The Hawkeye State

We've arrived! Still staying in a hotel, until the furniture joins us on Monday, but the driving is over at least.

A few initial observations on my new home state:

1) There's a lot of corn growing in Iowa. I mean, fields and fields and fields of it.

2) Premium gas is cheaper than regular here. Something to do, I assume, with ethanol and the aforementioned abundance of corn.

3) Although all the pollsters and pundits seem to have Iowa labeled as a solidly blue state, we saw scads of McCain signs as we crossed the state, and not one Obama one.

4) Wind farms are not only smart, but they have a majestic beauty as well. An awesome sight, really. Go, T. Boone -- you da man.

5) Wide expanses of farmland over gently rolling hills are downright beautiful. Certain individual farms, however, stink to high heaven. A few select spots here should be required to own a windmill to blow that stench into the stratosphere.

6) Ain't no marketing gurus naming Smalltown America. We drove through the thriving metropolises of Early, Moville, and Correctionville, among others. (However, I've got the perfect city motto for Moville: "Mo' is Mo' Better!")

7) My NJ friends who have never visited The Heartland simply can't conceive of how expansive and beautiful the sky actually is.

I've used the word "beautiful" several times here. I suppose that bodes well for our stint in the Hawkeye State, huh? :)