(The tape was to illustrate the size of the turtle.)And now for something completely different; here are two drink recipes we really like:
A tasty STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE:
(not my picture but looked the smame)
INGREDIENTS:* 1 cup frozen strawberry
* 1 cup milk
* 2 packets of Splenda (or 2 Tbsp. sugar)
* 1 banana
* 8-10 ice cubes
DIRECTIONS: Blend together until smooth and serve. (It made about 2-8oz. cups)
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I got this recipe out of an old church cookbook of grandma's.
SPICED MOCHA MIX (very tasty)
1 c. non-dairy dry creamer
1 c. non-dairy dry creamer
1 c. hot cocoa mix
2/3 c. instant coffee powder (either decaf or caf)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Directions: Mix together the above ingredients and store in an airtight container. To use: place 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons of mocha mix in to a cup and add 6 oz. boiling water.
I stopped to check out a cute little nest in a small tree along the path and almost screamed. Out of the prairie grasses beside flew a beautiful pheasant. I could not get my camera out quick enough for a shot but it was magnificent.
Just kidding. This is just the beginning of our journey. (I simply thought the building was interesting so I snapped the pic as we were going 65 on the highway.) We landed in STL with out incident and made our way to the car rental desk. Our particular company's desk was dark. There was a small sign reading, "Proceed to shuttle pick up area". (That is what we get for booking with Thrifty, we thought.) We were presently surprised, however, to be quickly shuttled off to a lot outside the airport. We had booked an Aveo (because it was the cheapest) but ended up getting a nice black Toyota Corolla. Away we drove.
This was one of the towns close to our destination. I was amused by the water tower painted like a hot air balloon. 
These oil doo-dads were also a common site all over the area.
Our destination at last:
The nearby town of 8,000 had flowering trees galore. It reminded me of Dubuque.
Our hosts were a wonderful couple with a beautiful home that they are in the process of finishing. They built and decorated the whole thing themselves. 
I was really inspired by her decorating ideas and loved her fresh flowers. She liked photography as well and we had the same camera. She said I could take any photos I wanted. This was one of my favorites. Isn't this just a gorgeous bouquet?
Here is the flower of another fresh arrangement she had in the house. I was intrigued by the texture of the flower.
I found this blooming Lilac outside the home of another church member.
On our return trip we stopped off at the Arch. Due to lack of time we were not able to take the tram to the top but we were able to take some photos and visit the free museum that is located under the arch.
This is one of my favorite shots. Andrew is in the picture on the right.
I could not finish my blog about the trip with out adding one last aviation tidbit. In the museum (which allows photos) I took this picture of an old picture. (it has not been doctored in any way; it's straight from my camera.) I really love how it turned out!
We are home, and safe, and ready for whatever God calls us to.
Red-Winged Blackbird- (Note how his feet are spread and grasping their own branch for balance) 
Hawk - I have not yet identified this one. I have spent a bit of time trying but with no success. Many hawks have brown or red eyes where this one has yellow. I found one quite similar but then found out it was only in Mexico. My problem may be that it changes color in the winter and the bird books don't show the winter coat. 
Canadian Geese - (Note the egg in the nest) Factoid : these geese usually spend 12 hours a day eating. 
Common Loon - (Due to the long dives under the water I was not able to get a great shot. The following picture off the Minnesota DNR site helps to identify what we saw.) Factoid: Unlike most birds, their bones aren't hollow. They can fly 75 mph. They are known to live to 30 years old. 
American White Pelican - (Sorry it's so blurry, he was sitting in the middle of the lake) Factoid: The knob on it's bill is only there during mating season. It falls off after it lays eggs. 
Unknown Bird - Can anyone help me? The closest I came was the Least flycatcher. The following picture shows its tiny narrow bill. Most yellowish birds do no have this narrow of a bill.
