Small town beauty

March 2, 2026 Nick Whatley Features Comments Off on Small town beauty
This is my dog Willow standing in our barn, taken on Saturday, Feb. 21. The barn is my favorite building on the property. The barn holds all the fun toys like dirt bikes, four-wheelers, and other equipment. One thing this photo highlights is the contrast between my dog and the big equipment.

For my photo journal, I decided to take photos from my grandparent’s property in southern Iowa. As it is one of my favorite places to go, I wanted to show a background of my favorite spots and things of the property. It is a place I love to go to relax and escape from the city life.

 

This is my dog Willow standing in our barn, taken on Saturday, Feb. 21. The barn is my favorite building on the property. The barn holds all the fun toys like dirt bikes, four-wheelers, and other equipment. One thing this photo highlights is the contrast between my dog and the big equipment.

 

This photo, taken on Feb. 21, doesn’t really fit in the “favorite places” category, but it does fit into the “favorite things” category. In this image, my dog was sitting perfectly behind my dirt bike, so I captured the moment. Riding my dirt bike is one of my favorite things to do when I’m down there. When I’m riding, the world feels open and free—sort of a way to escape from reality. With Willow in the background and the bike up front, this picture showcases two of my favorite things.

 

This 150-year-old oak tree is my favorite on the property. While you can stand back and enjoy the view, it is also a great place to climb or sit. The sign on the tree is one we found while cleaning the ditch last spring. We thought the sign was a perfect addition to our favorite tree. Sometimes I think that old things are better, and this tree proves it. Taken on Feb. 21.

 

This photo was taken in town, about 10 minutes from the property. The photo is of my family’s favorite breakfast place called Bluebird Café. Behind the restaurant, I saw this red chair against the purple wall. There was a cool contrast between the colors. This really shows the beauty of small-town Iowa. Taken on Feb. 20.

 

This picture shows the beautiful sunset casting in the sky behind the barn. I took this photo at the right time, at about 5:45 p.m. on Feb. 22. In Southern Iowa, the sunsets are way better than anything you’ll find in the city- even when it’s cold and gross outside. This sunset shows there’s beauty in everything. Small town Iowa is a gem.

 

Fishing is something peaceful that I love to do when I have some free time. This photo shows the canoe that I use when on the water. We found this old sign in the ditch, and we bolted it to the bottom of the canoe. When I look at this photo, I think of the happy times on the water. Taken on Feb. 20.

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