The Amana Landscape - Tapa blanda

The Amana Colonies consists of seven villages in the middle of the Iowa prairie. For over 150 years, people have been visiting the Colonies. The villages are surrounded by 26,000 acres of farmland, timber, and river bottom. The Colonies provide a fantastic scenic backdrop for many Iowa artisans and crafters of all kinds. "The Amana Landscape" is the first of its kind; a photographic book that covers the natural beauty of the area. David B. Heusinkveld, photographed the Lily Lake, Mill Race, tailrace, fields, forests, and hills of the Amana Colony landscape. David taught behavior disorder students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District for 25 years until he suffered injuries in a car accident. At that point in this life, he turned to photography. His mother, Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret, has been a photographer for more than sixty years and a publisher for over 30 years at Penfield Books in Iowa City, Iowa. Peter Hoehnle, an Amana, Iowa, native who holds a doctorate in agricultural history and rural studies from Iowa State University, co-authored "The Amana Landscape" with rich historical text about the area.

For twenty-five years I taught behavior disorder students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Then tragedy struck. My son Jordan Hans and I were driving to Iowa City when a Ford F-150 pick-up truck whipped into our lane and slammed into us head-on. Jordan died on the spot. I was knocked out from the impact and regained consciousness on the side of the highway, dazed, confused, and critically injured. An off-duty firefighter saved my life by putting a tourniquet on the artery of my left wrist. In time, it became apparent that changes were occurring in my brain, and that I wasn't quite the same person as before. My short-term memory was compromised, judgment and teaching skills were impaired, and I could no longer teach. I struggled with intense grief, sadness, and regret, and felt miserable. I reluctantly retired from teaching and pondered what to do next. I began reading and exercising and went on long bike rides. When the weather turned cold, I walked. My first outing was to the Lily Lake in Amana. It was a gray November day, and the lake was iced over. I carefully tested the ice and found it solid and clear. I then noticed fantastic images beneath the ice: all kinds of frozen lilies were different shapes and colors. I was in awe of the beauty. I ran home, grabbed my camera, and returned to the lake. I took picture after picture. The beauty and solitude were overwhelming. I felt energized, productive, and enthused. Days were spent exploring the lake, the Mill Race, and the tailrace. I felt focused and inspired which led me to the creation of this book, The Amana Landscape.