Oh Diana these are beautiful. I especially like the hot house flower. R

Was looking forward to your "entry"! You never disappoint. Great balance--nature, people, all unique and all American. (r)

Beautiful slice of life here, diana.

Oh, the contest and the church ladies! And the church. Lovely.

Great

Strong and lovely! My grandmother/mom's side was totally Norwegian! (Dinah Helena Gonstead) Lots of Norwegian church/settlement sites in Wisc. Thanks Dianaani!!!

thanks Blu, i especially like the hothouse flower too. that's my mom, who also shows up in the bunad contest. she is easy to photograph.

ah dirndl skirt, you make me happy - thanks for that. i am slowly recovering from vacation, my first post since returning. i am so out of practice.

Hi Scarlett, we are on opposite ends of america, aren't we?. i know canada and mexico are also part of this continent. i really liked your photo essay, thanks for coming over to look.

ladyslipper, thanks! i have missed being here - i thought you would like the norwegian stuff.

much appreciated, trilogy!

thanks muse! dinah helena gonstead was probably from or descended from someone who live in gonsstad in norway, maybe it is a farm name. i know that is how one of my grandparents got his name, he was knut halvorson from rysstad so they wrote his name knut halvorson rystad. there are a number of norwegians here on OpenSalon.

Diana, as always, a beautiful post!

thanks catherine, as always you are gracious.

wonderful wonderful wonderful

Lovely, Diana...the kirke is so pretty!

Wonderful images! My favorites are St. Olaf's and the Bunad Contest. I love Norwegians. I was married to the grandson of Kathryn Forbes, who wrote "Mama's Bank Account." I saw the movie "I Remember Mama" (based on the book) when I was 13, an unforgettable story of a Norwegian family in San Francisco.

I love these. The hothouse flower (your mom!) is also my favorite.

The composition of that first picture is striking!

I'm about to embark on an adventure of discovery with all these pictures of America! I loved the composition of the St Olaf's Kirke photo too .... really well done!

But there is also something very special about the Hothouse Flower photo too!

Thank you for sharing your little slice of heaven, dianaani.

Lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing and welcome back.

Love, love, love! Missed you....

Love these. Thanks.

Diana these are gorgeous and Rated!

What a wonderful slice of heaven!

Thanks for the lovely photo essay. If you go looking for beauty, you will find it.

Bernadine: thank you, thank you, thank you!

MLee S. - I agreee about the dude in the blue shirt, but how much do guys get into Norwegian bunads, eh? The trophies were won by local kids for showing livestock. That is the Community Center of the big ole town of Cranfills Gap.

Hi Poppi: I am really happy with the renovation work at the kirke, especially the removal of the plaster so the natural rocks show.

HarrietWhy: Welcome! I love that movie "I Remember Mama" and I even have it as a book on tape with Norwegian lullabies at the end.

Hey Sophie: Thanks for coming by, it was good to read your post this week, about Min. I appreciate our friendship here.

Eve Collins: Hello and welcome, thanks for coming by, I live the composition of your avatar photo! Are you also a photographer or artist?

Hey Little Kate, I love to see your smiling face, I wish I could see your part of the world, too! Will OpenSalon have an open call for "Photos of Home" I wonder?

Puddle Duck! I missed you, and will come over to see what you have been up to since I was gone. Thanks.

Doireann! I was wondering about you this morning! I wish we were close enough to walk downtown for lunch together. Thank you.

anna1liese: I do appreciate that, will you post photos with your stories? "Tell me of your homeland, Uzul." (from the movie, "Dune.")

Thanks Jonathan, always welcome here!

Good morning Kit, you helped pave the way, thank you dearly.

SixtyCandles: You are so welcome. I try to look around me as if I am a traveler - and it helps me to see the beauty here.

is that your mum?
I just love your pictures

Beautiful photos, Diana. A feel for the land and the people.

hey linda: yep, that she is. cute, huh? thanks for coming by.

Hi cranky! i appreciate that, love the love.

Dianaani, a wonderful collection of photos from your neck of the woods! Interesting to see a photo of the Norwegian Society of Texas--it sure is a long distance in mileage from Norway!

What great pictures of our America. I really love the one of the Norwegian ladies, especially.

Thanks for the lovely pictures, Diana. Cranfills Gap looks like a greener El Paso.

designanator: they say you can always tell a norwegian, you just can't tell him much. thanks man!

rosy cheeks: i love those old ladies too, they had such a lot of fun that day. i appreciate your coming by.

Leon: Ha! i wondered how you would work it into the discussion!

Lovely, Diana, simply lovely. I especially adore the kirke photo. Lordy, I wracked what's left of my addled brain to come up with the snarky baloney I know you expect from me, and I...just...can't do it. I am so sorry!

Oh! Shoulda read the comments first - I knew I was doing something so, so wrong. Your mum! Beautiful lady, gorgeous setting.

thanks matt! you never have to be snarky to get my cyber-hugs, i love you just the way you are. thanks for coming by to see the photos, did you see what the editor left on my doorstep? i am stunned, but happy too, of course.

I love the dirt road .I lived on a dirt road once and hope to again someday...there is nothing like coming home on a dirt road.....Thank you Diana.....great photos !!!!

These are so beautiful, I really loved the church with the magnificent tree and the road to your sisters. Just perfect!

Thanks, Diary! I hope your wish will come true. You are so welcome.

Thanks, LunchLady! I carry a camera with me all the time, so I have at least a chance to catch something nice, not the bobcat which ran across the road in front of me this morning, but things which stay still for a moment.

Just stopped by again, Diana. Thanks for lovely compliment! And your suggestion sounds like a very good idea to me! I'm waiting on a new digital camera that I've ordered and once I have that I'll be able to post some lovely pics from my little slice of heaven too!

Kate, when your new camera arrives, and you are taking photos and uploading them to your computer, tell me and we can start the new open call "Photos from Home" - I can't wait!

Beautiful. I love that picture of driving to your sister's and I wish I could see the Bunad contest in person.

Hey Amanda! Thanks for coming by to look. That road to my sister's house is almost impassable by car, I drive partway, then walk the rest. But the views are worth it. If you look at the enlarged photo of the bunad contest, notice my mom (3rd from left). She's wearing her apron, and the bottom hand-tatted lace on it was made by my great grandmother, Bergitte.