Man, it was hot yesterday—par for the course for this time of year. Sometimes it seems like we skip spring and just start with summer. It was in the 90’s and muggy.
So Sena and I decided to head to Kalona to do some outdoor shopping at the Maple Avenue Greenhouse. Sena is the gardener and I mostly stood by the cart to make sure the surface temperature maintained a steady first degree burn level.
Sena found the Jacob’s Ladder plants and I found the martins houses near the entrance to the greenhouse property. I looked up Jacob’s Ladder later and found out that the name comes from how the plant’s pinnate leaves grow up the stem like the steps on the Biblical ladder of Jacob’s dream.
I also found out that Jacob’s Ladder prefers shady and cooler temperatures. Did I mention that the temperature was 90 degrees out in the sun?
We passed the Kalona Creamery on the way out to the greenhouse. After purchasing the Jacob’s Ladder plants, we suddenly got a craving for something cold and creamy.
The Kalona Creamery was established in 2015 and does a pretty good business. It’s bigger than it looks from the outside. Don’t let the cow sculpture scare you. Kalona cows are what this extra sweet creamery is all about.
And in turn, cheese curds and fancy, hand-rolled butter (3rd place at the 2018 Iowa State Fair) is what humans are all about.
And don’t forget the ice cream. I have a lot of imagination and cosmopolitan, discriminating tastes—so I got the “Plain ol’ Vanilla.” Sena got the Kalona Crunch—with pecans. You get a chocolate cow with any selection. It brought back memories of hand-churned ice cream in grade school. Man, that’s good.
And the people were sure friendly in Kalona—even in 90 degree heat.
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