Steelpan drums, that is. The weather cooperated for a fun evening at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. This 5600 acre section of Iowa is the largest prairie restoration in the country. They said they are 24 years into a 150 year plan so I guess it's not a complete restoration yet.
The evening began with a wine tasting and hike along the oak-savannah trail. We could not see any of the buffalo or elk from this trail but it wound through a wonderful grove of old oaks. The wines were primarily from the Cover Bridges Winery in--you guessed it--Madison County.
The evening began with a wine tasting and hike along the oak-savannah trail. We could not see any of the buffalo or elk from this trail but it wound through a wonderful grove of old oaks. The wines were primarily from the Cover Bridges Winery in--you guessed it--Madison County.
Then we saw an exhibit of Iowa nature artists in the Learning Center and a supper of pulled pork, coleslaw and desserts was served. Former Congressman Neal Smith, now 94, gave a welcome after which Tropical Steel from the Des Moines area gave a fun performance including their rendition of "The Bison (or Lion) Sleeps Tonight." There's something surreal but awfully fun about listening to steel drum band on the Iowa prairie. The only downside was looking into the setting sun. We skipped the final twilight hike on the Overlook Trail because we spotted the buffalo herd at the top of a hill in the distance, so hopped in the truck and headed for the roundup. The Refuge currently has about 60 bison including 8 calves. This photo was not taken with a telephoto lens. We made a short pause, took a few shots, and somebody said "He's looking at us. Gun it!"
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