Thursday, November 6, 2008

A Little Trip

Over the years, we've grown quite fond of our neighbors, after all they've been grain farming next door to us since I bought this place 14 or 15 years ago, but since Steve has been a part of this family, him and Art have gotten on like a house on fire. I think they are only a few months apart in age and Linda is also a nurse. We both have college kids, well their youngest is just out of college. So often Art asks Stephen to give him a hand with the farming during planting and especially harvesting season and he does. Steve loves it. How Art manages to trust Steve around the augers and dryers is beyond me.......

So yesterday, Steve calls me from Art's truck and asks if I wouldn't mind taking a small trip to "Dewitt" Illinois to pick up a John Deer part for Art's "picker". A couple of hours into Illinois.Steve has a tendency to get lost. I said ok and began to look up directions to "Dewitt". The only Dewitt in on the Illinois border with Iowa and is in Iowa and I'm thinking "a couple of hours?" And Art says no straight down Hwy 47. Well, I know 47 quite well. With directions in hand we head off in Art's little truck. It's a straight shot south and fairly west of Chicago but yet within commuting distance.


This is one of the things we saw along the way. This is for all the high fliers entering Chicago International. Quick before you get off the plane and enter hell. No really, I love Chicago. I do, used to live there. Great city.


And just tell me what's wrong with this picture? Look closely.


And lots of this. Flat land as far as the eye can see. Wisconsin people lovingly call Illinois people "flatlanders" and they return the favor with "cheeseheads".


And a few of these really unique barns. The really interesting thing about old barns is by style of barn, you can find out which immigrant settled here originally. Their barn style was styled from the country in which they came from. Very interesting.


And low and behold, "Dewitt" was really Dwight! LOL, which is what I thought all along after googling hwy 47 on Google Maps.



12 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

Well at least you found it even with the wrong name. I liked the pictures of the barns, it's interesting how they got their names.

Callie said...

Arlene, It is interesting how barn styles mimic the immigrants that settled in that area. I do not know what barn type that is, just that it is different from what we have up here in Wisconsin, settled mostly by German and Scandinavian immigrants.

Jean said...

Why would you carry a rim around without a spare tire attached? Decoration? Impress people with your skill at driving on the edge?

Love the barns. Evocative of the old days when people really knew how to build with character.

Glad it was a shorter drive than you feared. Could have been quite a haul if it had been Dewitt. (No comment about whether or not men can spell....*lol*)

Callie said...

LOL, Jean, I giggled so much when I saw that. She was also driving like a jerk. I mane it's a Suzuki, how much can a Walmart tire be? LOL

photogchic said...

I like the photo with the rim...wonder if they realize they need a tire for that:-) Good story....can picture half my male relatives in MN doing the exact same road trip.

Vaquerogirl said...

I LOVE ROad TRips!
I love barns too!
And stoopid people- well, not so much:(

Train Wreck said...

Hahaha I hope they don't get a flat!!Well it is small maybe they could just carry it to the next tire store!he he! Love the old barn. My brother lives in Michigan. We visited him a couple years ago. Chicago looked too busy for me!!

Mikey said...

Lol, always an adventure! Love that car pic, took me a sec to figure that out. That's helpful right there. Just run it on the rim, it'll be fine! lol

kdwhorses said...

Sounds like fun!

Anonymous said...

Congrats for getting where you were going AND getting some great pics.

Made me long to travel. Apparently you don't even need a spare tire!

Unknown said...

I learn about Illinois, Wisconsin... A very interesting post.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

lol! Leave it up to a woman to figure out the directions. Good for you :)

Sure hope that suv didn't end up with a flat that day. lol!

Love those old barns, too. I had no idea the syle was related to the immigrant's country of origin. Cool!

~Lisa