Friday : The Doors - wow! + Saturday: we were out-and-about

I remember in college The Doors - the movie came out and Val Kilmer channeled Jim Morrison, or so they said. I didn't see that  movie. I have always listened to The Doors, but I never really made a big deal out of them as a group... I was actually sort of put off by the idea of a movie about them. I guess the movie made Morrison out to be a way bigger deal as an individual (I guess since it is human nature to mythologize (is that a word?) someone who dies before they get old.) The other band members, from what I've heard, felt the band was more of a cooperative venture than a one man show and some lesser musicians. I think if any movie is to be made about a band, the importance of a whole should be emphasized much more than the importance of a part. Since I've only heard this from others, and I never saw The Doors movie, I guess that's all I can think.

J & I went to see Ray Manzarak and Robbie Krieger last night at a casino bar in Council Bluffs. Their replacement lead singer was sort of a ham, but I suppose living up to the lionized image of Morrison would need a hammy personality. It was a good show, his voice at times did match up with my memory of what I've heard of Morrison's voice. The Doors' music seems hypnotic to me and I think I could have it playing in the background if I ever did meditate. I love the 60's wild circusy quality of the keyboard. J. has some books of Morrison's poetry that I glanced at a few days before the show. It seemed like a fun thing to read. Seeing these guys in concert was fun and felt sort of historical.

We drove home and got back around midnight-ish. W. had all three boys overnight at her house so J & I stayed at his house which is sort of in the same neighborhood. We woke up around 10-ish, and texted W. ... they had been up since 6:30 (wow) and had already visited the local elementary school playground in her neighborhood, had huge breakfasts, colored, played outside and watched Space Balls (for lack of a Star Wars movie in W's huge DVD collection!)

This morning, J & I ran over to the neighborhood Casey's General Store Gas Station with the goal of grabbing something for L. ... before we left he specifically asked that we bring back "a collectors item" from our trip to the concert. The concert was held at a casino bar, I never saw a gift shop. They did have greyhound racing. I did mention I'd gladly bring home a retired greyhound, wouldn't the boys love that? We didn't need to stop for gas or anything, we just headed straight home from the concert. Thus, the morning stop for, what else? A wiggly orange crab refrigerator magnet. Because a crab says Iowa, doesn't it? In so many ways. You'd think a gas station would have Iowa collectors items? Naw. Why would it? Don't wiggly sea-life magnets and random little flashlights seem so much more...something?

We stopped at McDonald's for an iced coffee for W. because she enjoys them, and at Caribou for an oatmeal and a lavender white chocolate mocha for me, and a cappuccino and a caramel high rise for J. (and me to share!  I mostly like to lick the caramel off the lid.) The lavender flavor is really neat, by the way, if you get a chance to eat or drink lavender flavored things, you should try it.

W. sort of offered to take the big brother to see Prince of Persia, which she later described as action adventure based on a video game. Geesh. She didn't complain but I think (hope) movie makers could think of more important things to make movies about.

J & I took the Cheezits and set off on a tour of local tourist attractions. We saw Stone Park. L. commented "Hey, Stone Avenue is nowhere near Stone Park!" which I thought was great evidence that he's aware of the direction and space we travel through to get from one place to another.
This is a view from the Big Sioux River this afternoon. We had a lesson on different river names. Little Sioux, Big Sioux, Missouri, Big Sippy, Little Sippy - very educational.On the other side of the Big Sioux is South Dakota. Look kids. We're in Iowa, but if you swim across, you're in South Dakota. Cool huh?

 

We want ice cream!

I liked this airplane contrail, it seemed evidence the skies were still today.  

Or that DNA really gets around.

 

We visited the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. 

 

I encouraged snacking on dill and mint. I figured since it is a butterfly garden, probably they don't spray the plants with insecticides. They decided we should plant mint and suggested it would be good in lemonade. I'm having a hard enough time keeping the cabbage watered. I have poppy seeds to plant too. J. ordered them for me I think, and the little bag is sitting on the shelf where I left it. I told him I'd plant some and he could plant the rest. It has been weeks since he brought them by so today he said jokingly "Just give them back if you don't want them!" so I suppose I should plant the poppies. They will be cute.

purple salvia/sage

 

C. knows how to tie his shoes.

 

Fake turkey tracks in the cement. Or maybe goose.

 

The big black dog is a very popular Newfoundland owned by Lewis & Clark named Seaman. I always want to snicker when I say Seaman. He's very cute though and well represented in Siouxland. At least one human pair has a pet Newfoundland in town.

 

Gigantic taxidermy bald eagle swooping down on Nature Center visitors. 

 

The Cheezits and their walking sticks.

   

We saw this little tiny fawn while we were walking on the trails. It got up and ran further along a ravine, but then just lay back down in the underbrush. I didn't get a very good picture and then my battery died. 

So the things I didn't get pictures of, um... the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, the Sgt. Floyd Iowa Welcome Center Steamboat Museum, the boys on the playground, the boys eating ice cream, the boys having tacos and shooting the BB gun (no ammo today) at J's house, W. and the other brother arriving from the movies, us coming home, etcetera.