I live only half an hour from the "Mighty Mississippi", or "Muddy Mississippi" River.

Down in the floodplains along the river are a bunch of lakes, which used to be sand quarries. I stopped by one of the lakes yesterday while on a trip for work. I wanted to have a look around the area, but I didn't have much time to explore. I found a place to park the big flatbed truck, and I walked down to the sandy lake to take some pictures.

Scenes like this are not common in Eastern Iowa. Most lakes and ponds are muddy and surrounded by dense growth. But here the water is clear at least eight feet deep, and all the shores are sandy with somewhat sparse vegetation.

The water looks so cool and refreshing. If it had been a really hot day, I would have been tempted to take a swim.

Floating canopies of moss created shadows on the sandy bottom.

The setting is so beautiful and peaceful that I wished I had my boat. I wanted to stay all day and forget about work.

Luckily, these sandy lakes are relatively close to home, so bringing my family back on a weekend isn't out of the question.

Thanks for stopping by!