August 2025 - The Dog Days of Summer

When it comes to August, you can be sure of two things: it's beautiful, and it's hot as hell. Now that the pendulum has swung in the other direction, let's revisit August.

While it certainly was hot the first weekend of August, I still went to an outdoor concert at Stinson Park with my friends Keith and Libby. We found a shady spot to set up our chairs, and there was a nice breeze, so it ended up being a comfortable evening.

The next weekend, I headed out to Schramm SRA early in the morning to beat the heat. I ate a light breakfast and took a light walk.

While the changes they have made here are beautiful, it just doesn't have the same vibe it did back in the day. I will forever miss the old view from this spot.

I ended my walk at the fish hatch ponds, where lily pads, along with their beautiful flowers, make their appearance for a short while.

I wasn't in the best of headspaces on a random weekday in the middle of the month, so I took a day off. I did the one thing that always clears my head and makes me feel better, a hike through Neale Woods.

I always enjoy a distant view of the Omaha skyline from this spot.

I had an epic day trip planned for the third Saturday of the month, so my bestie, Rebecca, and I hit the road. We started in Red Oak, Iowa...

...and discovered that they were having a classic car show in the town square.

It was a pleasant surprise.

After seeing all the cool cars, we went to our planned destination in Red Oak, the Montgomery County History Center. My favorite exhibit was this axe, used in the commission of the Villisca axe murders. 

There were plenty of things to see, though.

Another favorite was this miniature bar, complete with tiny bottles of alcohol and a tiny spittoon!

After a picnic lunch, we pressed on eastward to Stanton, Iowa. Stanton was settled by Swedish immigrants. I'm a Swede, myself, and I was excited to check out the Swedish Heritage & Cultural Center. 

There's a documentary we watched before we wandered around the center.

It was like stepping back in time to my childhood.

A Swedish couple that could easily have been my great-grandparents.

After we were done, we stopped by the Mamrelund Lutheran Church. Yes, it is Swedish, as is everything in this small town. So much fun!

We continued east until we made it to the Union County Iowa Historical Society & Village.

The complex is made up of buildings that represent a barn, the fire station, a barber shop, as well as a church, a train, and an old house.

We had pushed far enough east that we weren't too far south of Winterset, Iowa, a place I visited on another day trip. Of course, our destination was Covered Bridges Winery, a place I've now been to four times.

A half mile up the road from the winery is Winterset Cidery. I have lamented here before about how it's always been in the off-season when I've attempted to stop here. Luckily, this time, it was OPEN! 

As you can see, we were pretty excited to get our hands on a cold, delicious glass of cider. Especially since it was about 96 degrees outside that day.

On the 22nd, I finally made it to the Omaha Greek Festival. It was a lot of fun to indulge in the cultural dancing, entertainment, beer, and food!

The next morning, I headed back to Schramm SRA for a hike.

That afternoon, Rebecca, my other bestie Libby, and I went out to Cellar 426, one of our local wineries. We enjoyed wine and charcuterie outside in the comfort of shade umbrellas.

After a glass or two of wine, we finally got to visit Ashland Brewing Company, a brand new brewery in Ashland. It's a huge structure with plenty of seating, indoors & outdoors, outdoor games, and of course, cold beer. I'm excited it's here. Cellar 426 and Glacial Till are one mile apart, and now Ashland Brewing Co. sits halfway between them. 

That's what my August was like this year. I had so much fun, and I hiked more than I remembered, that's for sure.