Road Warrior - The Friendliest People You Will Ever Meet

I was back on Highway 24 this week it was nice to return to a familiar place that I enjoyed before. This time it was a trip about the people. I worked in Fredricksburg Iowa first, A small farming community as was Saint Lucas where I spent the last three days of the week.

I always learn a little something about everyone when they sit down at my table but I spent a lot of time mingling with them in the waiting area this trip. I met a 91 year old woman in Fredricksburg who left their young pastor in the dust when he personally picked her up and brought her to the church for her picture to be taken. Before the pastor could get out and help her to the door, she was in and ready.

Most of them hung around for coffee and cookies after they were done, just chatting and the positive energy was contagious. there were people who drove for miles to attend that particular church and it was very understandable. They were a tight group. I told them I loved it up in the area and thought about moving to the area many times but this church I said I would join if I ever did. They offered to come to the Quad Cities and help me pack. I made a joke about it, but the pastor said he was quite serious.

After Fredricksburg, Saint Lucas was much the same but we spent three days there. This tiny town was nestled in the crevice of the surrounding hillsides. It was beautiful countryside. I stopped one day on the way to work at "The Little Brown Church", the smallest church in the world, with only four small pews. Then I met up with my partner for the week and had lunch at "The White House". It went highly recommended by someone from Fredricksburg and the food and service was great.

The people of Saint Lucas were also very kind and friendly. We were told stories of the residents (not gossip) that we had met or in the case of one elderly man in his 90's, we never met, who had just gone into assisted living. He claimed he didn't need to be reminded of his appointment but when it came time, he had taken a bus to the River Boat in Dubuque. His sister rescheduled the appointment for the next day and he again came up missing. This time he had gone off on an expedition with one of his son's. I don't believe he ever made it to have his picture taken.

One thing I noticed was the prevalence of certain surnames in the area and I inquired with several of them as to their relations with this or that person whom I had sat with earlier but found a lot of them were distant relatives and these people had been farming and living in this tiny community for generations.

Its a good feeling to be so well received by an entire community. We had bars reopen their grills just so we could eat something after work. Everyone knew who we were and where we were from and struck up conversation wherever we went. Our presence was also requested on the next shoot in Fredricksburg in a couple of weeks. We apparently made a good impression.