Category Archives: Tim

Roundball Oracles Year 19 Final Standings

With UCONN mercilessly smashing Purdue (and every other team they played in the Tournament) on Monday night, another smashing round of the Roundball Oracles came to a close.

This year’s champion was… drumroll please… Micky! He adds himself to the list of Immortals!

ROUNDBALL ORACLE CHAMPTIONS – LIST OF IMMORTALS

2024 – Micky Augustin
2023 – Will Baier
2022 – Ben Baier
2021 – Micky Augustin
2019 – Becky Parmelee
2018 – Paul Golden
2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

But I hand out 2 trophies for the Roundball Oracles. Micky will take home the Championship trophy for the 2nd time ever. But who gets “The Sara” for last place?

Do you have another drumroll in you? It goes to Oracles newcomer Aaron Sader!

“The Sara” Winners:

2024 – Aaron Sader
2023 – Ben Baier
2022 – Joey Randazzo
2021 – Rachel Gildersleeve
2019 – Russell Kennerly
2018 – Robert Henning
2017 – Shannon Bardole
2016 – Laura Priest
2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2014 – Sara Lockner

Here are the Final Standings:

1. Micky Augustin – 287
2. Toby Sebring – 262
3. Sara Lockner – 258
4. Michelle Haupt – 257
5. Jesse Howard – 244
6. Jason Baier – 232 points
7. Jordan Toot – 225
8. Sean Gildersleeve – 220
9. Russell Kennerly – 220
10. Linda Bennett – 220
11. Adam Gordon – 208
12. Derek Dohrman – 204
13. Andy Sharp – 202
14. Angie DeWaard – 201
15. Elainie Stensland – 198
16. Sarah Karber – 192
17. Rachel Gildersleeve – 188
18. Tim Peterson – 184
19. Robert Henning – 184
20. Derrick Gorshe – 183
21. JJ Baier – 182
22. Corey Faust – 174
23. Elizabeth Nordeen – 170
24. Lowell Davis – 169
25. Humble Narrator – 163
26. Shawn Lockner – 160
27. Ben Baier – 159
28. Carrie Baier – 146
29. Olivia Baier – 145
30. Joseph Duff – 145
31. Andree Jauhari – 140
32. Will Baier – 140
33. Jackson Faust – 139
34. Teresa Kahler – 136
35. Aaron Sader – 129

I’ll have to get the trophies ordered and delivered soon.

Basketball season is barely over and I already miss it!

Farewell Shorty

Last Wednesday my step-grandfather-in-law Shorty Peterson passed away. I include the “step” and “in-law” in front of his name not to indicate a distance, but to illustrate that sometimes titles, whether or correct or not do not indicate what it means to be “family”. Because Shorty and his wife Doris, helped define the word family for me as much as almost anybody I’ve ever known. Hint: It doesn’t have a damn thing to do with sharing DNA.

I’m sharing Shorty’s obituary here so that I know that there is a place I can find it.

Paul “Shorty” Peterson Obituary

Paul “Shorty” Peterson, 97, of Boone and formerly of Boxholm, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Westhaven Community in Boone, Iowa.

A visitation for Shorty will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Carson-Stapp Funeral Home in Ogden with his memorial service to follow at 2:00 P.M. Rev. Bryan Latchaw will officiate. Burial will follow at Lawn Cemetery in rural Boxholm, Iowa. Graveside Military Rites will be conducted by the Boone Veterans Council. Shorty’s memorial service will be live streamed on the Carson-Stapp Funeral Home Facebook page. For online obituaries and condolences, please visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

Paul (Shorty) Peterson, son of Alfred and Sigrid (Rydman) Peterson was born on February 23, 1927, in Boxholm, Iowa. He received his education in Harcourt and Boxholm, graduating from Boxholm High School in 1945. Shorty served in the U.S. Army during WWII with the Occupation forces in Italy from June 4, 1945 until his honorable discharge on January 31, 1947.

On August 14, 1949, Shorty married Doris LaVonne Ewing in Dayton. The couple resided and farmed south of Boxholm for over 55 years until moving into Boxholm in 2004. Shorty was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Boxholm. He served on the board of directors and was past president of the Westside Apartments and was past president for Boxholm Development. He was involved with the Boone County ASCS and Farmers COOP. He was also a member of the American Legion Post #63 of Boxholm. Shorty volunteered at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad as a tour guide, announcer for Thomas the Train, and as Santa on the Santa Express. In 2017, Shorty moved to Westhaven Community in Boone.

In addition to his parents, Shorty was also preceded in death by his loving wife of 65 years, Doris; granddaughter, Olivia; and great grandson, Samuel. He is also preceded in death by his siblings, Clinton, Welden, Fern, and Thelma; parents-in-law, Buryl and Clara; and brothers-in-law, Gayle, Claude, and Harold.

Shorty is survived by his children, Janice and Tim. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Nate, Bethany, and Becca; five great grandchildren, grandson-in-law, Chris and sister-in-law, Marge.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.

Thought I would share a few pictures of Shorty:


Anniversary

Shorty Christmas

Miller-Peterson Christmas - 2019

Jonah Turns 3

06-14-08

09-22-07

Riding the Rails with Shorty

Riding the Rails with Shorty


He was a truly great person and I will miss him!

Rodan139: Boxholm

Today is Nate’s birthday, so happy birthday Nate!


ANGER - NATE MILLER

I hope your birthday is as wonderful as you want it to be!

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I did have submissions from one person come in a tad bit late for PARK. Normally, I would tell that person to pound sand. You were late, there is a deadline. You missed it. However, since it was Funk and she was on top of a frigging mountain and therefore, not with a bunch of cell phone service (also it is a little cold up there), I will allow it. Here are the submissions from Susanna Funk.


WEEK 402 - PARK - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Mt Baker National Recreation Area – Washington) – 1 week

WEEK 402 - PARK - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Mt Baker National Recreation Area – Washington)

WEEK 402 - PARK - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Mt Baker National Recreation Area – Washington)

These are the first submissions from the state of Washington this calendar year! WooHoo!

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I recently took Rodan139 for a flight around Boxholm, Iowa. I didn’t plan ahead very well, so the battery was low and the flight was short. But I’ve found that many times the first time I take a drone to an area it seems to be more recon for a second flight later. But I still think there are some good pictures in the collection.


Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Rodan139: Boxholm

Boxholm always holds a special place in my heart. It is where Shorty and Doris lived after they left the farm and it it where Tim lives now. I’ve attended many a family gathering in Boxholm. Great memories in that town!

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

I need to start the day off by wishing Andree a happy birthday. Happy birthday Andree!


Photo Journal - Page 56 Reject

I hope your birthday is filled with joy, or at least as much joy as one can feel when they are in Houston, Texas.

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Yesterday was the end of the college basketball season, which also means it is time to crown the winner for Year 18 of the Roundball Oracles.

The winner was Will Baier. Congratulations Will! Making it back to back championships for Baier brothers! It seems like almost everybody in the Baier family has won, except Jason. Hmmmm…

His name is now on the List of Immortals.

ROUNDBALL ORACLES CHAMPIONS
2023 – Will Baier
2022 – Ben Baier
2021 – Micky Augustin
2020 – Tournament Canceled
2019 – Becky Parmelee
2018 – Paul Golden
2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

Also “congratulations” goes to “The Sara” winner… Ben Baier. It was a close one this year and came down to the tie-breaker. It was so close to going Shawn. Then he would have had a “The Sara” trophy and the actual The Sara living in his house. Maybe next year.

Ben Baier went from the penthouse to the outhouse in one year. Maybe next year he will be back in the penthouse and his brother will be in the outhouse. It will be interesting to watch.

THE SARA “WINNERS”

2023 – Ben Baier
2022 – Joey Randazzo
2021 – Rachel Gildersleeve
2020 – Tournament Canceled
2019 – Russell Kennerly
2018 – Robert Henning
2017 – Shannon Bardole
2016 – Laura Priest
2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2014 – Sara Lockner

Here are the final Roundball Oracles Standings:

1. Will Baier – 204
2. Toby Sebring – 200
3. Sarah Karber – 193
4. Tim Peterson – 189
5. Cathie Morton – 188
6. Elizabeth Nordeen- 185
7. Andy Sharp – 184
8. Russell Kennerly – 184
9. Linda Bennett – 183
10. Micky Augustin – 183
11. Carrie Baier – 180
12. Dawn Krause – 178
13. Corey Faust – 177
14. Jesse Howard – 176
15. Jason Baier – 173
16. Angie DeWaard – 171
17. Michelle Haupt – 170
18. Carla Stensland – 170
19. Jackson Faust – 168
20. Frank Meiners – 157
21. Lowell Davis – 155
22. Andree Jauhari – 154
23. Christopher D. Bennett – 154
24. Robert Henning – 154
25. Nader Parsaei – 147
26. Logan Kahler – 145
27. Rachel Gildersleeve – 145
28. Joey Randazzo – 144
29. Olivia Baier – 141
30. Jordan Toot – 141
31. JJ Baier – 141
32. Brandon Kahler – 136
33. Becky Parmelee – 131
34. Derek Dohrman – 122
35. Sara Lockner – 112
36. Shawn Lockner – 111
37. Ben Baier – 111

Congrats to everybody that did better than me this year. And there were a lot of them. Cherish the feeling, cause it won’t happen again. Okay, it probably will.

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A few weeks back I took Rodan139 out for a couple test flights. The second of those flights was a spin above the Pilot Mound State Forest. Here are a few pictures from that flight:


Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Rodan139: Pilot Mound State Forest

Next week I will share the pictures from the final flight I took on the battery test flight day.

Westhaven Christmas

I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas. This little picture is my way of saying Merry Christmas to all of you:


Merry Christmas - 2022
Merry Christmas!

I would like to share a Christmas Devotional with you:

Merry Christmas
By Rev. Ronald Carlson Jr.
Dean of the Cabinet and District Superintendent of Riverview Park District
“Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them.”
– Luke 2:18 (CEB)
In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. 8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” 15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. Luke 2:1-20 (CEB)
Luke says it all… perfectly.

Let us pray.

O almighty God, by the birth of your holy child Jesus, you gave us a great light to dawn on our darkness. Grant that in his light we may see light. Bestow on us that most excellent Christmas gift of love to all people, so that the likeness of your Son may be formed in us, and that we may have the ever brightening hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen (The Book of Worship 1965, ALT.)

On certain holidays, I like to share some power rankings. I’m not going to go in depth on this as I originally intended. When I made some plans for this, I didn’t realize a new season of JACK RYAN and EMILY IN PARIS were both being released this weekend!

But without further adieu, here is my Christmas Movie Power Rankings.

CHRISTMAS MOVIE POWER RANKINGS
10. Meet John Doe (1941)
9. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
8. Gremlins (1984)
7. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
6. Die Hard (1988)
5. Elf (2003)
4. A Christmas Story (1983)
3. Scrooged (1988)
2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

Please respect my decision. There will be no interviews at this time. Maybe next Christmas I will go in depth on this list.

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Time to reveal the June image for the 2023 Photography 139 Calendar:


2023 Calendar - June
June

This image was my submission for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme SLICE OF LIFE. That theme is named in honor of my Dad’s postcard company. This image is my interpretation of his style of postcard designs. However, you can look at this and know it wasn’t that hard for me to put this together in Photoshop, but try to think of how hard a similar design would have been to make in a darkroom.

You might have noticed that usually the June image in the Photography 139 Calendar is Black & White. That is because I affiliate my Dad mostly with black & white photography because he had a black & white darkroom in our house at 415 Greene. The 38th anniversary of his death was on Friday. He was born in June and that is why this homage is the June picture for the 2023 Photography 139 Calendar.

There are no technical details for this image since it is a composite image.

Tomorrow I will unveil the July image for the 2023 Photography 139 Calendar.

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Once again I am going to skip Formal Portrait Sunday. Instead I’m going to share some pictures from when I got together with some of Olivia’s family for Christmas at Westhaven a couple weeks ago. Not everybody could make it because of illness, but sometimes in life you have to be happy for who is there and not be sad about who isn’t there.

Here are a few pictures from the celebration:


Shorty Christmas

Shorty Christmas

Shorty Christmas

Shorty Christmas

Shorty Christmas


Triplets man… So much energy!

FAT MUM SLIM – AUGUST 2022

Another month done in the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day Challenge. Think there is some good work in there this week. Having so much going on in August certainly helped. We’ll see how September goes.

Here are the August images:


August 1
August 1 – I AM…

August 2
August 2 – I LOVE THIS COLOUR

August 3
August 3 – I WALKED HERE…

August 4
August 4 – I LIKE TO…

August 5
August 5 – I LIKE THIS TIME OF DAY…

August 6
August 6 – I LOVE…

August 7
August 7 – I MADE THIS…

August 8
August 8 – I WORK HERE…

August 9
August 9 – I HELD THIS…

August 10
August 10 – I WROTE THIS…

August 11
August 11 – I SAW…

August 12
August 12 – I LIKE TO DRINK…

August 13
August 13 – I STOOD HERE…

August 14
August 14 – I DO THIS ON SUNDAYS…

August 15
August 15 – I ONCE…

August 16
August 16 – I NEVER…

August 17
August 17 – I WENT TO…

August 18
August 18 – I READ THIS…

August 19
August 19 – I DID THIS GOOD THING…

August 20
August 20 – I LOVE THIS VIEW…

August 21
August 21 – I DON’T LIKE TO…

August 22
August 22 – ON MONDAYS I…

August 23
August 23 – I SAT HERE…

August 24
August 24 – I LIKE TO EAT…

August 25
August 25 – I HAVE TO…

August 26
August 26 – I WORE THIS…

August 27
August 27 – ON WEEKENDS I…

August 28
August 28 – I WATCHED THIS…

August 29
August 29 – I CAN…

August 30
August 30 – I CAN’T…

August 31
August 31 – I BELIEVE…

Remember you can follow these as they drop on the daily on my dedicated FatMumSlim Instagram account @FMSBENNETT.

Here are the prompts for September:

September 1: Something I Saw
September 2: Plastic
September 3: Paper
September 4: Somewhere I Went
September 5: Hobby
September 6: Green + Blue
September 7: Before Bed
September 8: An Emotion
September 9: Opposites
September 10: I Can Hear…
September 11: Paint
September 12: Symmetry
September 13: Tasty
September 14: Odd One Out
September 15: A Food Shop
September 16: 12:34
September 17: Lucky
September 18: Car Park
September 19: What’s on TV
September 20: Texture
September 21: Nature
September 22: Tree Trunk
September 23: Crunchy
September 24: I Can Smell…
September 25: Laneway
September 26: The Moon
September 27: Open Door
September 28: My Culture
September 29: Not My Style
September 30: Sentimental

Should be a good month. I think there are some good prompts in there. The woman who runs this challenge is Australian. There must be some Australian things in here cause I have no clue what a “Car Park” or a “Laneway” is, but I’ll find out.

WPC – WEEK 362 – WEEKENDS

To clarify some information about Sunday’s post. The part about the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. Even though the book does say two people got all 4 of their entries in, in fact NOBODY got all 4 submissions accepted for display. That is the first time I can ever remember that happening. They had some tough judges.

The time I spent yesterday at the Photography Salon was pretty joyful.

I think that WEEKENDS is going to end up being a more popular theme than FAMILY. Seems people like their WEEKENDS more than they like their FAMILY. Very strange. But you’ll have to keep scrolling to find out if the data matches the theory.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, August 15, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

+ Brooklyn Erb – 1 week
+ Brandon Kahler – 1 week
+ Linda Bennett – 3 weeks
+ Sarah Toot – 4 weeks
+ Sabas Hernandez – 6 weeks
+ Monica Jennings – 6 weeks
+ Mary Green – 8 weeks
+ Angie DeWaard – 9 weeks
+ Dawn Krause – 13 weeks
+ Kim Barker – 19 weeks
+ Joe Duff – 20 weeks
+ Logan Kahler – 22 weeks (3)
+ Teresa Kahler – 30 weeks (3)
+ Tamara Peterson – 30 weeks
+ Carla Stensland – 30 weeks
+ Michelle Haupt – 31 weeks
+ Micky Augustin – 32 weeks
+ Andy Sharp – 33 weeks
+ Bill Wentworth – 34 weeks
+ Cathie Morton – 38 weeks
+ Elizabeth Nordeen – 39 weeks
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley – 41 weeks
+ Kio Dettman – 44 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:


WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker – 20 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler – 31 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard – 10 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp – 34 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen – 40 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth – 35 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS -KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman – 45 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS -
Kio Dettman

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS -
Kio Dettman

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS -KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett – 4 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - MARY GREEN
Mary Green – 9 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt – 32 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot – 5 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TIM CUCULIC
Tim Tim Cuculic – 1 week

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson – 31 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause – 14 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez – 7 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine – 1 week

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff – 21 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin – 33 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton – 39 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler – 23 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler – 2 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner – 1 week

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland – 31 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 362  - WEEKENDS - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings – 7 weeks

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard – 1 week

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley – 42 weeks

28 participants! That is a great week! I guess people really do like their weekends more than they like their families!

On the list of new participants was first time ever participant Tim! I’m hoping this is just the start of big things for Tim.

Angie joined the double digit streak club. Congrats Angie!

This is just a guess, but I believe the submissions spanned from Pennsylvania to Indiana to Illinois to Nebraska to Texas to California and I assume many of these pictures were taken in Iowa. My picture was taken in Illinois.

However, it wasn’t all fun and games and travel. Brooklyn Erb could not extender her streak to 2 weeks. I blame Andy.

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:


WEEK 363 - CIRCLE
CIRCLE

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

But what is a CIRCLE image? It is simply a picture where a major compositional element of the picture is a CIRCLE. 360 degrees of fury! There are CIRCLE(s) literally everywhere! Once you starting looking for them, it is hard to not see them everywhere.

While thinking about possible subjects for your CIRCLE image, meditate on the following quote for inspiration:

The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere.
-Empedocles

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 CIRCLE in this place that is my circle of trust next Monday.

Fall Apart Again

Year 17 of the Roundball Oracles has come to an end. On Monday night, Kansas used a flaw in the court that injured North Carolina’s best player to help them overcome the Tar Heels in the last minute of the game. It was an otherwise great game and it is sad that it was partially decided by an injury due to a flaw in the court construction.

Ben Baier was the winner of this year’s pool. He is the youngest to ever win it. He joins this list:

PAST ROUNDBALL ORACLE CHAMPIONS

2022 – Ben Baier
2021 – Micky Augustin
2020 – No Tournament
2019 – Becky Parmelee
2018 – Paul Golden
2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

Where there is a champion, there also has to be a last place. This year’s The Sara “winner” was Joey Randazzo.

Past “The Sara” Winners

2022 – Joey Randazzo
2021 – Rachel Gildersleeve
2020 – No Tournament
2019 – Russell Kennerly
2018 – Robert Henning
2017 – Shannon Bardole
2016 – Laura Priest
2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2014 – Sara Lockner

Note, Olivia Baier actually finished below Mr. Randazzo, but as she is a child, she is not eligible for The Sara.

Here are the Final Standings:

1. Ben Baier – 273 points
2. Sara Lockner – 271 points
3. Shawn Lockner – 242 points
4. Rachel Gildersleeve – 242 points
5. Linda Bennett – 232 points
6. Becky Parmelee – 231 points
7. Carla Stensland – 229 points
8. Angie DeWaard – 224 points
9. Humble Narrator – 224 points
10. Tim Peterson – 223 points
11. Jason Baier – 217 points
12. Lowell Davis – 215 points
13. Derek Dohrman – 215 points
14. Carrie Baier – 214 points
15. Sarah Karber – 210 points
16. Micky Augustin – 209 points
17. Elizabeth Nordeen – 206 points
18. Jorge Rios – 203 points
19. Brandon Kahler – 203 points
20. Will Baier – 197 points
21. Jordan Toot – 197 points
22. Corey Faust – 197 points
23. Andree Jauhari – 192 points
24. Jesse Howard – 191 points
25. Dawn Krause – 182 points
26. Derrick Gorshe – 181 points
27. Michelle Haupt – 179 points
28. Jackson Faust – 176 points
29. Jason Stensland – 168 points
30. J.J. Baier – 164 points
31. Russell Kennerly – 161 points
32. Toby Sebring – 157 points
33. Robert Henning – 151 points
34. Jill Gorshe – 147 points
35. Joey Randazzo – 143 points
36. Olivia Baier – 141 points

I’m already looking forward to next season. Iowa State will have to replace a lot from this year’s team and one of their assistant coaches, but could be a good team. You never know. This year’s team definitely wasn’t supposed to make the Sweet Sixteen!

+++++++

Seems like a good time to share some flower pictures from last year:


Soul Expansion - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Digging for God - 2021

Fall Apart Again

Fall Apart Again

Nature's Amen - 2021

Nature's Amen - 2021

I still have some flower pictures left to share from last year.

Roundball Oracles – Year 17

It is time once again for the greatest sporting event of year. It is that time known as March Madness. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Once again, I will be sponsoring a pool. There is no cost to enter the pool, except for pride.

The winner gets a trophy. The dead last place person gets a trophy known as The Sara*.

By winning, you get your name etched on the list of immortals:

PAST ROUNDBALL ORACLE CHAMPIONS

2021 – Micky Augustin
2019 – Becky Parmelee
2018 – Paul Golden
2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

But I said that there are 2 trophies. The 2nd trophy, The Sara, goes to the adult that finishes dead last, while trying. A person can not tank on purpose and win The Sara. The reason The Sara winner has to be an adult is that I don’t want to mock children, to their face. Does that mean I have no problem mocking children behind their back? Does it make me a bad person if I say yes? Probably a better rule would be that to “win” The Sara, you have to be at least a teenager. I have no problem mocking teenagers to their face. At least, back when there was a Youth Group.

Past “The Sara” Winners:

2021 – Rachel Gildersleeve
2019 – Russell Kennerly
2018 – Robert Henning
2017 – Shannon Bardole
2016 – Laura Priest
2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2014 – Sara Lockner

The Sara doesn’t have the long storied history of the championship trophy, but it will get there. I have no doubts.

These were the final standings from last year:

ROUNDBALL ORACLES – YEAR 16

1. Michael Augustin – 275 points
2. Jorge Rios – 252 points
3. Jordan Toot – 240 points
4. Corey Faust – 233 points
5. Tim Peterson – 229 points
6. Mike G – 228 points
7. Dawn Krause – 216 points
8. Joey Randazzo – 210 points
9. Elizabeth Nordeen – 204 points
10. Kio Dettman – 203 points
11. Humble Narrator – 202 points
12. Angie DeWaard – 202 points
13. Brandon Kahler – 199 points
14. Bill Wentworth – 194 points
15. Toby Sebring – 191 points
16. Carla Stensland – 188 points
17. Andree Jauhari – 187 points
18. Lowell Davis – 184 points
19. Dylan Groves – 179 points
20. Jesse Howard – 177 points
21. Derek Dohrman – 174 points
22. Joseph Duff – 170 points
23. Robert Henning – 168 points
24. Jackson Faust – 167 points
25. Sarah Karber – 151 points
26. Michelle Haupt – 143 points
27. Rachel Gildersleeve – 142 points

If you are a basketball fan, or are just interested in having fun, click on the link below to join my pool:

Roundball Oracles – Year 17

The rules are as follows:
Round 1 = 1 point + seed
Round 2 = 2 points + seed
Round 3 = 4 points + seed
Round 4 = 8 points + seed
Round 5 = 16 points + seed
Rounds 6 = 32 points + seed

The Play-in Games (AKA the First Four) don’t matter. You can wait for those games to complete before filling out your bracket. The deadline to fill out your bracket, is tip-off of the first game on Thursday. Roughly 11 AM. Yes, there are no Thursday games this year.

Under special circumstances, I will allow you to turn in a paper bracket to me. So, don’t be afraid to ask.

Yes, your child can fill out a bracket. Your dog, no.

There were 27 competitors in 2021. A 15 person drop from 2019. (There was no tournament in 2020.) Hopefully there is a slight rebound in participation this year, but it is possible I have 15 less friends than I did in 2019. It is possible I have lost even more friends since 2020. I might not be that great of a person.

*You have to be 14 years or older to win “The Sara”.

NYC – Eight

This is the final collection of New York City images. The catch here is that I’m not the one that took these pictures. My cousin Sarah took these. It appears I did something stupid and shrank many of these pictures, so I don’t have many of them in full resolution any longer. Sigh.


Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

Sarah Toot - NYC

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

SARAH AND THE CITY

I have no clue what next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve. I still have plenty of organizational stuff to figure out, but I know it won’t involve New York City for the first time in 8 weeks.