. After the picture took, we stayed for a while and a car came by and slowed to see what the heck we were doing. We tried to stay still just in case their vision was based off of movement like T-rex.

Larger Park swingset

Stop and Play

Getting Dizzy

Picture from the Merry-go-round (1)

Picture from the Merry-go-round (2)

Picture from the Merry-go-round (3)

Nighttime Flag

Mary took 20 pictures of this flagpole telling me that she wanted a really good picture of it and it HAD to go in the completed task. So here is the best of 20, enjoy.

Experiment in Creepy (1)

This was an experiment in creepiness. We always wondered what makes nighttime so creepy for some people and now we know...

Experiment in Creepy (2)

... Didn't see me in there before did you? That's Creepy! You don't always know what may be watching you in the dark. (commence paranoia)

Port-o-potty

I guess our community center doesn't have a bathroom, or at least they don't want people in the park to use it. Either way, I find it a strange enhancement to our little town of Kelley.

TORNADA!!!!!

This is our air-raid siren to warn us of approaching tornadoes. They test it every Saturday afternoon so I've always wondered what would happen if a tornado touched down on a Saturday afternoon?

Basketball Courts

Happy Gnome Garden

In the daytime this front yard doesn't look nearly as overgrown as it does right now. I thought it looked like a good hiding spot for a gnome... maybe another time.

Gravel Driveway

This isn't a crossroad, even though it looks like it. This is actually a driveway to someones fancy house. What a fancy home is doing in the middle of Kelley I don't know.

Time Warp!!

Mary wanted the camera and in passing it we took a photo accidentally. When I was going through them, I saw this completely black photo and I pressed the auto-correct button and this is what happened. I thought it looked thrifty and tripped out so I decided to keep it as well.

Rebuilt Barn House

This house use to be the most run down piece of junk in Kelley. However, last year the town got together and rebuilt it. I don't know if anybody lives there but its one less eyesore in a rural community.

Original Town Hall

This building use to be the town hall when the town of Kelley was founded. The town has kept it up fairly nice and I believe every so often they still hold meetings in it.

Alleyway Garage

Behind the Post Office

More Propane Tanks!

The Spine again

Here I am again on Giddings Street. Yes, I am standing in the middle of the road. That's how un-busy this thing is. Again, this is the only road in and out of Kelley.

Post Office

This complex is three buildings close together but only one of them is actually occupied and used. The lights that are on in the middle is the post office for the town of Kelley. It's kind of like "Cheers" because you go in there and everyone knows your name.

Grain Bins

Moon Dial

This was in the middle of the small park in Kelley and it made me laugh. I don't know what it really is but I think it makes better use as a moon dial.

Child Trap

Creepy Horse

Playtime again!

Kelley Fire Station

Phone Booth

This is the non-functioning phone booth that sits in the middle of Kelley on a corner. The light works but the phone doesn't, go figure. Mary is standing inside trying to make the picture look creepy (seriously, that's what she told me).

Kelley Water Tower

Rooster House

This house has a pet rooster that crows every morning at sunrise. Funny thing is though, we haven't heard the rooster for while... hmm.

The Cap'm

Don't know where we got anybody with a nautical background in the middle of nowhere Iowa.

The Cap'ms House

This is where the Cap'm lives. It's a tiny one room house and whenever you look in the windows, the entire space is filled with potted plants.

Junk

We finally got home and discovered that someone had left some old rusted yard equipment in our backyard.