Dear Joni Ernst, Trump nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA, you voted to approve his selection

You deserve a barnyard chunk of blame yourself!

Sen. Joni Ernst's high-wire act: Balancing Trump and Iowa interests.  (Des Moines Register, 7/5/2018)

When Sen. Joni Ernst was running for the U.S. Senate in 2014, she billed herself as a “mother, a soldier and a conservative.” After her first meeting with the Register Editorial Board since her election, I’d add one more title: tightrope walker.

Related post:
Iowa is known for its big chickens.  (6/17/2018)

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) is a very poor judge of character

Nebraska, Iowa senators have 'positive meeting' with EPA nominee Scott Pruitt.  (Omaha World-Herald, 1/6/2017)

Any honest person aware of Pruitt's filthy record as Oklahoma Attorney General would have never uttered such nonsense.

Greetings from Trump's America: Tama County, Iowa, where illusion is used to attract new residents

Rural Iowa is shrinking. Why one tiny town is betting on a 'sinkhole' to save it.  (Des Moines Register, 7/5/2018)

If you squint just right, it seems that the public library, a women's boutique and a Methodist church are about to be sucked into the bottomless pit. Cars parked nearby look ready to roll back into the gap. 

But despite the dilapidation the illusion represents, in actuality, it's a step toward preservation for the community of just 1,300.

Source:  Wikipedia

  

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts

Source: Wikipedia

  

Other Trump's America posts:
Alabama
Autauga County.  (6/29/2017)
Bibb County.  (11/10/2017)
Covington County. (11/11/2017)
Dale County.  (12/12/2017)
Geneva County.  (11/11/2017)
Marion County.  (11/11/2017)

Arizona
8th congressional district.  (4/25/2018)

Arkansas
Faulkner County.  (3/20/2018)
Mississippi County.  (3/19/2018)
Woodruff County.  (3/26/2018)

California
Mesa County.  (7/20/2017)
Shasta County.  (7/4/2017

Colorado
Morgan County.  (4/25/2017)

Florida
Citrus County.  (3/5/2017)
DeSoto County,.  (9/9/2017)

Idaho
Kootenai County.  (9/25/2017)

Illinois
Effingham County.  (2/15/2018)
Franklin County.  (2/27/2017)
Jo Daviess County.  (5/13/2018)
Knox County.  (5/13/2018)
McHenry County.  (2/5/2017)
Perry County.  (5/8/2017)
Stephenson County.  (5/13/2018)
Whiteside County.  (5/13/2018)
16th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)

Indiana
Granger.  (3/26/2017)
Hendricks County.  (10/1/2017)
Huntington County.  (4/27/2017)
Jefferson County.  (3/10/2018)
Posey County.  (10/21/2017)
Scott County,.  (10/21/2017)

Iowa
Boone County.  (1/15/2017)
Cass County.  (4/3/2018)
Clinton County.   (10/15/2017)
Decatur County.  ( 7/5/2018)
Franklin County, (8/14/2017)
Hamilton County.  (4/2/2018)
Hardin County.  (4/2/2018)
Lyon County.  (4/2/2018)
Marion County.  (5/23/2017)
Monticello.  (1/13/2017)
Poweshiek and Webster counties.  (2/7/2017)
Sioux County.  (2/22/2018)
Union County.  (9/10/2017)
Washington County.  (4/2/2018)
Winnebago County. (12/17/2017)
Wright County.  (8/8/2017)

Kansas
Clark County.  (3/21/2017)
Mitchell County.  (1/29/2017)
Sumner County.  (10/1/2017)

Kentucky
Bell County.  (6/4/2018)
Hancock County,.  (10/21/2017)
Jackson County.  (12/9/2017)
Knox and Whitley counties.  (2/17/2017)
Lee County.  (12/9/2017)
Letcher County.  (6/29/2017)
Martin County.  (3/22/2018)
Perry County.  (10/10/2017)
Rowan County.  (6/4/2018)

Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish,.  (5/22/2017)
St. Martin Parish.  (4/26/2017)

Maine
Piscataquis County.  (7/3/2017)

Michigan
Macomb County.  (11/29/2017)
St. Joseph County.  (6/5/2017)

Minnesota
Chisago County.  (6/20/2018)
Itasca County.  (5/12/2018)
Lac qui Parle County.  (7/2/2017)
Mower County.  (5/12/2018)
Nobles County.  (1/26/2018)

Mississippi
Pontotoc County.  (7/19/2017)

New Jersey
7th Congressional District.  (4/14/2017)

New York
UPDATE:  Essex County.  (11/29/2017)
Putnam County.  (2/27/2018)
19th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)

North Carolina
Robeson County.  (12/1/2017)
Union County.  (3/9/2017)

North Dakota
Sargent County.  (10/22/2017)

Ohio
Adams County.  (12/9/2017)
Columbiana County,  (12/11/2017)
Defiance County.  (3/21/2017)
Highland County.   (3/19/2017)
Huron County.  (6/19/2017)
Jackson County.  (6/6/2017)
Lawrence County.  (2/25/2018)
Morgan County.  (10/10/2017)
Shelby County.  (3/2/2018)
Trumbull County.  (4/3/2017)
Van Wert County.  (4/12/2017)
Wayne County.  (5/6/2018)

Williams County.  (3/21/2017)
Wyandot County.  (5/4/2018)

Oklahoma

Bryan County.  (5/5/2017)
Nowata County.  (5/5/2018)

Oregon

Douglas County.  (5/17/2017)

Pennsylvania

Cambria County (Johnstown).  (6/3/2017)

Dauphin County. (4/22/2017)

Erie County.  (9/2/2017)

Greene County.  (5/3/2017)

UPDATE. Luzerne County.  (1/14/2017)

Northampton County.  (7/20/2017)
Wayne County.  (3/1/2018)

Williamsport.  (1/24/2017)

8th Congressional District.  (4/18/2017)

South Carolina

Spartanburg County.  (6/5/2017)

South Dakota

Lawrence County,.  (4/27/2017)

Tennessee
Campbell County.  (12/10/2017)
Marion County.  (4/1/2017)
Maury County.  (10/31/2017)
Roane County.  (5/1/2018)
Union County.  (5/30/2017)

Texas
Gaines County.  (4/26/2017)
Shackelford County.  (2/26/2018)

Washington
Grays Harbor County.  (8/20/2017)

West Virginia
Berkeley County.  (3/25/2018)
Boone County.  (3/23/2018)
Cabell County.  (8/4/2017)
Fayette County.  (1/24/2017)
Jackson County.  (6/18/2017)
Marshall County.  (2/7/2018)
Mason County.  (12/16/2017)
McDowell County.  (7/10/2017)
Mingo County.  (3/25/2018)
Summers County.  (3/25/2018)
Wayne County.  (3/24/2018)

Wisconsin
6th congressional district.  (1/27/2018)
Adams County.  (2/6/2017)
Buffalo County.  (3/19/2017)
Burnett County.  (2/24/2018)
Clark County,.  (3/19/2017)
Crawford County.  (5/14/2018)
Fond du Lac County.  (3/7/2018)
Grant County.  (5/16/2018)
Green Lake County.  (1/26/2018)
Jackson County.  (3/8/2018)
Johnson Creek.  (1/21/2017)
Juneau County.  (2/23/2017)
Lafayette County.  (5/16/2018)
Manitowoc County.  (8/10/2017)
Monroe County.  (3/8/2018)
Oneida County.  (4/24/2017)
Pepin County.  (12/21/2017)
Price County.  (10/21/2017)
Richland County.  (11/10/2017)
Sauk County.  (5/14/2018)
Sawyer County.  (3/20/2017)
Taylor County.  (3/19/2017)
Vernon County.  (5/14/2018)
Waushara County.  (2/6/2017)
Winnebago County.  (11/27/2017)
Wood County.  (3/8/2018)

Around town: What type of seeds?

Photos by Retiring Guy

Sunflower seeds, bags of which my son and his teammates went through during baseball games played at Sorenson Field in Middleton (and elsewhere) once upon a time.  (A building that houses a concession stand and 2 restrooms is located next to the field shown below.)

Other Around Town posts
June 2018
If it's not one thing, it's another.  (6/23/2018)
Bloom Bake Shop to reopen as Bloom Bindery, a bakery/bookstore.  (6/15/2018)

May 2018
The Tiedeman Pond frog chorus.  (5/15/2018)

March 2018
Tiedeman Pond winter fish kill.  (3/30/2018)
Hear that lonesome whistle blow.  (3/22/2018)
Explosion on Elmwood Avenue.  (3/20/2018)
Googling 'Henry Hubbard'.  (3/18/2018) 
A not-so-faded Flo strikes a new pose.  (3/12/2018)

February 2018

3 orange cones on sidewalk.  (2/26/2018)

January 2018
This corner house is now a rental.  (1/16/2018)
This 1955, 1296-square-foot ranch on Cooper Avenue was listed at $219,500.  (1/13/2018)
It's always the season of the witch at this Anderson Street address in Middleton.  (1/11/2018)

December 2017
A sure sign that this request went unheeded, if not unseen.  (12/24/2017)
Turnstile Christmas Eve services at St. Luke's.  (12/13/2017)
You've heard of a bear hibernating, but how about a bakery?  (12/13/2017)

Ray Cross is smiling but most people who read this article are not

UW System merger approved. Here's when the official transfer takes place.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 6/30/2018)

The deal also dissolves the University of Wisconsin–Extension as its own entity and moves its functions to UW-Madison and the central System office.