All posts by Christopher D. Bennett

Animals, Flowers, Macro, Mom

She’s Just An Old Love Turned Memory

September 23, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Here is another collection of pictures of flowers from my Mom’s yard. These were taken on May 26, 2021.

The last picture is of a robin’s nest that was built in a hanging flower basket on my Mom’s front porch.

Art, Black & White, Road Trip

Sac County and Ida County Auxiliary Images Vol. 2

September 22, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

Here is the second of three collections of pictures I took while tooling around Sac and Ida County with Teresa harvesting their town signs.

Battle Creek

Cushing

Holstein

The next picture is of the top of this building that no longer stands

Galva

Schaller

Early

Newell

The unfortunate mashup of my love for outhouses and my disdain for the comedic stylings of Daniel Whitney.

There is one more collection of pictures from this road trip in the hopper.

Art, Brandon, Logan, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Cass County

September 21, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

A few weeks back I cruised around Cass County with Brandon and Logan harvesting the town signs of Cass County. We did a little more sightseeing in other counties than I normally do, so it was one of the rare trips where all the town signs are harvested were only in one county. It was a good trip.

Here are some facts about Cass County:

+ The population is 13,127 making Cass County the 58th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Allamakee County and above Wright County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Atlantic.
+ Established in 1851.
+ Named for Lewis Cass a Michigan senator and Democratic candidate for president in 1848.
+ Birthplace of Edwin Perkins, the inventor of Kool-Aid.
+ Major highways are: I-80, US-6, US-71, IA-48, IA-83, IA-92, IA-148, and IA-173.
+ Adjacent counties are: Audubon, Adair, Montgomery, Adams, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.
+ Population peaked in 1930 at 19,422.

The Cass County Courthouse looks similar to Boone’s City Hall:

Cass County Courthouse in Atlantic, Iowa.

The Cass County Freedom Rock is located in Lewis, Iowa:

With Cass County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

37 counties completed. 37.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Cass County (Population is 2020 Census. In parentheses is change since 2010 Census):

Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic
Coca-Cola CAPITAL OF IOWA
Population: 6,792 (-320)

Griswold, Iowa
GRISWOLD
ESTABLISHED 1879
Population: 994 (-42)

Anita, Iowa
ANITA
A Whale Of A Town
Population: 963 (-9)

Massena, Iowa
Welcome to MASSENA
Population: 359 (+4)

Lewis, Iowa
WELCOME TO OUR HOME LEWIS, IOWA
Population: 357 (-76)

Cumberland, Iowa
Welcome to Cumberland
Since 1884
Population: 215 (-11)

Marne, Iowa
WELCOME TO MARNE
FROM A PROUD PAST TO A PROMISING FUTURE
EST.1875
Population: 110 (-10)

Wiota, Iowa
WELCOME TO WIOTA FROM DENNIS ANDERSEN
Population: 91 (-25)

The worst town sign in Cass County is pretty obvious. It is Atlantic. Coca-Cola? We all know that RC Cola is the poo, so take a big whiff Atlantic*. However, if you get past how gross Coca-Cola is, Wiota’s sign or lack of sign was pretty awful. That Welcome to Wiota banner I found was hanging off some guy’s flagpole in his front yard. And what is with the handcuffs? Is Wiota the host to a big bondage convention? I guess only Dennis Andersen truly knows. But I like to think the gimp from PULP FICTION was originally from this little southwest corner of Iowa.

The best town sign is so completely obvious, I don’t even have to say it:

Anita – Best in Show – Cass County

This was the rare Best in Show that I knew before I even got there. Carla went camping there earlier this year and sent me a picture of it. Anita’s town sign is so great, it could be the sign that goes on the cover of my future book.

Here are the alternate town signs of Cass County:

Marne – Alternate

Lewis – Alternate

Cumberland – Alternate

Atlantic – Alternate

Anita – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin 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 Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster 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 make a stop in Adams County.

*Come for the high quality photography. Stay for the references to the 2000 Kirsten Dunst classic BRING IT ON.

Andy, Angie, Bill, Carla, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Kim, Logan, Michelle, Micky, Naima, Shannon, Still Life, Tamara, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 314 – WORK

September 20, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

WORK turned out to be a pretty popular theme. I knew many of you out there were hard WORKers!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:

Jesse Howard

Micky Augustin

Andy Sharp

Bill Wentworth

Carla Stensland

Tamara Peterson

Christopher D. Bennett

Kim Barker

Angie DeWaard

Kio Dettman

Elizabeth Nordeen

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Jen Ensley-Gorshe

Michelle Haupt

Logan Kahler

Mike Vest

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:

DREAM JOB

DREAM JOB! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

Seems like an apropos challenge as I have been thinking much on my own future lately.

But what is a DREAM JOB image? This was a theme suggested by Andy. The idea of this picture is to take an image of something that represents you (or somebody else’s) DREAM JOB. If you could get paid to do anything, what would it be. The picture can be of somebody doing that DREAM JOB or maybe just some of the equipment used in that DREAM JOB. It might be more of an abstract than most of the themes, but should still be plenty easy. Unless you don’t believe in dreams.

While thinking about your DREAM JOB image, think on this quote:

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
C.S. Lewis

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 our idea of DREAM JOB in this place that is little more than a dream within a dream next Monday.

Art, Bowling, History, Road Trip, Teresa

Sac County and Ida County Auxiliary Images Vol. 1

September 19, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

I found a few cool things while I was tooling around Sac County and Ida County. Including the birthplace of the great Andy Williams. A singer that everybody loves unequivocally. Here is the first collection of those images.

Wall Lake

Carnarvon

Odebolt

Ida Grove

I have at least one more collection of images from this road trip still to share.

Black & White, Carla, Cousin Amy, Derrick, Elainie, Geri, Jason, Jen, Jill, Mom, Sara, Scottie D., Shawn Lockner, Still Life, Teresa

01JANUARY2011

September 18, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

At the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 I seem to have lost a ton of pictures. I’m grouping all the pictures that are in the folder 01JANUARY2011 together for this post:

WEEK 1 - REFLECTIONS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

RWPE Y2 #1: REFLECTIONS

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK #53

RWPE #52 – EYE

RWPE Y2 #2: LONG EXPOSURE

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK #49

I’m not sure what next week’s walk down memory lane will cover. My files from 2011 are a complete mess. Just a complete mess.

Flowers, Naima, Still Life, Teresa, WPC - Reminder

Neaten

September 17, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Today I’m just cleaning up a collection of a few odd pictures here and there taken in April and May. Some are pictures of tulips and there are a few pictures of Teresa’s new house.

Feels good to get my folders cleaned up a little bit.

+++++++

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

WORK

WORK! What a great theme for Week 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

What is a WORK photo? Well, let’s of people miss WORK because it looks like opportunity. Wait, that isn’t how that quote goes. My point is that a WORK photo is simply a photo of somebody working or a picture of the tools that somebody uses for WORK. It could be their WORK environment. It could be their co-WORKers. It doesn’t have to be WORK that people get paid to do. It can be the WORK that people love to do. A WORK picture is simply any picture that involves work.

Happy photo harvesting!

Flowers, Macro, Mom

Hope You’re Feelin’ Me (Like I’m Feelin’ You)

September 16, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Here is another collection of flowers from my Mom’s yard. These were taken on May 23, 2021.

Hope You're Feelin' Me (Like I'm Feelin' You)

I still have more flower pictures to share.

Art, Christianity, Road Trip, Ruins

Calhoun County Auxiliary Images

September 15, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Several weeks back on went on a road trip where I harvested the balance of town signs I needed for Calhoun County and also crossed over to Sac County to grab a few of theirs. I like to always harvest a few extra signs on these trips. I still do, but I also now am taking a different tact for choosing what counties I am harvesting that I think will speed up the process a bit. The changes have made a difference I do believe. But that is a story for another day.

Here are the auxiliary images I took on my road trip to Calhoun and Sac County:

Manson

Pomeroy

Jolley

Rockwell City

Lytton

Sac City

I’m really far behind in sharing auxiliary images. I should get on that, maybe someday when my schedule opens up a little bit.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Worth County

September 14, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

A few weeks back I cruised around Worth County with Jesse harvesting their town signs.

Here are some facts about Worth County:
+ Population is 7,445. Making it the 88th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Monroe County and ahead of Van Buren County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Northwood.
+ Founded in 1851.
+ Named for William Jenkins Worth. An American officer during the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican-American War.
+ Major highways are: I-35, IA-27, IA-65, IA-69, IA-9.
+ Adjacent counties are Mitchell, Cerro Gordo, and Winnebago.
+ The population peaked in 1920 at 11,630.

The Worth County Courthouse is a fair looking courthouse:

The Worth County Courthouse located in Northwood, Iowa.

The Worth County Freedom Rock is located in Kensett, Iowa:

With Worth County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

36 counties completed. 36.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Worth County:

Northwood, Iowa
Welcome to NORTHWOOD
EST. 1858
Population: 2,072 (+83)

Manly, Iowa
WELCOME TO MANLY
Population: 1,256 (-67)

Fertile, Iowa
Welcome to The City Of Fertile
est. 1856
Population: 305 (-65)

Kensett, Iowa
Kensett (Heart) of Worth Co.
Population: 257 (-9)

Grafton, Iowa
GRAFTON WELCOMES YOU
Population: 216 (-36)

Joice, Iowa
Welcome To… JOICE
Population 245
Population: 208 (-14)

Hanlontown, Iowa
HANLONTOWN
Population: 206 (-20)

Bolan, Iowa (Unincorporated)
BOLAN IOWA
WELCOME!

The worst town sign in Worth County is pretty obvious. It is Manly. How do you have a great town name like Manly and have such an awful town sign. Their town sign should clearly have a picture of me, when my beard is full on on their town sign. Maybe I’ll just make one for them, sneak into their town and put it up for them. I was also a little disappointed in Fertile’s sign as well.

I think there a couple contenders for Best in Show for Worth County. Grafton has a great sign. Hanlontown has an interesting sign as well. However, I have to give it to Joice.

Joice – Best in Show – Worth County

Here are the alternate town signs of Worth County:

Grafton – Alternate

Bolan – Alternate