Merry Christmas!

WolfCounselor celebrates Christmas and the coming New Year with a new addition to the website.  We are proud to offer Netcritix, a new motion picture and television review service.  Our Netcritic covers all genres, past and present, so there is sure to be something of interest to everyone.  Come see whether or not you agree with his opinions and...Enjoy!

Mmm, Corndog!

The internationally-acclaimed Iowa State Fair annually attracts more than a million fun-lovers from around the world. Midwest Living magazine recently named the event one of the "top 30 things every midwesterner should experience."

WolfCounselor spent a day at the fair counting how many kinds of food you could buy on a stick.  We quit counting when we got to the deep-fried pineapple and decided everything is available on a stick at the fair.

At the end of the day, we decided the movie got it right:

Our State Fair is a great State Fair,

Don't miss it, don't even be late.

It's dollars to doughnuts that our State Fair,

Is the best State Fair in our state!

Alien Abduction?

Well not exactly, but it may as well have been.  This economy is continuing full throttle to suck away people's careers, WC's included.  Thank you Washington.  After going through it, I think alien abduction would have been preferable.  But WC is back!  With a stable income back in hand, hopes are high that postings of new happenings at WolfCounselor will again appear on a regular basis.  Check back soon!

The "Wayback" Machine

Listed as one of the "1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die", Living History Farms tells the amazing story of how Iowans transformed the fertile prairies of the American Midwest into the most productive farmland in the world.  The development of agriculture throughout the ages is on display, as multiple sites representing different eras are authentically farmed or worked by interpreters in historical clothing.

Hop into the “Wayback” machine and go to a 1700 Ioway farm, displaying farming habitats and techniques employed by the Ioway Indians.  Next, travel through time to an 1850 Pioneer Farm, complete with a log cabin and split rail fence.  From there, follow the trails to the post-Civil War town of Walnut Hill, and experience community life on the Iowa frontier in 1875.  Finally, stop for a visit at the 1900 horse-powered farm and witness the dramatic changes in farming brought on by the Industrial Revolution.  Before returning back to the future, stop by the Flynn House. One of the few historic buildings original to the Living History Farms property, this 14-room estate was considered one of the finest in the area.

Garden Sanctuary

WolfCounselor spent the last day of the first decade of the 21st century at the beautiful Des Moines Botanical Center.  It is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Iowa, providing educational, recreational, and community resources to thousands.

Strolling through the lush vegetation on a bitterly cold Iowa New Year's Eve, the short poem "Garden Sanctuary" by Doxis Palmer best summed up the experience:

You who walk,

Maybe with troubled thoughts,

Come, enter here and rest;

And may the sweet serenity of growing things,

And the heavenly peace,

Be mirrored in thy soul.

Why don't you come to Villisca?

WolfCounselor did just that yesterday to discuss the recently completed Ax Murder House virtual tour with the owners, Darwin and Martha Linn.  The Linn's maintain two websites regarding the Murder House.  You can view them here and here.

The Linn's intend on using the virtual tour in both websites.  Additionally, they are producing a film documenting paranormal activity recorded by visitors to the Murder House.  Some of the panoramas from the virtual tour may also be used in the documentary they are producing.  The documentary will be available on DVD, as well as air on a cable network.  How cool is that?

Popularity Contest

WolfCounselor's most popular panoramic image recently reached 50,000 views on Google Earth.  While that doesn't exactly qualify as an Internet phenomenon, who would have guessed WC's nephew and brother-in-law could have that many friends?

Panoramic Excellence

WolfCounselor recently had three panoramic images recognized by 360 Cities with their Editor's Pick award, given for panoramic excellence.  360 Cities is dedicated to bringing the world to the Internet through the largest and fastest-growing collection of immersive, panoramic images on the web.  The images selected for this award include Salisbury Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, and Omaha Beach.
 

Fright Night

WolfCounselor invites you on a ghost hunt! Grab your gear and be prepared for things that go bump in the night, as we visit the Villisca Ax Murder House, rated the #1 most terrifying place in America by the Travel Channel.

On a quiet residential street in this small Iowa town sits an old wood-frame house. On a dark evening, the absence of lights and sounds are the first indication that this house is different from the others.  The Murder House is a time capsule of the early 20th century, beautifully restored to circa 1912, when a deranged killer murdered eight innocent people.

Come for a tour and learn the story behind this awful crime, which remains unsolved to this day.  If you're truly adventurous, book an overnight stay at the Murder House, where paranormal activity abounds.  Wasn't that closet door closed a minute ago?