Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl

I don’t often win things so when I do it is something to celebrate. Listening to my favorite radio station WMKR I won a round of golf and headed off to the course with my sister.

We chose an early morning tee-time and Lake Taylorville reflected the sun and the air was filled with the noise of waterfowl dipping in and out of the shoreline. Like my sister said about our game, “It wasn’t pretty, but it was fun”.

While most of my shots were hit or miss, I do have to brag about a shot from the edge of the green where I flipped the ball on and sunk the put. Never mind that it was with a one wood!

The chance to take a morning and spend time with a loved one a gas tank ride away is as the Visa commerical’s say, “Priceless”.

I first met Rodney Miller at the Half Century of Progress, a couple of shows ago. He was then the CEO of McCormick tractor and was proud as punch of the newly restored 1978IH 1086 tractor that had recently been restored. This tractor is very important to Rodney because it belonged to his father, Gene Miller. Rodney was kind enough to share the story of growing up on a farm in Benton, Illinois and the important values his father instilled in him.

At the Red Power Round Up, I ran into Rodney again and learned that he is collecting stories that celebrate life in rural America. His new show is called Small Town Big Deat and will air September 6th. The show will run at 9:30 Eastern and 8:30 Central time on Thursday nights.

This interests me because this is what rural living is all about, the people and places that make up the Prairie where we sow our seeds and harvest our crops. The rusty iron that lies out back all have a story along with the hunched over farmer that drove it and the farmwife that brought a meal to the field and sat by her husband/father/brothers side. The men and women that make up the Midwest are heros in my book and it is an honor to see them profiled as such!

It was hot, it was dusty and we wanted to see some sights. Five women at this year’s Graham Bradley show including me wanted to play tourist and see some of the local sights while in the Lafayette, Indiana area.

One sight that was on my list was the Adams Mill which was built by John Adams who selected his site when he walked along the Wildcat Creek from Lafayette toward what would become the site of Kokomo. Choosing the oxbow bend in the creek, Adams built a turbine powered the mill that manufactured flour until 1953.

Inside the mill is also an Americana Museum. The mill is built in the traditional post and beam construction built from local hand hewn lumber. There is nothing much more impressive that beams of lumber and a three story structure without a single nail.

Awed, we walked through as much as we could stand heat wise and enjoyed Al Auffart’s wonderful tour. If in the area take the time to check out this historic site that sits like a sentinel along the Wildcat Creek outside of Cutler, Indiana.. Call 765-268-2530 or log onto www.adams-mill.org for details

Downtown Chicago has many sites to offer, this farmer’s market was a bit of unexpected rural flvory in the heart of the city.

This market was at Federal Plaza Market was located at the corner of Adams & Dearborn. The Market iis open every Tuesday until the end of October.

The Windy City offers culture, architecture, the Chicago River, plays, restaurants and fresh eating to boot! While you won’t drive your pick up truck and park at the street corner you could load up your basket with fresh offerings and have a picnic in a green space and enjoy the last hustle and bustle of summer before the wind howls around city corners and the snow flies!