Category Archives: Art

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Back in October I picked up a new Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens. I always meant to right and in depth piece on it, and well, here we are… almost seven months lately and I haven’t even gotten to look at the first set of pictures I took with the lens. Until today!

Here are some of the specs of the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens:

Focal Length: 28-75
Max Aperture: f/2.8
Aperture Blades: 9 (circular)
Minimum Focal Distance 7.1″ (Wide)/15″ (Tele)
Filter Size: 67mm
Minimum Aperture: f/22

Here are the first pictures I took with this lens. Mostly pictures of Naima:


Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Girl in the Blue Skirt - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens

So far I have loved this lens. It is a good standby lens since it covers the focal distances that are used the most. My lens philosophy is still that it is best to use a prime lens over a zoom lens, but zoom lenses have come a long way. I do still enjoy giving somebody a camera with a prime lens and asking them to take a picture, just to here them ask, “How do I zoom?”

To which I always get to respond, “With your feet.”

Linn and Jones County Auxiliary Images Vol. 2

Here is another collection of auxiliary images I took on my road trip with Michelle to harvest the town signs of Linn County and Jones County. All of these pictures were taken in Jones County.


Jones County
Anamosa

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County
Cascade

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County
Michelle wouldn’t go down these stairs. What’s the matter Colonel Sanders, chicken?

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County

Jones County
Onslow

Jones County

I do love when I find churches that are unlocked and you can go inside and check out there beauty. I say that even more cause I sit through Trustees meetings for my church… well that is all I’m going to say on that matter at this time.

Town Sign Project: Lyon County

Harvesting the town signs of Lyon County was a two step process. I was hoping to get it done in one trip, but my first trip to the northwest corner of Iowa was halted by bad weather. I ran into a hail storm when I was in Rock Rapids. It was bad enough, that I decided to head south and then back east. Then I went back up there a few weeks later with Teresa and harvested the rest of the signs that weather had prevented me from grabbing.

Here are some facts about Lyon County:
+ The population is 11,800 making it the 64th most populous county in Iowa. Below Chickasaw County and above Shelby County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Rock Rapids.
+ County was originally named Buncombe County, but name was changed in 1862 to honor General Nathaniel Lyon who was killed in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in Missouri during the Civil War. He was also involved in massacring members of the Pomo tribe in the Bloody Island Massacre, so not really a great guy. Perhaps they should go back to Buncombe County. There is a chance that Buncombe was a great guy. Not much of a chance, but you never know.
+ Home of the Gitchie Manitou Preserve which contains some of the oldest exposed bedrock in the United States and was also the site of a mass murder of teenagers in 1973.
+ Major highways are US-18, US-75, IA-9, and IA-182.
+ Adjacent counties are: Osceola and Sioux.
+ Population peaked in 1920 at 15,431.

The Lyon County Courthouse looks an awful lot like the Boone Courthouse:


Lyon County Courthouse
The Lyon County Courthouse located in Rock Rapids, Iowa.

The Lyon County Freedom Rock is located in George, Iowa:


Lyon County Freedom Rock

Lyon County Freedom Rock

Lyon County Freedom Rock

Lyon County Freedom Rock

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


Town Sign Project - 68 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

68 counties completed. 68.7% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Lyon County:


Rock Rapids, Iowa
Rock Rapids, Iowa
Welcome to ROCK RAPIDS
Population: 2,611 (+62)

George, Iowa
George, Iowa
WELCOME TO GEORGE
A Great Place to Raise a Family
Population: 1,077 (-3)

Inwood, Iowa
Inwood, Iowa
Welcome to Inwood
Population: 928 (+114)

Larchwood, Iowa
Larchwood, Iowa
Weclome!
TO LARCHWOOD
CORNERSTONE OF IOWA
Population: 926 (+60)

Doon, Iowa
Doon, Iowa
Welcome to DOON
Population: 619 (+42)

Little Rock, Iowa
Little Rock, Iowa
LITTLE ROCK
HOME OF THE CORN SHOW
Population: 439 (-20)

Lester, Iowa
Lester, Iowa
Village of Lester
Welcome – please drive safely!
Population: 296 (+2)

Alvord, Iowa
Alvord, Iowa
Welcome to ALVORD
Population: 206 (+10)

I think Lyon County has a solid collection of signs. There isn’t a show stopper, but there isn’t a bad sign. If I had to pick the worst sign, it is clearly Rock Rapids and their boring sign. Rock Rapids also has a bunch of really cool murals, so it is a shame that their sign is so boring.

But who takes home the purple ribbon? I like the signs of Larchwood, Little Rock and I find Doon’s sign to be fascinating. But I’m going to have to give it to George. It looks like it was painted by their Jr. High art class, but not the best students in the art class. In a word, it is amazing!


George, Iowa
George – Best in Show – Lyon County

There are a few alternate town signs in Lyon County:


Larchwood, Iowa
Larchwood – Alternate

Larchwood, Iowa
Larchwood – Alternate

Inwood, Iowa
Inwood – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Nodaway, Iowa
Best in Show – Adams County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Norway, Iowa
Best in Show – Benton County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Readlyn, Iowa
Best in Show – Bremer County

Storm Lake, Iowa
Best in Show – Buena Vista County

New Hartford, Iowa
Best in Show – Butler County

Manson, Iowa
Best in Show – Calhoun County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Anita, Iowa
Best in Show – Cass County

Lowden, Iowa
Best in Show – Cedar County

Dougherty, Iowa
Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Washta, Iowa
Best in Show – Cherokee County

Murray, Iowa
Best in Show – Clarke County

Rossie, Iowa
Best in Show – Clay County

Low Moor, Iowa
Best in Show – Clinton County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Weldon, Iowa
Best in Show – Decatur County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Tabor, Iowa
Best in Show – Fremont County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Beaman, Iowa
Best in Show – Grundy County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Britt, Iowa
Best in Show – Hancock County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Modale, Iowa
Best in Sow – Harrison County

Bradgate, iowa
Best in Show – Humboldt County

Ida Grove, Iowa
Best in Show – Ida County

Millersburg, Iowa
Best in Show – Iowa County

La Motte, Iowa
Best in Show – Jackson County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

Anamosa, Iowa
Best in Show – Jones County

Titonka, Iowa
Best in Show – Kossuth County

Springville, Iowa
Best in Show – Linn County

Lucas, Iowa
Best in Show – Lucas County

George, Iowa
Best in Show – Lyon County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Leighton, Iowa
Best in Show – Mahaska County

Pleasantville, Iowa
Best in Show – Marion County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Malvern, Iowa
Best in Show – Mills County

Onawa, Iowa
Best in Show – Monona County

Melrose, Iowa
Best in Show – Monroe County

Grant, Iowa
Best in Show – Montgomery County

Paullina, Iowa
Best in Show – O’Brien County

Melvin, Iowa
Best in Show – Osceola County

College Springs, Iowa
Best in Show – Page County

Mallard, Iowa
Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Plover, Iowa
Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Walnut, Iowa
Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Malcom, Iowa
Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Maloy, Iowa
Best in Show – Ringgold County

Nemaha, Iowa
Best in Show – Sac County

Elk Horn, Iowa
Best in Show – Shelby County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Tama, Iowa
Best in Show – Tama County

Gravity, Iowa
Best in Show – Taylor County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

New Virginia, Iowa
Best in Show – Warren County

Humeston, Iowa
Best in Show – Wayne County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Buffalo Center, Iowa
Best in Show – Winnebago County

Joice, Iowa
Best in Show – Worth County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will hit the open roads of Sioux County.

Linn and Jones County Auxiliary Images Vol. 1

The Saturdays of repairing broken “An Artist’s Notebook” post from the past are gone. At least I think I hope they are. I’m sure there is still work to be done still. There always is work to be done.

Therefore, I’m not sure what will occupy Saturdays. It will probably just be a random collection of things until maybe I get caught up on the backlog. And then it is quite possible we will start taking Saturdays off. Of course, I’ve been saying that for years, so we will see what we see.

Here is a collection of pictures I took while harvesting the tow signs of Linn County and Jones County. Linn County was done over two trips. One where I got most of the town signs of Linn County and another where I went back and got some troublesome signs like Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha and Robins. I didn’t take many auxiliary images in Linn County. On the second trip where I cleaned up Linn County, Michelle was my “navigator”. It was also a windy day. It seems like whenever Michelle and I get together, it is a windy day.

Here is the first collection of Auxiliary images from Linn and Jones County:


Linn County
Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Linn County

Jones City - Stone City
Jones County – Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

Jones City - Stone City

As you can tell, Grant Wood and “American Gothic” is important to Jones County. Stone City is a cool little unincorporated town. Although, there is much there now but memories. It is too bad that nothing remains of that hotel pictures on the sign. It looked beautiful. I wish we would have been able to visit the inside of the “General Store”, but it wasn’t open yet when we got there.

There are plenty more pictures from this road trip to share in the future!

Decatur and Wayne County Auxiliary Images Vol. 3

Several months back Vest and I cruised around Decatur County and Wayne County harvesting their town signs. This is the final collection of auxiliary images I took on this trip. All of these pictures were taken in Wayne County.

We stopped and ate a Mexican restaurant in Corydon called La Bota. It was very good and I recommend it if you are ever in the area.


Wayne County - Corydon
Corydon

Wayne County - Corydon

Wayne County - Corydon

Wayne County - Corydon

Wayne County - Corydon

Wayne County - Promise City
Promise City

Wayne County - Seymour
Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Seymour

Wayne County - Bethlehem
Bethlehem

Wayne County - Millerton
Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

Wayne County - Millerton

The next county I will share auxiliary images from is Linn and also Jones.

Town Sign Project: Clay County

A month or so back Teresa and I cruised around Clay County and harvested the rest of their town signs. I actually pieced Clay County together over like maybe 4 different trips, so I didn’t explore it as thoroughly as some counties, but still saw some interesting things.

Here are some facts about Clay County:

+ Population is 16,138 making it the 48th most populous county in Iowa. Below Madison County and above Floyd County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Spencer.
+ Named after Henry Clay, Jr., a colonel who died in the Mexican-American War. Son of a much more famous father.
+ Home of the Clay County Fair, which some people errantly claim is better than the Iowa State Fair.
+ Site of the Spencer fire of 1931 where 80 businesses were destroyed by fireworks and led to fireworks being banned in Iowa.
+ Major highways are: US-18, US-71, and IA-10.
+ Adjacent counties are Dickinson, Palo Alto, Buena Vista, and O’Brien.
+ Population peaked in 1980 at 19,576.

Clay County has a beautiful courthouse:


Clay County Courthouse
The Clay County Courthouse located in Spencer, Iowa.

The Clay County Freedom Rock is located in Everly, Iowa:


Clay County Freedom Rock

Clay County Freedom Rock

Clay County Freedom Rock

Clay County Freedom Rock

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


Town Sign Project - 67 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

67 counties completed. 67.7% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Clay County:


Spencer, Iowa
Spencer, Iowa
SPENCER
Population: 11,325 (+92)

Everly, Iowa
Everly, Iowa
First in the Nation in Education FINE Award Winners
Everly
Home of the Cattlefeeders
Population: 575 (-28)

Royal, Iowa
Royal, Iowa
ROYAL
A PRINCE OF A COMMUNITY
EST. 1900
Population: 379 (-67)

Peterson, Iowa
Peterson, Iowa
Welcome to PETERSON
Established 1856
Population: 322 (-2)

Fostoria, Iowa
Fostoria, Iowa
The City of FOSTORIA
Welcomes You
Population: 230 (-1)

Dickens, Iowa
Dickens, Iowa
DICKENS
Population: 146 (-39)

Webb, Iowa
Webb, Iowa
WELCOME
WEBB
1900
Population: 138 (-3)

Greenville, Iowa
Greenville, Iowa
GREENVILLE CITY PARK
Population: 71 (-4)

Rossie, Iowa
Rossie, Iowa
Elev. 1405.00′
ROSSIE
We’ve Got More than…
ONE HORSE
Population: 49 (-21)

Gillett Grove, Iowa
Gillett Grove, Iowa
WELCOME to GILLETT GROVE
HAPPY VALLEY USA
Population: 30 (-19)

For the most part, Clay County had a real solid collection of signs. But there are a couple of duds. The best I could find in Dickens was an old railroad depot sign. The best I could find in Greenville was a city park sign. For last place I’m going to give it to Greenville.

There are a few in the running for Best in Show. I really like the town signs for Everly, Royal, and Gillet Grove. However, the purple ribbon is going to Rossie for the clever tag line. Although when I visited the town, I didn’t see a place to get groceries or beer. Maybe a place to get gas.


Rossie, Iowa
Rossie – Best in Show – Clay County

There are a few alternates in Clay County:


Everly, Iowa
Everly – Alternate

Everly, Iowa
Everly – Alternate

Royal, Iowa
Royal – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Nodaway, Iowa
Best in Show – Adams County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Norway, Iowa
Best in Show – Benton County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Readlyn, Iowa
Best in Show – Bremer County

Storm Lake, Iowa
Best in Show – Buena Vista County

New Hartford, Iowa
Best in Show – Butler County

Manson, Iowa
Best in Show – Calhoun County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Anita, Iowa
Best in Show – Cass County

Lowden, Iowa
Best in Show – Cedar County

Dougherty, Iowa
Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Washta, Iowa
Best in Show – Cherokee County

Murray, Iowa
Best in Show – Clarke County

Rossie, Iowa
Best in Show – Clay County

Low Moor, Iowa
Best in Show – Clinton County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Weldon, Iowa
Best in Show – Decatur County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Tabor, Iowa
Best in Show – Fremont County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Beaman, Iowa
Best in Show – Grundy County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Britt, Iowa
Best in Show – Hancock County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Modale, Iowa
Best in Sow – Harrison County

Bradgate, iowa
Best in Show – Humboldt County

Ida Grove, Iowa
Best in Show – Ida County

Millersburg, Iowa
Best in Show – Iowa County

La Motte, Iowa
Best in Show – Jackson County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

Anamosa, Iowa
Best in Show – Jones County

Titonka, Iowa
Best in Show – Kossuth County

Springville, Iowa
Best in Show – Linn County

Lucas, Iowa
Best in Show – Lucas County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Leighton, Iowa
Best in Show – Mahaska County

Pleasantville, Iowa
Best in Show – Marion County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Malvern, Iowa
Best in Show – Mills County

Onawa, Iowa
Best in Show – Monona County

Melrose, Iowa
Best in Show – Monroe County

Grant, Iowa
Best in Show – Montgomery County

Paullina, Iowa
Best in Show – O’Brien County

Melvin, Iowa
Best in Show – Osceola County

College Springs, Iowa
Best in Show – Page County

Mallard, Iowa
Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Plover, Iowa
Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Walnut, Iowa
Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Malcom, Iowa
Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Maloy, Iowa
Best in Show – Ringgold County

Nemaha, Iowa
Best in Show – Sac County

Elk Horn, Iowa
Best in Show – Shelby County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Tama, Iowa
Best in Show – Tama County

Gravity, Iowa
Best in Show – Taylor County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

New Virginia, Iowa
Best in Show – Warren County

Humeston, Iowa
Best in Show – Wayne County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Buffalo Center, Iowa
Best in Show – Winnebago County

Joice, Iowa
Best in Show – Worth County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will visit the town signs of Lyon County.

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Harlan Field Work

Today is Good Friday. I thought I would share an image I took on a recent road trip that represents Good Friday before getting to a Good Friday devotional.


Good Friday - 2022

This devotional I took from the UMC website and was written by Rev. Dr. Hannah Ka:

Scripture: Mark 15:33-41

From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?”

After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!” Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.” But Jesus let out a loud cry and died.

The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “This man was certainly God’s Son.”

Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and Joseph, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women had followed and supported him, along with many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him.

Devotion

A dimmed light in theater cues the ending of a scene. The darkness signals the curtain to close. A part of the story has ended. If the protagonist is dead at this end, then we know it is a tragedy. Jesus’ death is a disappointment for those who hoped that he would rise as a new political leader to overthrow the oppressive colonial power of Rome and rebuild the nation that would protect them. For those who executed his death sentence, it is a clear victory against a rebel. This seemingly failed attempt closes the curtain on the story, at least for many human eyes.

From the wider viewpoint of faith, however, it is not. It signals something totally otherwise. At the moment of Jesus’ loud cry and his last breath, there the curtain in the temple is torn in two. This is the curtain that the God-fearing and Law-abiding Jewish people had put up to keep some out. It is torn “from top to bottom” (v. 38) because God breaks the division between the holy and the ordinary and erases the line between what is acceptable and unacceptable.

The death of Jesus is an opening. God opens the closed curtains that we so often put up and walks into our lives. God is not only within our reach, but also reaches out to all humanity with the redeeming grace of the cross. God treasures our ordinary life as a part of eternity. God turns the ends of human tragedy into new beginnings because God’s redemptive story always eradicates any human-made divisive binaries we put up on earth. God follows neither the Roman Empire nor the Jewish Law. God builds a new kin-dom on earth according to God’s all-embracing love. God is… and God does.

For reflection

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” by Lao Tzu.

Prayer

O God, help us feel your presence in our daily lives, in our pain and our despair. Open our eyes to see your new beginnings in our endings. Guide us to live as a part of your redemptive story. Amen.

Once again, you are invited to join me at “my” church. The Boone First United Methodist Church for Good Friday. At noon you can start visiting the church to tour The Stations of the Cross. The video starts every hour on the hour from noon until 7 PM. You might recognize the voice of the narrator of Station 7. At 7 PM there will be a worship service. If you want to stay home and tour the videos they will be online to watch as well. I believe on the Boone First United Methodist Church Facebook page.

+++++++

A few Saturday’s ago Jesse and I road tripped to Harlan, Iowa to meet Bill at Victoria Station to do a little tenderloining. Victoria Station is the reigning Best Tenderloin in Iowa, so we had to get there and give it a go. The Pork Producers do a fair job of crowning the champion, but they do frequently anoint subpar tenderloins as the champ. So I kept my expectations in check. Especially, cause this is definitely not a standard tenderloin. It is served on Texas Toast and rather than being served with mustard and ketchup, it is eaten with a garlic aioli.

Here are some cruddy cell phone pictures from the experience:


Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

Tenderloining at Victoria Station

I’ll just cut to the chase. This is one of the best tenderloins I’ve ever had. The Pork Producers actually got it right! I wasn’t sure about the Texas Toast, but it works! Certainly better than some place that try brioche or ciabatta buns, which don’t work that well. The meat tastes great and the garlic aioli complements it perfectly.

I believe it belongs in the Tenderloin Pantheon.

THE GOOD

+ Toasted “bun”.
+ Great thickness.
+ Nailed the meat to bun ratio.
+ White onions.
+ Garlic aioli, delicious!
+ Flavorful breading.
+ Served Pepsi products.
+ The appetizers were phenomenal. In particular, the fried pickle thing.
+ Former depot setting is really cool.
+ Great service.

THE BAD

+ Served default with lettuce and tomato, but I’m just beginning to accept this.
+ Cool setting, but not very big dining area. If you going during peak hours, I’d recommend a reservation. We were there at 2 PM on a Saturday, so there was plenty of space, but we still had a reservation.

THE UGLY

+ No doors on the bathroom stalls in the Men’s room. The door does lock however. There are doors on the Women’s restroom stalls though. We confirmed this with our awesome waitress.

Victoria Station is also a finalist for the Best Burger in Iowa, so a return trip there might be in my future!

+++++++

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


WEEK 344 - ORANGE
ORANGE

ORANGE! What a great theme for Week 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is an ORANGE image? An ORANGE image is simply and image where the subject of the image OR a major compositional element of the image is the color ORANGE.

I’ve already received a submission from Minnesota from a person that hasn’t submitted for quite some time. I’m pretty excited about this potential development! Also, I received a submission from somebody that drove all the way to California for the sole purpose of taking a picture for their submission! I love the commitment!

While considering possible subjects for your ORANGE submission, consider the following quote:

Whoever said ORANGE was the new pink was seriously disturbed.
-Elle Woods

Happy photo harvesting!

Decatur and Wayne County Auxiliary Images Vol. 2

Several months back I cruised around Decatur County and Wayne County with Vest harvesting their town signs. This is the second collection of auxiliary images I took on this trip.

There are a couple of images I want to single out. These pictures of murals I took in Allerton, Iowa:


Wayne County - Allerton

Wayne County - Allerton

While I was doing a little research on the Coca-Cola mural trying to discover who the Iowa Letterheads are, I discovered a very interesting group. These murals were painted in 1993 by a group call The Walldogs. The Walldogs is a group of mural painters that once a year go to a town and paint a bunch of murals there. Allerton, Iowa was the first town they ever did this at. According to their website, (thewalldogs.com) they are going to be in Paducah, Kentucky this year. Which is really close to where Ernie lives. They are also going to return to Allerton, Iowa in 2023. If this schedule holds, I will definitely look into checking this out.

This is the type of thing I wish our Art Council in Boone would have looked into, before they got broken up when one member assaulted another member.

Here are the rest of the pictures from Volume 2 of this road trip:


Decatur County - Leon
Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon
Davis City

Decatur County - Davis City

Decatur County - Davis City

Decatur County - Davis City

Decatur County - Davis City

Decatur County

Wayne County - Lineville
Lineville

Wayne County - Lineville

Wayne County - Lineville

Wayne County - Lineville

Wayne County - Clio
Clio

Wayne County - Clio

Wayne County - Clio

Wayne County - Allerton
Allerton

Wayne County - Corydon
Corydon

A little bit of history on George Saling from the Prairie Tails Museum:

George Saling Brings Home the Gold!!!
In August 1932 headlines in newspapers around the country repeated this message as George Saling, Corydon won both a gold and bronze medal as part of the United State Olympic Team.

George Saling a senior at the University of Iowa was considered among the hurdling greats of the world in 1932. He set records in many meets that year, including Drake Relays with a record setting time in the high hurdles of 14:4 seconds. In the National Collegiate championships he set a new record at 14:1, this was also a world record.

In the first heat of the Olympic hurdles Saling came in second to Don Finlay of Great Britain. He opened up in the second heat and broke an Olympic record at 14:4.

In the final heat an Olympic championship at stake, the competitors took off at the shot in a life and death race. And Saling won, this time in 14:6 in the 110 meter high hurdles winning the gold medal. In fact the USA team took home both gold and silver.

Saling wrote this of his experience: “Down on the track, six forms are crouching – by trials the six greatest hurdlers in the world. The gun barks and the forms shoot forward. They take the first barrier almost in unison. Then one runner draws into the lead. Closely pressed by the pack, he is still leading at the seventh hurdle. “At the eighth barrier a runner emerges from the pack. He overtakes the leader, and then sweeps on by and to the tape – a victor by four feet. That runner was myself, and I say without shame that this is the ONE race of the Olympics that shall remain longest in my memory.”

George Saling was born in 1909 in Memphis, MO. The family moved to Corydon when he was three months old, where he graduated from high school in 1927. George’s first love was basketball and he was captain of the Corydon team in 1926-27.

He went out for track, partly because that was what most of the other fellow did in the spring. In meets he usually filled in wherever he was needed most, running anything from the 100 to the 440, besides hurdles.

In the fall of 1927 he began classes at the University of Iowa and turned his ambitions toward basketball. But in an interview given just two weeks before his untimely death in 1933, George said, “Just as I was swinging off the court after practice one night, and still possessing a little of that youthful exuberance, I raced over a couple of hurdles that were standing nearby, as George Bresnahan, U of I track coach happened to be passing.”

Coach Bresnahan spotted Saling’s natural gift for the hurdles and immediately began an intense campaign to recruit George away from basketball and on to the track team. Saling credited his coach for much of his success. His training methods included a lot of body building – lifting weights, working on bars, and sprinting. One unusual exercise that proved to be very helpful was walking on his hands, which developed arms, back, and chest, and gave him a finer sense of balance – a necessity for hurdlers.

Corydon and the track world were stunned by the untimely death of George Saling on April 14, 1933 as a result of a car accident near St Louis. He was just 23 years old. The funeral service at the Methodist Church in Corydon was one of the largest ever held in Corydon.

George Saling’s memory was honored by his hometown high school in 1938 when its newly lighted athletic field was dedicated as “Saling Field”. In 1983, during Corydon’s Old Settlers Celebration, Saling was honored in a special ceremony and a bronze plaque honoring his Olympic Gold Medal was mounted on the east side of the bandstand on the Wayne County courthouse grounds. In 1989, the University of Iowa established an Athletic Hall of Fame: George Saling was one of the athletes and coaches named.

There is still one more collection of pictures from this road trip left to share.

Town Sign Project: Osceola County

A month or so back I made a trip to Osceola County to harvest their town signs. It was a trip that I ended up having to cut short because I ran into a hail storm. It wasn’t the most fun.

Here are some facts about Osceola County:

+ Population is 6,016 making it the 96th most populous county in Iowa. Below Taylor County and above Audubon County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Sibley.
+ The newest county in Iowa. The county government met for the first time on January 1, 1872.
+ The smallest county in Iowa by total area and third smallest by land area.
+ Named for Seminole chief Osceola.
+ Home of Iowa’s highest natural point, Hawkeye Point. Elevation of 1,670 feet.
+ Major highways are: US-59, IA-9, and IA-60.
+ Adjacent counties are Dickinson, O’Brien, and Lyon.
+ Population peaked in 1940 at 10,607.

The Osceola County Courthouse is mostly blah looking:


Osceola County Courthouse
The Osceola County Courthouse in Sibley, Iowa.

The Osceola County Freedom Rock is located in Ashton, Iowa:


Osceola County Freedom Rock

Osceola County Freedom Rock

Osceola County Freedom Rock

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


Town Sign Project - 66 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

66 counties completed. 66.7% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Osceola County:


Sibley, Iowa
Sibley, Iowa
WELCOME TO Sibley
The HIGHLIGHT of IOWA
Population: 2,860 (+62)

Ocheyedan, Iowa
Ocheyedan, Iowa
OCHEYEDAN
HOME OF THE MOUND
Population: 439 (-51)

Ashton, Iowa
Ashton, Iowa
Welcome to ASHTON
Est. 1882
Population: 436(-22)

Melvin, Iowa
Melvin, Iowa
MELVIN
THE BIGGEST LITTLE CITY IN IOWA
Population: 199 (-15)

Harris, Iowa
Harris, Iowa
Welcome To HARRIS
Est. 1889
Home of the Wolves
Population: 151 (-19)


May City, Iowa – Unincorporated
MAY CITY
Est. 1889
WORLD’S ONLY MAY CITY

Osceola County only has 5 incorporated towns and while there isn’t a great town sign in the county, there really isn’t a terrible one. So I’m not going to give out a last place ribbon. The purple ribbon I’m going to give to Melvin:


Melvin, Iowa
Melvin – Best in Show – Osceola County

Only Melvin had an alternate town sign:


Melvin, Iowa
Melvin – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Nodaway, Iowa
Best in Show – Adams County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Norway, Iowa
Best in Show – Benton County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Readlyn, Iowa
Best in Show – Bremer County

Storm Lake, Iowa
Best in Show – Buena Vista County

New Hartford, Iowa
Best in Show – Butler County

Manson, Iowa
Best in Show – Calhoun County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Anita, Iowa
Best in Show – Cass County

Lowden, Iowa
Best in Show – Cedar County

Dougherty, Iowa
Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Washta, Iowa
Best in Show – Cherokee County

Murray, Iowa
Best in Show – Clarke County

Low Moor, Iowa
Best in Show – Clinton County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Weldon, Iowa
Best in Show – Decatur County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Tabor, Iowa
Best in Show – Fremont County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Beaman, Iowa
Best in Show – Grundy County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Britt, Iowa
Best in Show – Hancock County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Modale, Iowa
Best in Sow – Harrison County

Bradgate, iowa
Best in Show – Humboldt County

Ida Grove, Iowa
Best in Show – Ida County

Millersburg, Iowa
Best in Show – Iowa County

La Motte, Iowa
Best in Show – Jackson County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

Anamosa, Iowa
Best in Show – Jones County

Titonka, Iowa
Best in Show – Kossuth County

Springville, Iowa
Best in Show – Linn County

Lucas, Iowa
Best in Show – Lucas County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Leighton, Iowa
Best in Show – Mahaska County

Pleasantville, Iowa
Best in Show – Marion County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Malvern, Iowa
Best in Show – Mills County

Onawa, Iowa
Best in Show – Monona County

Melrose, Iowa
Best in Show – Monroe County

Grant, Iowa
Best in Show – Montgomery County

Paullina, Iowa
Best in Show – O’Brien County

Melvin, Iowa
Best in Show – Osceola County

College Springs, Iowa
Best in Show – Page County

Mallard, Iowa
Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Plover, Iowa
Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Walnut, Iowa
Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Malcom, Iowa
Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Maloy, Iowa
Best in Show – Ringgold County

Nemaha, Iowa
Best in Show – Sac County

Elk Horn, Iowa
Best in Show – Shelby County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Tama, Iowa
Best in Show – Tama County

Gravity, Iowa
Best in Show – Taylor County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

New Virginia, Iowa
Best in Show – Warren County

Humeston, Iowa
Best in Show – Wayne County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Buffalo Center, Iowa
Best in Show – Winnebago County

Joice, Iowa
Best in Show – Worth County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

What county we will visit next time we visit THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT is slightly open in the air at this moment. But we will visit somewhwere.

Decatur and Wayne County Auxiliary Images Vol. 1

Several months back I cruised around Decatur County and Wayne County with Vest harvesting their town signs. This is the first collection of auxiliary images I took on this trip:


Decatur County - Weldon
Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Weldon

Decatur County - Le Roy
Le Roy

Wayne County - Humeston
Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston

Wayne County - Humeston
Garden Grove

Decatur County - Garden Grove

Decatur County - Garden Grove

Decatur County - Garden Grove

Decatur County - Garden Grove

Decatur County - Garden Grove

Decatur County - Garden Grove

Decatur County - Leon
Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

Decatur County - Leon

You may recall a few weeks ago I talked about a sweet free gift I picked up in a strange park in Bremer County. It was on this trip, that I decided to pay that gift forward.


Decatur County - Garden Grove
Free gift’s new home.

I left it on a picnic table in a nice park in Garden Grove. What happened to it from there? I will never know.