I gawked at the sight before me and then pointed to my camera, indicating that I wanted to take a picture. The three men shifted slightly as I squatted down to take the shot. When I later reviewed the photo, I was struck by the sense of ease their posture emanated.

One of the farmers came over, "You've never seen this before?" He had to shout over the sound of the tractor powering the grain chute to be heard, but even with all the noise I sensed incredulity in his tone. His family had grown corn for generations. Was it possible one could get a ways into their adult life without confronting a stream of golden corn kernels? I tried to explain that I was from Los Angeles and no, I'd never seen grain gush out of a wagon and get sucked into an enormous grain tower.

Wayne, as I would later learn was his name, invited my mother and I to harvest some corn with him in his combine, which waited for him about a mile down the road. My mom was immediately on board and I warmed to his friendly and genuine offer.

Grain towers are often the tallest features in rural Midwestern landscapes. They rise above fields of corn and soybeans and as in Riverside, Iowa, add an industrial edge to small towns.

Riding in Wayne's combine, harvesting corn grown on land he rented from his aunt was a unique and unforgettable experience. His combine harvested six rows of corn at once. The biggest combines harvest 16 rows at once. The machinery is impressive, simultaneously cutting stalks, ingesting ears, husking them, and shearing off kernels, which burst out of a spigot, filling tractor's bed. At one point during the ride, the tractor's cabin got dark, and I noticed that the back window of the cab had been completely drowned with kernels, blocking out the sunlight. After harvesting 12 rows of corn, Wayne transferred the kernels from the combine to a wagon pulled by a different tractor. The other tractor transports the load to the elevator where it is weighed and unloaded.

Thank you, Wayne, for this memorable and educational experience.

Fields begin to turn early fall, verdant green becoming a rich gold, and finally a crisping to brown. Once thoroughly dried, corn and beans are harvested. This year, harvests began mid-October and lasted through the end of the month.

I can't do a post titled "Iowa Gold" without also including some Hawkeye-related photos. College football is a deeply ingrained culture here. Tailgating for a Saturday morning game oftentimes begins early Friday. Perhaps more entertaining than the football itself (for the less sports-oriented), are the creative ways in which fans show their colors.

These donkeys were not too excited to be decked out and dragged through the Hawkeye homecoming parade.

This post is the second in the color series.

It would be overwhelming to attempt to comprehensively capture my first impressions of Iowa City, so instead I'm going to do a series of posts featuring a color. Since I arrived in that summer sweet spot right after the worst of the mosquitoes and before fall chills, I'm starting with green. 

I've never known a busier set of primarily freight-bearing tracks. I hear the haunting blasts, way more intense than a playtime "choo-choo," all day long. At first I was excited. Trains: a rare treat. I counted cars: 107. Over a hundred cars! Unfathomable gallons of petroleum, bushels of grain, and head of livestock moved miles upon miles. However, I have come to learn that the train is not at all rare. And it CHOOOOOOO CHOOOOOO's a lot. 

I feel more than a little silly for being surprised that there are apple orchards in Iowa. Everyone put so much emphasis on the corn. The quantity of corn astonishing, as is the abundance of soy beans, sometimes referred to as just "beans." A bike ride away, Wilson's Orchard grows dozens of varieties of apples also sold in the form of refreshing cider slushes and delicious turnovers, paired with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream at your request. When honey crisps come into season, watch out! I've heard people go nuts. 

Bunnies are everywhere! And they're unnervingly tame, too. 

Hiking encounters:

• Prairie flora like wild bergamot (above)
  
• Thumb-sized cicadas, producers of a weed-whacker-like mating call
  
• 3D archery range ,"CAUTION: Keep Out"