Some more of Scattergood and Stutsman

Yesterday there are a couple of things that I missed out. First, Mr Tom (the former Executive Director of Council for International Visitors Iowa Cities, CIVIC who retired a couple of months ago) took us around and always eager to tell things about the history and small details of things that we saw whilling passing by.

Second, in the school at Scatergood we also had lunch and they begin with a silent prayer when everyone sitting around a table hold each others hand. The other thing at Scattergood is Mr Mark (the perosn in charge of the school farms as also their literature teacher) who referred to a philosopher cum writer and also farmer Wendell Berry and that how farmers are increasingly with the choice to choose between their neighnbour and his farm lands and they choose the latter though it would be humane to do the former. This is the irony of our times.  And of course, the slight drizzle while we were walking across the farm and the symbiotic relationship that Mr Mark had with his plants and animals brought the humane concerns back.

Third, Mr Roger Stutsman did mention about his perspective on the food security and how some people may blame them for selling corn to ethanol producers, but then the waste after ethanol is produced gets back as cattle feed and suffices the protein requirement for cattle. As a cattle farmer he did lament the need for food safety requirement and said that many things are beyond their control though they follow all practises laid down by federal as well as state requirements. He did say that people should reduce consumption of raw meat.

Fourth, is the hotel Best Western or Longbranch. It was a nice experience after Hyatt at Sacramento.  My room key was smoth. The room had a microwave and refrigerator that I do not use them but the possibility that I can buy some juice and keep in my room is always a nice feeling. Most importantly it has the business centre from where I can write about my experiences here. It is a little out of the way but has a nice neighbourhood.

Fifth, in the evening we went to the Czech village. The museum was flooded in 2008 and they are working on relocating it to a higher place. There was some small festival and tried some Czech cupcape and muffine - they were yummy.

In the evening, Firoz from Bangladesh and I went over to the Longbranch restaurant and had some fish and then went to Best Buy to inquire about laptops and I also recharged my mobile. Later in the night I sat and wrote down my blogs which I had not done for a few days. Today we start at 11 am as it is drizzling.

(The main thing about yesterday is in my previous blog, see below).