Iowa arrival and intermission

I rode 125 miles through very hilly terrain to arrive in my hometown of Decorah, Iowa Friday evening and the last two days have been the busiest I've seen all summer. I have a lot of family to catch up with, plus Nordic Fest was in full swing upon my arrival. Attached here is a photo from the Winnesheik County Democrats parade float that I thought was awfully clever.

After the lefse, varme pølse, krumkakke, and søt suppe; the waltzes, polkas, two-steps, and schottisches; the parade, performances, and fireworks, the town of Decorah began to quiet down again. Yesterday in neighboring Postville, though, a crowd of at least 1000 gathered for a prayer service, march, and rally for immigration policy reform. I attended to show my support for the families that have been torn apart by what was the largest immigration raid in the history of our country two months ago. The New York Times has covered the demonstration.