A REALLY BIG DILL...

A humble pickle. An inspired idea. Walker, Iowa is where it all comes together. Pickle Days. A small town Iowa celebration of community and (pickled) cucumbers.

Think of all the possibilities to promote the pickle! Well, the town's leadership did. Pickle Days evokes the charm of rural America with simple pleasures and front porch hospitality.

Terry, Eden, and I decided to explore.

First off as a Midwesterner you probably know all about the beauty of a midsummer evening. That Saturday night it was perfect.

We joined the flow on the town's main street and ate pork chop sandwiches....

enjoyed spirited competition in the mosh pit....

were dazzled by the singers on a make-shift stage. embraced the local flavor...and color...

and were wowed by a fantastic fireworks display.

All this for the lowly pickle. But the inspiration comes with a history lesson. Back in the day, the town actually had a pickle factory. It operated during the Great Depression, so the burg comes by its passion for pickles honestly.

Plus what's not to love. According to the Department of Agriculture, Americans eat 8.5 pounds of pickles each year. Cleopatra claimed pickles made her beautiful. In Fiji, a guy can't get a date with a girl until he shows her parents his pickle pits! The love is universal. All for a fruit (yes a cucumber is technically a fruit) preserved in vinegar and brine.

Okay for you foodies out there. Quick recipe flash. Down in Mississippi, they're making Kool-aid pickles! Just soak pickles (cut in half) for a little more than a week in super strong Kool-Aid. The result is a tangy pickle that'll tickle your toes.

But what's that! Look in the sky. Is it a bird? A plane?

No! It's Super Pickle! Lit up and emblazoned across the sky. Hanging in a place of honor above the grain bins. That's right, the Dillmesiter shines proudly each night reminding all of us that for all of their humble beginnings pickles are truly...truly a really big Dill.

Carolyn