Why Iowa?
John and I recently become reverse snowbirds. Leaving the warmth of sunny Southern California behind to try our first cold winter together in Iowa. It makes people curious enough to ask, “Why would you do that?!” First, you would have to see and experience the remote lake area where we live. Peaceful, beautiful, and teeming with wildlife. There is nothing quite like waking up to watch a couple of young deer frolicking across the lawn, or grabbing the camera to take a photo of a majestic bald eagle perched in a neighbor’s tree, or endeavoring to look up that strange creature we unexpectedly saw run across the back porch (a rarely seen bobcat). We’ve lost count of the number of animals that frequent our property, but it includes turkey, geese, raccoons, blue jays, cardinals, orioles, goldfinches, woodpeckers, otter, beavers, muskrats, badgers, squirrels, chipmunks (affectionately called “squinnies” in Iowa), foxes, turtles, snakes, and even evi...