<p>We have friends in Decorah, Iowa, and get there frequently. It’s a cute little town set in a picturesque river valley, surrounded by bluffs and forests. Not at all the standard image of Iowa. But then, it’s almost Minnesota, just 15 miles or so from the border. The local public radio station is a Minnesota Public Radio affiliate, and the major health care provider is a branch of the Mayo Clinic. </p>
<p>Reminds me of a joke they tell in those parts. Seems there was a farmer whose land was right on the Minnesota-Iowa border. He always thought he lived in Minnesota until the surveyor came and told him his house was actually in Iowa. The farmers says, “That’s a relief! No more Minnesota winters!”</p>