Andy, Angie, Art, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Drone, Elizabeth, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Lists, Logan, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Suzie, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 372 – ART

October 31, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

It is Halloween! So happy Halloween everybody. On Halloween, I like to release my Candy Power Rankings. It is a definitive list of the 10 best candy bars on the market.

So without furth adieu…

CANDY BAR POWER RANKINGS
10. Caramel M&M’s
9. Baby Ruth
8. Payday
7. Heath
6. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
5. Twix Caramel
4. Snickers
3. Peanut M&M’s
2. Take 5
1. Whatchamacallit

Please respect my decision. There will be no interviews at this time.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

Is there a limit to the number of submissions I can have each week?

The short answer is, “no”. Some people think that there is a limit of one submission per person because I only present one submission a week, personally. I have the other 6 days to post my photography. So one is more than enough image from me.

However, the longer answer is, 3 would be a good guide to limit yourself to submit. Some people refer to this as The Kio Dettman Rule. Even though it isn’t a rule, but much over 3 begins to start to overwhelm the submissions of the others in the community. Also, if you are submitting multiple submissions, think about your submissions. Are they unique? Are they of wholly different subjects? Is each submission saying something unique? The goal is NOT to take as many picture for the theme as possible. The goal is to take the best picture for the theme you can, during the week.

The three photo suggestion would better be referred to as The Kio Dettman Suggestion or The Kio Dettman Best Practice.

The long answer is, there isn’t a limit, but 3 is a good rule of thumb. If I start to average about 30 participants a week, I will consider putting a limit of 1 per participant, to help manage my workload, but we are a long ways from averaging 30 participants a week. Although we did hit 30 participants last week, so maybe a hard limit of 1 per person is on the horizon.

Can I send you several pictures and have you pick the best one?

No! No! NO! If those words come out of your mouth or your keyboard, I consider that to be a non-submission.

Do you ever question whether somebody’s submission fits the theme?

Meh. Only if I think somebody is clearly confusing this week’s theme with last week or next week’s theme. Otherwise, if the submission makes sense in your head, that is good enough to me. However, I would urge you to not try to fit your favorite subject into the theme. This isn’t a challenge to share a picture every week of your kid or your business or your pet. It is a challenge to take pictures of different things every week. Which isn’t to say subjects can’t be repeated, but you shouldn’t become reliant on the same ones.

Why can’t I submit after 11 AM on Mondays if the post doesn’t publish until 12:01 PM?

I go to lunch at 11 AM. I leave my office. I’m not near a computer. At 11 AM I hit “Schedule” and then I go throw food down my throat. 167 hours is more than enough time to send a submission. Okay, 166 hours and 59 minutes. You got me.

Are there resolution requirements for submissions?

I won’t turn down submissions that are too small. I will probably ask you for a picture of greater resolution if it is really small. The typical 4 x 6 image posted to my website has a resolution of 1280 pixels x 853 pixels. While a 400 x 300 image might look okay on your phone, it looks like trash on a computer monitor. I prefer images that are at least 1000 pixels at their largest point, but don’t ban smaller pictures at this point.

What format should my submission be?

.JPG but .PNG also works.

If I write a description of my image will you include that in your post?

No. Photography is art that should stand on its own. Only exception is the SLICE OF LIFE theme.

When will you start accepting suggestions for next year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes?

I accept suggestions this Monday and next Monday, BUT only in the comments section of this post and next Monday’s post. Don’t email your suggestions to me. Don’t text them to me. Don’t Snapchat them to me. Don’t send them to me via United States Postal Service. Don’t call me with them. Don’t stop me in the grocery store with them. They can ONLY be submitted in the Comments section.

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REMINDER: This is repetitive since you just read the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE FAQ, but this is one of two weeks you can suggest themes for next year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. The one and only way to do that is to leave your suggestions in the COMMENTS section of this post. Do not email them to me or text them to me. The suggestions have to be left in the COMMENTS section of this post!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, October 24, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
2-Mary Green – 1 week (6)
3-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
4-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
5-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
6-Mike Vest – 2 weeks
7-Jesse Howard – 3 weeks
8-Sara Lockner – 5 weeks
9-Suzie Brannen – 9 weeks
10-Brandon Kahler – 10 weeks
11-Linda Bennett – 13 weeks (2)
12-Sarah Toot – 14 weeks
13-Monica Jennings – 15 weeks
14-Angie DeWaard – 18 weeks
15-Dawn Krause – 22 weeks (2)
16-Kim Barker – 28 weeks
17-Joe Duff – 30 weeks (2)
18-Logan Kahler – 31 weeks (4)
19-Teresa Kahler – 40 weeks (2)
20-Tamara Peterson – 40 weeks
21-Carla Stensland – 40 weeks (3)
22-Michelle Haupt – 41 weeks
23-Micky Augustin – 42 weeks
24-Andy Sharp – 43 weeks
25-Bill Wentworth – 44 weeks
26-Cathie Morton – 48 weeks (2)
27-Elizabeth Nordeen – 49 weeks
28-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 51 weeks
29-Kio Dettman – 54 weeks (3)

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Joe Duff – 31 weeks

Kio Dettman – 55 weeks

Kio Dettman

Linda Bennett – 14 weeks

Linda Bennett

Mary Green – 2 weeks

Mary Green

Shannon Bardole-Foley – 52 weeks

Sarah Toot – 15 weeks

Sarah Toot

Angie DeWaard – 19 weeks

Bill Wentworth – 45 weeks

Andy Sharp – 44 weeks

Micky Augustin – 43 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen – 50 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett

Logan Kahler – 32 weeks

Logan Kahler

Jesse Howard – 4 weeks

Kim Barker – 29 weeks

Teresa Kahler – 41 weeks

Teresa Kahler

Carla Stensland – 41 weeks

Carla Stensland

Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks

Suzie Brannen – 10 weeks

Dawn Krause – 23 weeks

Dawn Krause

Becky Parmelee – 2 weeks

Cathie Morton – 49 weeks

Cathie Morton

Brandon Kahler – 11 weeks

Michelle Haupt – 42 weeks

Monica Jennings – 16 weeks

Monica Jennings

Sara Lockner – 6 weeks

26 participants! A good week, but a pretty big fall from last week. I guess not everybody has ART in their life and that makes me sad.

There were submissions this week from (mostly assumptions here) Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.

I took my picture about 1 mile from my house.

There were a couple big accomplishments this week. Suzie joined the double digit streak club! Shannon reached a year straight of submissions. Only the second person to ever do that! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Jen couldn’t extend her streak to 2 weeks. Willy and Vest’s 2 week streaks are gone. But most tragically… Tamara’s 40 week streak is over. By far the longest streak to be snapped. But I won’t be sad that it is over. I choose to be happy that it happened.

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

DECORATION

DECORATION! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a DECORATION photo? A DECORATION image is simply a picture of a DECORATION or a picture where a DECORATION plays a heavy element in the composition. Seeing how today is Halloween, there are a ton of DECORATION(s) out there for you to photograph. Just for an example.

While considering possible subjects for your DECORATION picture, mediate on the following quote:

Like a rhyme with no reason
In an unfinished song
There was no harmony, life meant nothin’ to me until you came along
And you brought out the colors
What a gentle surprise
Now I’m able to see all the things life can be, shinin’ soft in your eyes

And you decorated my life
Created a world
Where dreams are a part
And you decorated my life
By paintin’ your love
All over my heart
You decorated my life
-Kenny Rogers

I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

RULES

The picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of DECORATION in this place that is filled with everything that has decorated my life next Monday.

Amanda, Brandon, Christianity, Dahlia, Greyson, Holidays, Lensbaby, Logan, Russ, Still Life, Teresa

On Balance – 2021

October 30, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

I’m kicking the decision about Formal Portrait Sunday down the road another week. This collection is the last of the pictures I took in 2021 to share.

A couple are from Halloween night. I don’t get many trick-or-treaters I know these days. So there are only two pictures of people I know from last year.

The rest are from Christmas. Many of them are taking with a Lensbaby, which was my Christmas present to myself last year. Another one will probably be my Christmas present to myself again this year.

Art, Black & White, Christianity, History, Road Trip, Ruins

Chickasaw and Howard County Aux – Vol. 5

October 29, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the final collection of pictures I took on my trip around Chickasaw County and Howard County harvesting their town signs. These pictures are kind of taken all over the place. Winneshiek County. Howard County. Chickasaw County. Bremer County. Franklin County. It was a great trip!

Old Stone Church

Protivin

New Hampton

Fredericksburg

Bremer

Waverly

Hampton

If you are wondering about the memorial about the young woman who was murdered in 1992, here are some details:

Early on Monday, September 7, 1992, Rhonda Anette Knutson was murdered while working the 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. shift at the Phillips 66 convenience store in Williamstown, Iowa, in Chickasaw County.

The store manager found Knutson’s body Monday morning around 4:45 a.m. in a room near the back of the store.

The Williamstown store was open 24 hours a day and located six miles south of New Hampton on U.S. Highway 63 and one-quarter mile north of highway junctions 63, 18, and 346.

An autopsy concluded Knutson died after being bludgeoned to death, and there were no signs of sexual assault.

According to the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office, Knutson suffered severe traumatic head injuries from a beating with a blunt object. Robbery was not considered a motive in the slaying.

Knutson seemed to thoroughly enjoy working the overnight shift at the store and had met her current boyfriend, Al Wolf, three years earlier while working there. The couple had moved in together two years before Knutson’s death, and lived in rural Tripoli, about 16 miles southeast of the Phillips 66 store.

Wolf drove a local creamery truck, and Rhonda enjoyed accompanying him to motocross racing events and local demolition derbies.

The investigation into her death included hundreds of interviews by deputies and agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), along with employing a private investigator and several psychics.

Reward and Hunt for Two Suspects Hits Dead End

A Cedar Rapids Gazette article published the day after Knutson’s murder identified a suspect — a trucker — sought for questioning in the case.

Three days later on Sept. 11, the Gazette published composite sketches of two suspects — both believed to be truckers — whom witnesses allegedly saw in the convenience store the morning Knutson was killed.

The Gazette described both men as heavy-set Caucasians with dark hair, and between the ages of 35 and 45. Witnesses described the first suspect as having a beard and mustache, and pulling a white and silver trailer behind a conventional tractor.

They described the second suspect as clean-shaven, though couldn’t link him to any specific vehicle.

Chickasaw County Sheriff Tom Bernatz printed and mailed out over 1,500 news bulletins about the case to truck stops throughout the US in efforts to generate more leads.

By December 21, the reward for information leading to an arrest in the case had reached $9,000; the Gazette reported that eight banks in northeast Iowa had pledged $7,500 toward the reward, with another $1,500 coming in from private citizens.

Special Prosecutor assigned to review case
Seven years after Knutson’s murder, Chickasaw County Attorney Rich TeKippe assigned Thomas H. Miller, assistant attorney general, as a special prosecutor to review information in Knutson’s murder investigation.

In a Mason City Globe-Gazette article published September 3, 1999, Robert Brammer, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said Miller — who’d successfully prosecuted many murder cases in the state — was one of the most experienced homicide specialists working in the AG’s office.

TeKippe said local law enforcement’s interest in solving Knutson’s murder has never waned, but that the lack of progress had frustrated them.

Still, TeKippe expressed hope that a “particularly damning piece of evidence might still be found that would allow the complexion of this investigation to change for the good.”

On the 20th anniversary of Knutson’s death, family members lovingly remembered the young victim known for her creative, free spirit.

“She was just a great person. She would do anything for anybody,” Knutson’s sister Renae Engel said in a New Hampton Tribune article dated September 7, 2012.

Engel said the anniversary of her sister’s death is always a difficult reminder.

“It’s one of those days when you have no ambition and you don’t want to do anything,” she told the Tribune.

The convenience store no longer exists, and the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office continues to seek information related to Knutson’s death.

Iowa Cold Cases website founder Jody Ewing said when she began researching Iowa’s unsolved murders for inclusion on the site, the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office was one of just a handful of law enforcement agencies that listed unsolved homicides on its website.

Rhonda’s case remains listed there yet today.

When the Iowa DCI established a Cold Case Unit in 2009, Knutson’s murder was also one of approximately 150 cases listed on the Cold Case Unit’s new website as those the DCI hoped to solve using latest advancements in DNA technology.

Although federal grant funding for the DCI Cold Case Unit was exhausted in December 2011, the DCI continues to assign agents to investigate cold cases as new leads develop or as technological advances allow for additional forensic testing of original evidence.

The DCI remains committed to resolving Iowa’s cold cases and will continue to work diligently with local law enforcement partners to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice for the victims and their families.

About Rhonda Knutson
Rhonda Anette Knutson was born October 19, 1969, in New Hampton, Iowa, the daughter of Mary Virginia (Marvin) and Nels Harvey Knutson. She died September 7, 1992.

Rhonda attended school in New Hampton and graduated from New Hampton High School in 1988.

She enjoyed working with people, loved art, and had many friends.

Rhonda was one of seven siblings, and her sister Renae described her as a “great aunt” who always seemed to have something going on.

Memorial services were held on September 11, 1992, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton. More than 500 family members and friends attended the services to pay tribute to Rhonda.

Rhonda was survived by her parents Mary and Nels Knutson; four brothers, Robert Alan, Roger Arthur, Richard Alvie and Rodney Ahern Knutson; and two sisters, Renae Arlene and Rochelle Ann.

Nels Knutson passed away on Nov. 28, 2006, without ever seeing his daughter’s killer brought to justice.

This information was taken from iowacoldcases.org and was compiled by Jody Ewing.

The next time we hit the open road for auxiliary images from THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will hit the open roads of Buchanan County.

Art, Event, Evie, Jen, Layla, WPC - Reminder

Renaissance Faire – Knight Battle

October 28, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 9 Comments

Way back in May I met up with Jen, Layla, and the twins at the Renaissance Faire down in Des Moines to watch Evie dance. I’ve already shared the pictures of Evie dancing, but I took plenty more pictures on that day.

This collection is of the knight battle we watched. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I was expecting a sword duel that would put the sword fight between Inigo Montoya and the Dread Pirate Roberts to shame. This was mostly dudes in armor kind of grabbing each other and trying to throw the other to the ground.

While Inigo Montoya’s swordplay still stands as the greatest these eyes have ever seen, this battle was still fun to watch.

I’m not steeped in Renaissance Faire culture. I knew some people in college that were involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, but I was too big of a jerk then to take anything they said seriously. Therefore, I didn’t learn much. But my understanding, is that one of the knights in the battle had to win so many fights to become fully knighted or something like that. I should have taken notes.

One thing I remember clearly is that it was incredibly hot that day, so wearing all that armor and fighting, must have been brutal. The guy trying to earn his title was wearing a helmet that didn’t have a way to access his face, so in between bouts they had to run a tube from a water bottle through the helmet to keep him hydrated.

I still have a couple more collections of pictures from the Renaissance Faire to share.

I wasn’t sure if I was a Renaissance Faire Person, but I had a great time. I hope Evie dances down there again next year and I get to go again.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is ART:

ART

ART! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is an ART image? It is simply a picture of something that is a piece of ART. I would urge you to not just take a standard straight on picture of a piece of ART. Try to see it from a different angle than it might be normally viewed. While your subject might be ART, your interpretation of your subject should be ARTistic. Now a truly arrogant photographer could just claim that every picture they take is ART.

Happy photo harvesting!

Flowers, Macro

Downpour

October 27, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

I’m like the rain in a downpour
I wash away what you long for
And I wave goodbye with the sun in my eyes
I wish I could be there tonight

I’m like the wind in the canyon
I’m there then I’m gone in a second
You’re growing older in peace where you’re at
I wish I could be there for that
But I’ve moved on
Like a rolling stone
In a crowded room
I’m alone
-Brandi Carlile

Thursdays are for flowers. One of the notorious flower picture haters sent me a joyful text last week thinking that because the flowers in my yard are gone for the year, that meant the end of Flower Thursdays. I had to break it to him that just because there aren’t flowers in my yard any more (well there a couple just barely holding on) didn’t mean that aren’t plenty of flowers in the backlog. Sometimes, I even stumble across flower pictures I haven’t shared.

This collection is small and comes from a collection I “lost”. Finding them was a bonus. I took these flower pictures in my yard on May 28:

Daisies. Phlox. Peonies. Marigolds. Oh my!

Don’t worry, those of you that enjoy flowers, even if I run out of flower pictures I took during the flower season, I would go out and buy bouquets to photograph. After all, I have a flower guy. He needs business year round.

Long live Flower Thursday!

Art, Black & White, Christianity, History, Olympic Sports, Railroad, Road Trip, Ruins

Chickasaw and Howard County Aux – Vol. 4

October 26, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A few months back I cruised around Chickasaw County and Howard County harvesting their town signs. The majority of the pictures from today’s collection were taken in Howard County in Cresco. Which is a cool little town, despite being so into wrestling. The Old Stone Church pictures were taken in Winneshiek County. It is in the middle of the country just across the border from Howard County.

I will have to go back and photograph that Old Stone Church again some day. It is very photogenic. Stone ruins out in a beautiful Iowa countryside. What isn’t to love?

Cresco

I’m curious what highway they are portraying going through Des Moines. My guess is 6.

Great name for an ice cream shop!

I’ve seen lots of towns with tanks or planes or helicopters or big guns, but WWI Mine?

Old Stone Church

I would definitely like to visit Cresco again and spend some more time there. It is on the list!

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Van Buren County

October 25, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A couple months back I cruised around Van Buren County harvesting their town signs. Van Buren County is interesting because it is a collection of old villages more than towns. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but that is how they view themselves. Either way, there is lots of cool history in Van Buren County and cool little villages.

Here are some facts about Van Buren County:
+ Population is 7,243, making it the 90th most populous county in Iowa. Below Worth County and above Pocahontas County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Keosauqua.
+ Formed on December 7, 1836 as part of the Wisconsin Territory. Was split off from Des Moines County. Became part of the Iowa territory on July 4, 1838.
+ Named after President Martin Van Buren, who was considered the first forgettable American President.
+ The site of The Honey War. When a bunch of thugs from Missouri tried to invade Iowa and steal honey from Iowa’s delicious honey trees. The Iowans quickly kicked their ass back to their loser state. The conflict (mostly over the border between the state) was mostly decided in 1846 when Congress ruled in Iowa’s favor. Suck it “show me state”.
+ Home of Iowa’s oldest active courthouse. Second oldest in the nation.
+ Major highways are: IA-1, IA-2, IA-16, and IA-98.
+ Adjacent counties are: Jefferson, Henry, Lee, and Davis.
+ Population peaked in 1870 at 17,672.

The Van Buren County Courthouse is okay looking:

The Van Buren County Courthouse located in Keosauqua, Iowa.

The Van Buren County Freedom Rock is located in Stockport, Iowa:

With Van Buren County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

94 counties completed. 94.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Van Buren County:

Keosauqua, Iowa
Keosauqua
established 1839
Population: 936 (-70)

Farmington, Iowa
Welcome To Farmington, Iowa
“Oldest Village in Van Buren County:
Home of The Strawberry Festival
2nd Weekend in June
Population: 579 (-85)

Milton, Iowa
WELCOME TO MILTON
EST. 1851
Population: 380 (-63)

Birmingham, Iowa
BIRMINGHAM
GATEWAY TO SCENIC VAN BUREN COUNTY
Population: 367 (-81)

Bonaparte, Iowa
BONAPARTE
founded 1837
IOWA
WELCOME TO A NATIONAL HISTORIC DIST.
A VILLAGE OF VAN BUREN COUNTY
Population: 359 (-84)

Stockport, Iowa
EST. 1887
Population: 272 (-24)

Cantril, Iowa
VILLAGE OF CANTRIL
EST. 1872
Population: 224 (+2)

Selma, Iowa – Unincorporated
SELMA
52588

Leando, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME TO LEANDO, IA
EST. 1838

Douds, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to DOUDS IOWA
Est. 1866
Home of DOUDS STONE LLC
Since 1926

Bentonsport, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to Bentonsport

Van Buren County has a truly great collection of town signs. Definitely a Top 5 County in this respect. I can’t pick a bad one.

But what town gets the purple ribbon? I love so many of them. I love the Milton sign and the Keosauqua sign and the Cantril sign. But I’m going to have to give the Best in Show prize to Bonaparte.

Bonaparte – Best in Show – Van Buren County

There are a few alternate town signs in Van Buren County:

Milton – Alternate

Keosauqua – Alternate

Douds – Alternate

Cantril – Alternate

Stockport – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Allamakee County

Best in Show – Appanoose County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buchanan County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Chickasaw County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clayton County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Best in Show – Delaware County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – Fayette County

Best in Show – Floyd County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Fremont County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Sow – Harrison County

Best in Show – Henry County

Best in Show – Howard County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jefferson County

Best in Show – Johnson County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – Keokuk County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Lee County

Best in Show – Linn County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Lyon County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Mahaska County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Mitchell County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – Muscatine County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Van Buren County

Best in Show – Wapello County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Washington County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Winneshiek County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Louisa County.

Andy, Angie, Art, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Drone, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Monica, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 371 – LINES

October 24, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

LINES. A quick and easy theme. But did it trigger the creative juices of a ton of people? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, October 17, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Harrison Gorshe – 1 week
2-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
3-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
4-Mike Vest – 1 week
5-Jesse Howard – 2 weeks
6-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks
7-Suzie Brannen – 8 weeks
8-Brandon Kahler – 9 weeks
9-Linda Bennett – 12 weeks (3)
10-Sarah Toot – 13 weeks
11-Monica Jennings – 14 weeks
12-Angie DeWaard – 17 weeks
13-Dawn Krause – 21 weeks
14-Kim Barker – 27 weeks
15-Joe Duff – 29 weeks (2)
16-Logan Kahler – 30 weeks (4)
17-Teresa Kahler – 39 weeks (2)
18-Tamara Peterson – 39 weeks
19-Carla Stensland – 39 weeks (3)
20-Michelle Haupt – 40 weeks
21-Micky Augustin – 41 weeks
22-Andy Sharp – 42 weeks
23-Bill Wentworth – 43 weeks
24-Cathie Morton – 47 weeks
25-Elizabeth Nordeen – 48 weeks
26-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 50 weeks
27-Kio Dettman – 53 weeks (4)

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Carla Stensland – 40 weeks

Carla Stensland

Joe Duff – 30 weeks

Joe Duff

Kio Dettman – 54 weeks

Kio Dettman

Linda Bennett – 13 weeks

Linda Bennett

Michelle Haupt – 41 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley – 51 weeks

Tamara Peterson – 40 weeks

Bill Wentworth – 44 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett

Micky Augustin – 42 weeks

Angie DeWaard – 18 weeks

Kim Barker – 28 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen – 49 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen

Teresa Kahler – 40 weeks

Teresa Kahler

Andy Sharp – 43 weeks

Suzie Brannen – 9 weeks

Sara Lockner – 5 weeks

Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks

Logan Kahler – 31 weeks

Logan Kahler

Dawn Krause – 22 weeks

Dawn Krause

Brandon Kahler – 10 weeks

Monica Jennings – 15 weeks

Monica Jennings

Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week

Jen Ensley-Gorshe

Becky Parmelee – 1 week

Cathie Morton – 48 weeks

Cathie Morton

Sarah Toot – 14 weeks

Sarah Toot

Jesse Howard – 3 weeks

Mike Vest – 2 weeks

Mary Green – 1 week

Mary Green

30 participants! That is a great week. Possibly 30!

Pictures this weeks from Madrid, Spain for the international flavor. Those were Joe’s pictures. From the States, I got pictures submitted that were taken in Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, and California. The California submission will probably be the last from California for a bit. Sabas has moved to Iowa and is becoming an Iowan. A welcome addition to the Cyclone State!

I took my picture about 4 miles from my house.

The big accomplishment this week was Brandon. He joined the double digit streak club!

It wasn’t all good news though. Harrison’s couldn’t extend his streak to two weeks. But submitting at all is a pretty big accomplishment from a toddler.

ART

ART! What a great theme for Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

While considering possible subjects for your submission, meditate on the following quote:

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.
-Aristotle

I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

RULES

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of ART in this place where I record the art of my life next Monday.

Art, Automobiles, Christianity, Flowers, Nature, Road Trip

Chickasaw and Howard County Aux – Vol. 3

October 23, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

No Formal Portrait Sunday this Sunday. I was in Kansas City for a good chunk of my weekend and busy the rest of it. So I didn’t want to even think about how I’m going to handle formal portraits going forward. That is clearly a decision for next Sunday. Or the Sunday after. It is hard to tell.

What I am going to share now is another collection of pictures from my road trip through Chickasaw and Howard County. All of these pictures were taken in Howard County. Lime Springs. Lidke Park. Chester. Cresco.

Lime Springs

Lidke Park

Chester

Cresco

Believe it or not, there are still more pictures from this road trip left to share. I really like Cresco. It is on my list of towns I’d like to return to and photograph again at some point in the future.

Art, Christianity, Railroad, Road Trip

Chickasaw and Howard County Aux – Vol. 2

October 22, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A few months back I tooled around Chickasaw County and Howard County harvesting their town signs. This is the second collection of auxiliary images I took on that trip. All of these are taken in Howard County. They were taken in Elma, Lime Springs, and the unincorporated town of Lourdes. Elma is a pretty cool little town. So is Lime Springs. Lourdes has a beautiful church. I would definitely visit this area again.

Elma

Lourdes

Lime Springs

There are still lots of pictures left to share from this awesome trip. There are so many cool little towns in these two counties!