Category Archives: Andy

WPC – WEEK 421 – RELIGION

NOTES: 1 – THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK HAS A SPECIAL RULE. MAKE SURE YOU READ THAT SPECIAL RULE DURING THE THEME REVEAL PART OF THIS HERE JOURNAL ENTRY. 2 – AT THE END OF THE MONTH I WILL BE OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR’S THEMES. THE LAST MONDAY IN OCTOBER AND THE 1ST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER ARE WHEN SUGGESTIONS CAN BE MADE. THOSE SUGGESTIONS HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THOSE POSTS. NOT VIA EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGE, TEAMS, PHONE CONVERSATION, SNAPCHAT. ONLY IN THE COMMENTS SECTIONS OF THOSE 2 POSTS. START THINKING OF THEMES YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR NEXT YEAR.

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Today is Indigenous Peoples Day!


Dignity Statue

I hope we all can find a way to celebrate and research the contributions and history of the indigenous peoples of America today and every day.

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Today is Shawn’s birthday, so I need to wish him a happy birthday. Happy birthday Shawn!


Brandi Carlile Concert

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

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RELIGION! An estimated 6.6 billion people practice a RELIGION. But did many of those billions of people or any of the 1.2 billion unaffiliated find something of a RELIGION to photograph to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, October 2, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Elainie Stensland – 1 week (2)
2-Myriah Sharp – 1 week (3)
3-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
4-Amy Peterson – 3 weeks (2)
5-Scott Degeneffe – 6 weeks (2)
6-Sabas Hernandez – 7 weeks
7-Willy McAlpine – 7 weeks
8-Mary Green – 9 weeks (3)
9-Mike Vest – 13 weeks
10-Sheri Fakhouri – 16 weeks
11-Monica Jennings – 17 weeks
12-Logan Kahler – 17 weeks
13-Nathanial Brown – 18 weeks
14-Jesse Howard – 18 weeks
15-Tamara Peterson – 21 weeks
16-Alexis Stensland – 26 weeks
17-Mindi Terrell – 33 weeks (3)
18-Brandon Kahler – 57 weeks
19-Linda Bennett – 62 weeks (2)
20-Sarah Toot – 63 weeks
21-Angie DeWaard – 67 weeks
22-Dawn Krause – 71 weeks (3)
23-Kim Barker – 77 weeks (2)
24-Joe Duff – 78 weeks (2)
25-Teresa Kahler – 89 weeks (3)
26-Carla Stensland – 89 weeks (2)
27-Micky Augustin – 91 weeks
28-Andy Sharp – 92 weeks
29-Bill Wentworth – 93 weeks
30-Cathie Morton – 97 weeks
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 98 weeks (2)
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 100 weeks
33-Kio Dettman – 102 weeks (2)

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 421 - RELIGION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone First United Methodist Parsonage – Boone, Iowa) – 93 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 68 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 94 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Story City, Iowa) – 58 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Twin Lakes Bible Camp, Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 98 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Es Selam Mosque – Rural Dallas County, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 72 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - ELAINIE STENSLAND
Elainie Stensland (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 99 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Marion Methodist Church – Boone, Iowa) – 19 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Marion Methodist Church – Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 79 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Iowa) – 78 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 103 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - LINDA BENNETt
Linda Bennett (Ames, Iowa) – 63 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - LINDA BENNET
Linda Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 14 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 34 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Otley, Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - MYRIAH SHARP
Myriah Sharp (Hawaii) – 2 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 19 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 8 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Bethpage Golf Course – Farmingdale, New York) – 64 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Bethpage Golf Course – Farmingdale, New York)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Bethpage Golf Course – Farmingdale, New York)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Rural Boone County, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Des Moines, Iowa) – 101 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SHERI FKAHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 17 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SHERI FKAHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SHERI FKAHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Austin, Texas) – 1 week

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 22 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone First United Methodist Church – Boone, Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone First United Methodist Church – Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 421 - RELIGION - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Seville, Spain) – 8 weeks

31 participants! That is a pretty good week.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Hawaii
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ New York
+ Spain
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Kentucky
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

38 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 75% of the way there!

he Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ Alto del Perdon – Spain
+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
+ Puenta de la Reina, Spain
+ St. John pied de port, France
+ Vienna, Austria
+ Munich, Germany
+ Rome, Italy
+ Cannes, France
+ Koper, Slovenia

The major milestone reached this week was Kim joining the Year and a Half Streak Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. It was a veritable blook bath of streaks! Sara’s 2 week streak is gone. Amy’s 3 week streak is toast. Mary’s 9 week streak is over! And most heartbreaking… Alexis’ 26 week streak is but a distant memory!

But all is not lost to those who believe in the power of resurrection and this is a new week where new streaks can begin!

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 422 - INSTAGOOD
#INSTAGOOD

#INSTAGOOD! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is an #INSTAGOOD image? Here is where that special rule for this theme is revealed. An #INSTAGOOD image is simply the best image you take this week. Period. And because it is the best image you take this week (HERE IS THAT SPECIAL RULE) you can only submit ONE picture for this theme. Only one picture is your best picture.

I will add, do NOT send me multiple images and ask me to pick the best one. Remember that one rule for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is that the picture has to be taken the week of the theme because this is not a curate your pictures challenge, this is a get off your butt and go take pictures challenge! However, this week, you will have to do curate from all the pictures you take this week down to one, best picture.

The term #INSTAGOOD does come from Instagram. It is the second most popular Instagram hashtag. These are the 5 most popular Instagram hashtags.

1. #love (2.1 billion)
2. #instagood (1.7 billion)
3. #fashion (1.1 billion)
4. #instagram (1.1 billion)
5. #photooftheyday (1 billion)

You hashtag an image with #INSTAGOOD that you think it is particularly good. A picture that is definitely worth of the grid. Not the weak kind of image you might throw into your story. For the grid!

I look forward to seeing the best image you take this week!

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 best in this place that I hope is some of the best of me next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 420 – ARCHITECTURE

NOTES: 1 – SOME OF THE SUBMISSIONS ARE STARTING TO COME IN VERY SMALL. WATCH THE SIZE OF THE IMAGES YOU SEND IN. IDEALLY THEY SHOULD BE AT LEAST 1,000 PIXELS. SMALLER IMAGES MIGHT LOOK GOOD ON YOUR PHONE SCREEN, BUT DON’T LOOK GOOD ON A COMPUTER MONITOR. 2 – AT THE END OF THE MONTH I WILL BE OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR’S THEMES. THE LAST MONDAY IN OCTOBER AND THE 1ST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER ARE WHEN SUGGESTIONS CAN BE MADE. THOSE SUGGESTIONS HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THOSE POSTS. NOT VIA EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGE, TEAMS, PHONE CONVERSATION, SNAPCHAT. ONLY IN THE COMMENTS SECTIONS OF THOSE 2 POSTS. START THINKING OF THEMES YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR NEXT YEAR.

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This morning the Iowa Pork Producers Association released the finalists for this year’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin. There are 5 finalists and 3 of them are close to Boone!

Here are the Finalists:

+ Cliff’s Place – Manning (80 minutes)
+ Spillway Supper Club – Harpers Ferry (3 hours 35 minutes)
+ Stumpy’s Bar & Grill – Duncombe (45 minutes)
+ ToJo’s Bar & Grill – Jamaica (42 minutes)
+ The Roadhouse – Orange City (3 hours 11 miuntes)

A total of 774 restaurants were nominated this year.

Looks like it is time for me to get out on the open road again.

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ARCHITECTURE! Everybody lives or works in or near a building or structure that is a form of ARCHITECTURE. But were there structures around enough people to inspire them to take and submit a picture? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, September 25, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Corey Faust – 1 week
2-Sara Lockner – 1 week
3-Amy Peterson – 2 weeks (2)
4-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 3 weeks
5-Susanna Funk – 4 weeks
6-Scott Degeneffe – 5 weeks (2)
7-Sabas Hernandez – 6 weeks
8-Willy McAlpine – 6 weeks
9-Mary Green – 8 weeks
10-Mike Vest – 12 weeks
11-Sheri Fakhouri – 15 weeks (2)
12-Monica Jennings – 16 weeks (2)
13-Logan Kahler – 16 weeks (2)
14-Nathanial Brown – 17 weeks (2)
15-Jesse Howard – 17 weeks
16-Tamara Peterson – 20 weeks
17-Alexis Stensland – 25 weeks (3)
18-Mindi Terrell – 32 weeks (3)
19-Brandon Kahler – 56 weeks
20-Linda Bennett – 61 weeks
21-Sarah Toot – 62 weeks (3)
22-Angie DeWaard – 66 weeks
23-Dawn Krause – 70 weeks (3)
24-Kim Barker – 76 weeks (2)
25-Joe Duff – 77 weeks
26-Teresa Kahler – 88 weeks (3)
27-Carla Stensland – 88 weeks (3)
28-Micky Augustin – 90 weeks
29-Andy Sharp – 91 weeks
30-Bill Wentworth – 92 weeks
31-Cathie Morton – 96 weeks (2)
32-Elizabeth Nordeen – 97 weeks (2)
33-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 99 weeks
34-Kio Dettman – 101 weeks (2)

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 420 - ARCHITECTURE - ELAINIE HERNANDEZ
Elainie Hernandez (West Side Market – Cleveland, Ohio) – 1 week

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - ELAINIE HERNANDEZ
Elainie Hernandez (West Side Market – Cleveland, Ohio)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 1 week

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MYRIAH SHARP
Myriah Sharp (Maui, Hawaii) – 1 week

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MYRIAH SHARP
Myriah Sharp (Maui, Hawaii)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MYRIAH SHARP
Myriah Sharp (Maui, Hawaii)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Windsor Heights, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Washington D.C.) – 3 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Washington D.C.)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Cleveland, Ohio) – 7 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Spain) – 7 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Edgewood, Iowa) – 9 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Edgewood, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Edgewood, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Elite Eye – Ankeny, Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ogden, Iowa) – 17 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 17 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Boone, Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 21 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Des Moines, Iowa) – 26 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Des Moines, Iowa) – 33 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 57 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 62 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 63 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 67 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Barcelona, Spain) – 71 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -
Dawn Krause (Barcelona, Spain)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Barcelona, Spain)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Austin, Texas) – 77 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Ms. Congeniality Stage – San Antonio, Texas)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 78 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Linwood Cemetery – Boone, Iowa) – 89 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa State Fairgrounds – Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Eldora, Iowa) – 89 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Pine Lake – Eldora, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - MICKY AUGUSTII
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 91 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -  ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (UNI Dome – Cedar Falls, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 93 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 97 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 98 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Mackinac Island, Michigan) – 100 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 102 weeks

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE -KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 420 - ARCHITECTURE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Des Moines, Iowa) – 524 weeks

34 submissions! That is a pretty great week. Could have been 35 if TJ Maxx has more inspiring buildings or 36 if Funk could have found a building in the mountains. But I digress.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Hawaii
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Michigan
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Spain
+ Texas

Thanks to Myriah’s trip to Hawaii, we get to add Hawaii to the list!

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Kentucky
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

38 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 75% of the way there!

he Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ Alto del Perdon – Spain
+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
+ Puenta de la Reina, Spain
+ St. John pied de port, France
+ Vienna, Austria
+ Munich, Germany
+ Rome, Italy
+ Cannes, France
+ Koper, Slovenia

There were some pretty big milestones reached this week! Shannon became the 2nd member ever of the Triple Digit Club! WooHoo! Joe reached the Year and a Half Club! WooHoo! Finally Alexis reached the Half Year Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Faust couldn’t build on his submission from last week. Jen’s streak went up in flames at 3. Funk’s streak tumbled back down the mountain after 4 weeks. The humanity!

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 421 - RELIGION
RELIGION

RELIGION! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!!

RELIGION! I bet a few people groaned when they saw this was the theme. That is okay. You didn’t think a website that is grounded in Christianity would go a year without the RELIGION theme did you? Where do you think the name Photography 139 comes from? I’m not forcing you to go to church to take this picture. A RELIGION picture could be as easy as taking a picture of a house of worship. Doesn’t have to be a church. There are a ton of RELIGIONs in the world and a ton of them are probably practiced near you. Within 20 minutes of where I live in central Iowa there are synagogues, mosques, and even a mandir. But it doesn’t have to be of a building. Or even a worship service. It can be a picture of a book or a song or a symbol. There are religious symbols all over, if you take a second to look. There are so many possibilities!

While considering possible subjects for your submission, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a great image:

Science gives man knowledge which is power, religion gives man wisdom which is control.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 RELIGION in this place that is was built on a foundation of Christianity next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 419 – BLACK AND WHITE

It is the last collection of submissions for the month of September, so it is a good time to revisit the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE FAQ. I’ve noticed an uptick in small-sized submissions lately. It wouldn’t hurt to review the resolution FAQ if you haven’t looked at it lately.

Award winning photographers? Really?

Yes. I can think of at least 10 photographers that participate regularly that have won a photography award of some kind.

Is this a competition?
NO.

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

Yes. That limit is 3. If you send me more than 3, I will post the first 3 that you send. I’m not trying to harsh your photography buzz, but any more than that starts to overwhelm the other submissions and it takes me about 5 minutes to take a picture from my inbox to code it on the website. So I have to manage my workload. This limit is tentatively scheduled to go down to 2 at the beginning of 2024. Unless there is a sudden big falloff in participants.

If you are going to submit more than one picture, I strongly urge you to choose completely different subjects for each submission. If you are submitting multiple pictures of the same subject, make sure that each picture is saying something unique.

If participation rates climb, that limit of 3 is subject to lower.

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 for 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.

Do I have to wait until Monday morning to submit?

Absolutely not! In fact I appreciate the submissions that make it to me by Sunday evening. Makes the job of putting this together on Monday morning much easier!

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 widest 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. But if you let me know where the picture was taken, I will include that.

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

I will take suggestions only and ONLY in the comments sections of the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE posts the last week of October and the 1st week of November.

+++++++

BLACK & WHITE! Everybody knows that it is my favorite theme, but did a bunch of people love it as much as I do to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, September 18, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
2-Amy Peterson – 1 week
3-Ernie Redd – 1 week
4-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 2 weeks
5-Susanna Funk – 3 weeks (2)
6-Scott Degeneffe – 4 weeks (2)
7-Sabas Hernandez – 5 weeks
8-Willy McAlpine – 5 weeks
9-Mary Green – 7 weeks (3)
10-Mike Vest – 11 weeks
11-Sheri Fakhouri – 14 weeks
12-Monica Jennings – 15 weeks
13-Logan Kahler – 15 weeks
14-Nathanial Brown – 16 weeks
15-Jesse Howard – 16 weeks
16-Tamara Peterson – 19 weeks
17-Alexis Stensland – 24 weeks (3)
18-Mindi Terrell – 31 weeks (3)
19-Brandon Kahler – 55 weeks
20-Linda Bennett – 60 weeks (3)
21-Sarah Toot – 61 weeks (2)
22-Angie DeWaard – 65 weeks
23-Dawn Krause – 69 weeks (2)
24-Kim Barker – 75 weeks (2)
25-Joe Duff – 76 weeks (3)
26-Teresa Kahler – 87 weeks (2)
27-Carla Stensland – 87 weeks (3)
28-Micky Augustin – 89 weeks
29-Andy Sharp – 90 weeks
30-Bill Wentworth – 91 weeks
31-Cathie Morton – 95 weeks
32-Elizabeth Nordeen – 96 weeks
33-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 98 weeks
34-Kio Dettman – 100 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 419 - BLACK & WHITE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Rural Ogden, Iowa) – 101 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 99 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa) – 97 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Des Moines, Iowa) – 96 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 92 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 91 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 88 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Sioux City, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Boxholm, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 88 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Houston, Texas) – 77 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Ames, Iowa) – 76 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Cannes, France) – 70 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Rome, Italy)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Koper, Slovenia)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Scottsdale, Arizona) – 66 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Baltimore, Maryland) 62 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Baltimore, Maryland)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Baltimore, Maryland)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 61 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 56 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 32 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 25 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 20 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Galesburg, Illinois) – 17 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Princeton, Illinois)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Grimes, Iowa) – 17 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Near Luther, Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (High Trestle Trail Bridge – Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ogden, Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ogden, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Elite Eye Care – Ankeny, Iowa) – 15 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Elite Eye Care – Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 12 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Holt, Michigan) – 8 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - WILLIAM MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Albuergue in Foncebadón – Spain) – 6 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Niagara Falls, New York) – 6 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 5 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Carroll, Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Dallas County, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Houston, Texas) – 3 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Iowa)

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - COREY FAUST
Corey Faust (Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 419 - BLACK & WHITE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

35 participants!! That is a great week! I know I’m prejudiced, but I think this is one of the best collection of submissions. Every week there are at least a couple of pictures where i think, “I wish I had taken that picture.” This week there were more than usual!

No new states added this week, but at this point that is to be expected. One new country though. Dawn submitted the first picture from Italy this calendar year!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arizona
+ France
+ Kansas
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Italy
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ New York
+ Slovenia
+ Spain
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Kentucky
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

37 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 70% of the way there!

he Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ Alto del Perdon – Spain
+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
+ Puenta de la Reina, Spain
+ St. John pied de port, France
+ Vienna, Austria
+ Munich, Germany
+ Rome, Italy
+ Cannes, France
+ Koper, Slovenia

The big milestone this week was Faust’s first ever submission!! I don’t know if it will lead to more submissions in the future, but I certainly hope it does.

On a personal note, watching the Iowa State-Ohio “football” game last week was an absolutely soul crushing experience. The only reason I didn’t give up on the season is because the Big 12 is hot garbage this year and I thought there was still the chance to win a few games.

Then this week… an entirely different football team showed up. I know part of that was that they were over the virus that plagued the team last week. However, you may have noticed that both Elizabeth and Faust were at the game (not together, they don’t know each other) for the first time this season. Suddenly Iowa State doesn’t suck. One of them is clearly good luck and they both better go to every game the rest of the season.

One thing I’ve learned in my long tenure as an Iowa State fan, I am not good luck. But I digress…

There weren’t any other big milestones reached this week. But we are closing in on some big ones next week. However, there was some heartache. Becky and Ernie could not build on their submissions from last week. Their streaks are over before they even began.

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 420 - ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is an ARCHITECTURE image? It is an image where the focus is on buildings or structures. It is image of the interior or exterior of buildings, bridges, structures, or cityscapes.

While considering the building and/or structure you want to photograph, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will create a great image:

Buildings are deeply emotive structures which form our psyche.
-David Adjaye

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 ARCHITECTURE in this place that is built on an Apache infrastructure I should next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 418 – SKY

SKY! A great theme, but was it the limit for the amount of people that would participate this week? You will have to keep scrolling to find out:

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, September 4, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Suzie Brannen – 1 week
2-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
3-Susanna Funk – 2 weeks
4-Scott Degeneffe – 3 weeks
5-Sabas Hernandez – 4 weeks
6-Willy McAlpine – 4 weeks
7-Mary Green – 6 weeks (2)
8-Sara Lockner – 6 weeks
9-Mike Vest – 10 weeks
10-Sheri Fakhouri – 13 weeks
11-Monica Jennings – 14 weeks (2)
12-Logan Kahler – 14 weeks
13-Nathanial Brown – 15 weeks
14-Jesse Howard – 15 weeks
15-Tamara Peterson – 18 weeks
16-Alexis Stensland – 23 weeks
17-Mindi Terrell – 30 weeks (3)
18-Brandon Kahler – 54 weeks
19-Linda Bennett – 59 weeks
20-Sarah Toot – 60 weeks
21-Angie DeWaard – 64 weeks
22-Dawn Krause – 68 weeks
23-Kim Barker – 74 weeks
24-Joe Duff – 75 weeks
25-Teresa Kahler – 86 weeks (2)
26-Carla Stensland – 86 weeks
27-Micky Augustin – 88 weeks
28-Andy Sharp – 89 weeks
29-Bill Wentworth – 90 weeks
30-Cathie Morton – 94 weeks
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 95 weeks
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 97 weeks (2)
33-Kio Dettman – 99 weeks (2)

Heading into this week, this is the current map of states where submissions have come from:



Getting pretty full!

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 418 - SKY - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 76 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas)

WEEK 418 - SKY - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas)

WEEK 418 - SKY - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 91 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone County, Iowa) – 100 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Boone County, Iowa) – 60 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Cleveland, Ohio) – 7 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Cleveland, Ohio)

WEEK 418 - SKY - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Cleveland, Ohio)

WEEK 418 - SKY - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 19 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 24 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Vienna, Austria) – 69 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Munich, Germany)

WEEK 418 - SKY - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 65 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) 14 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Oskaloosa, Iowa) – 15 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Johnston, Iowa) – 31 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (West Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Johnston, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 96 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Britt, Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 89 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - ERNIE REDD
Ernie Redd (Kentucky) – 1 week

WEEK 418 - SKY - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Estes Park, Colorado) – 75 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Estes Park, Colorado)

WEEK 418 - SKY - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Sahagun, Spain) – 5 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Washington D.C.) – 1 week

WEEK 418 - SKY - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 87 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Spencer, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Ames, Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Stratford, Iowa) – 15 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 95 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 55 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Lake Okoboji, Iowa) – 87 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Clay County Fair – Spencer, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Arnold’s Park, Iowa)

WEEK 418 - SKY - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Des Moines, Iowa) – 98 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 61 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania)

WEEK 418 - SKY - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 1 week

WEEK 418 - SKY - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 5 weeks

WEEK 418 - SKY - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 11 weeks

35 participants! That is a great week! Thanks to Ernie’s first ever submission, we get to add Kentucky to the submission map!!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Austria
+ Colorado
+ Germany
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ Ohio
+ Pennsylvania
+ Spain
+ Texas
+ Washington D.C.

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Kentucky
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

37 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 70% of the way there!

The current states missing are:

+ Alabama
+ Alaska
+ Connecticut
+ Delaware
+ Hawaii
+ Indiana
+ Maine
+ Massachusetts
+ Mississippi
+ New Mexico
+ Rhode Island
+ Virginia
+ West Virginia

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ Alto del Perdon – Spain
+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
+ Puenta de la Reina, Spain
+ St. John pied de port, France
+ Vienna, Austria
+ Munich, Germany

I took my picture about 140 miles from my front door, but still in Iowa. I continue not to contribute.

The big… huge… gargantuan milestone reached this week is Kio is the first person to ever hit the Triple Digit Club! WooHoo!!

But it wasn’t all good news. Sara’s streak ends at 6 and Suzie couldn’t build her streak to 2.

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 419 - BLACK & WHITE
BLACK & WHITE

BLACK & WHITE! If you know me at all, you know that this is my absolutely favorite theme!

What is a BLACK & WHTIE image? Bro! It is a BLACK & WHITE picture. Period. End of story.

But just a reminder. BLACK & WHITE photography is all about tones and textures. Remember that and you will do great.

While thinking on possible subjects for your BLACK & WHITE submission, meditate on the following quote and I no doubt you will take a great picture:

To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul.
-Andri Cauldwell

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 BLACK & WHITE in this place that behind the scenes is all monochrome I should next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 417 – SHOES

I need to point out that today is the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States over 20 years ago.


9/11 -2023

I think I’ve recounted my experience on 9/11 here before. I think it probably wasn’t much different than most people that didn’t live in an attacked city. Going through all the stages of disbelief. Calling and waking people up. Knowing the world would never be the same. But not realizing it actually wouldn’t change that much.

But we are now 22 years out and a person begins to feel aged because of all the people in his life that weren’t even alive when 9/11 happened. Then I think of all the people that have left my life in those 22 years. Then I think of all the people that have come into my life in those 22 years. Then I think of the people that came into my life and then left my life in those 22 years. Gives a person pause.

Here’s to remembering all those that lost their lives on 9/11 and those that continue to have to fight all the health problems caused by being a first responder on that day.

And in that vein I want to share the speech that the great Jon Stewart gave to a nearly empty Congressional chamber fighting for funding to help with the ever mounting health care bills that those First Responders faced and still face.

I want to thank Mr. Collins and Mr. Nadler for putting this together. But, as I sit here today, I can’t help but think what an incredible metaphor this room is for the entire process that getting health care and benefits for 9/11 first responders has come to.

Behind me: a filled room of 9/11 first responders.

And in front of me: a nearly empty Congress.

Sick and dying, they brought themselves down here to speak — to no one.

It’s shameful.

It’s an embarrassment to the country.

And it is a stain on this institution.

And you should be ashamed of yourselves for those that aren’t here, but you won’t be because accountability doesn’t appear to be something that occurs in this chamber.

We don’t want to be here. Lu [Detective Luis Alvarez] doesn’t want to be here. None of these people want to be here. But they are, and they’re not here for themselves. They’re here to continue fighting for what’s right. Lu’s going to go back for his 69th chemo. The great Ray Pfeiffer would come down here, his body riddled with cancer and pain, where he couldn’t walk; and the disrespect shown to him and to the other lobbyists on this bill is utterly unacceptable.

You know, I used to get…I would be so angry at the latest injustice that’s done to these men and women and, you know, another business card thrown our way as a way of shooing us away like children trick-or-treating, rather than the heroes that they are and will always be.

Ray would say, “Calm down, Johnny. Calm down.” “I got all the cards I need.” And he would tap his pocket…where he kept the prayer cards of 343 firefighters. The official FDNY response time to 911 was five seconds. Five seconds! That’s how long it took for FDNY, for NYPD, for Port Authority, for EMS to respond to an urgent need from the public.

Five seconds.

Hundreds died in an instant. Thousands more poured in to continue to fight for their brothers and sisters.

The breathing problems started almost immediately. And they were told they weren’t sick — they were crazy. And then, as the illnesses got worse and things became more apparent, “Well, okay, you’re sick but it’s not from the pile.” And then, when the science became irrefutable, “Okay, it’s the pile — but this is a New York issue.” I don’t know if we “have the money.”

And I’m sorry if I sound angry and undiplomatic, but I’m angry — and you should be too; and they’re all angry as well. And they have every justification to be that way. There is not a person here, there is not an empty chair on that stage that didn’t tweet out, “Never forget” the heroes of 9/11; never forget their bravery; never forget what they did, what they gave to this country.

Well here they are! And where are they? And it would be one thing if their callous indifference and rank hypocrisy were benign. But it’s not. Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time. It’s the one thing they’re running out of.

This should be flipped — this hearing should be flipped: These men and women should be up on that stage and Congress should be down here answering their questions as to why this is so damn hard and takes so damn long; and why, no matter what they get, something’s always pulled back. And they gotta come back.

Mr. Johnson [Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Rep. Georgia], you…made a point earlier and it was one that we have heard over and over again in these halls. And I…couldn’t help but to answer to it, which was — you said, “Look, you know, you guys are obviously heroes and 9/11 was a big deal but, you know, we have a lot of stuff here to do. And, you know, we got to make sure there’s money for a variety of disasters, hurricanes and tornadoes.”

But this wasn’t a hurricane. And this wasn’t a tornado. And by the way, that’s your job, anyway. We can’t fund these programs — you can. Setting aside that no American in this country should face financial ruin because of a…health issue, certainly 9/11 first responders shouldn’t have to decide whether to live or to have a place to live.

And the idea that you can only give them five more years of the VCF [be]cause you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen five years from now — well, I can tell you I’m pretty sure what’s going to happen five years from now: More of these men and women are going to get sick and they are going to die. And I am awfully tired of hearing that it’s a…9/11 New York issue. Al-Qaeda didn’t shout “death to Tribeca.”

They attacked America, and these men and women, and their response to it, is what brought our country back. It’s what gave a reeling nation a solid foundation to stand back upon, to remind us of why this country is great, of why this country is worth fighting for. And you are ignoring them!

And you can end it tomorrow. Why this bill isn’t unanimous consent and a standalone issue is beyond my comprehension. And I have yet to hear a reasonable explanation for why. It’ll get stuck in some transportation bill or some appropriations bill and get sent over to the Senate, where a certain someone from the Senate will use it as a political football to get themselves maybe another new import tax on petroleum — [be]cause that’s what happened to us in 2015.

And we won’t allow it to happen again.

Thank God for people like John Feal.

Thank God for people like Ray Pfeiffer.

Thank God for all of these people who will not let it happen.

They responded in five seconds. They did their jobs with courage, grace, tenacity, humility.

Eighteen years later — do yours!

Thank you.

Jon Stewart gave that speech on June 11, 2019. The next day the Never Forget the Heroes Act was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. On July 12, it passed out of the House of Representative by a vote of 402-12. On July 17, Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul blocked the bill from being voted on in the Senate. Remember that when those douchebags tweet out a “Never Forget” meme today. Because they 100% did forget.

On July 23 the bill did pass the Senate by a vote of 97-2. You can guess who the 2 that voted against it were.

Once passed it funded the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund until 2092. The 9/11 First Responder Luis Alvarez that is referenced in the speech passed away after he testified before Congress and before the bill was passed.

When you see all the Never Forget memes posted today. Remember what and whom it is that you are “never forgetting”.

+++++++

SHOES! They are gross, smell bad, you can’t get a woman to wear practical ones, but they are often interesting and the right ones can make your legs and butt look fantastic! But, was SHOES a shoe-in for a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, September 4, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Lori Backous – 1 week (2)
2-Susanna Funk – 1 week
3-Amy Peterson – 1 week (2)
4-Scott Degeneffe – 2 weeks
5-Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
6-Willy McAlpine – 3 weeks (2)
7-Mary Green – 5 weeks (3)
8-Sara Lockner – 5 weeks
9-Mike Vest – 9 weeks
10-Sheri Fakhouri – 12 weeks (2)
11-Monica Jennings – 13 weeks
12-Logan Kahler – 13 weeks
13-Nathanial Brown – 14 weeks
14-Jesse Howard – 14 weeks
15-Tamara Peterson – 17 weeks
16-Alexis Stensland – 22 weeks (2)
17-Mindi Terrell – 29 weeks (3)
18-Brandon Kahler – 53 weeks
19-Linda Bennett – 58 weeks
20-Sarah Toot – 59 weeks
21-Angie DeWaard – 63 weeks
22-Dawn Krause – 67 weeks
23-Kim Barker – 73 weeks
24-Joe Duff – 74 weeks
25-Teresa Kahler – 85 weeks (3)
26-Carla Stensland – 85 weeks (3)
27-Micky Augustin – 87 weeks
28-Andy Sharp – 88 weeks (2)
29-Bill Wentworth – 89 weeks
30-Cathie Morton – 93 weeks
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 94 weeks
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 96 weeks
33-Kio Dettman – 98 weeks (2)

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 417 - SHOES - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 23 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 89 weeks

417 - SHOES - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Center Grover Orchard – Cambridge, Iowa) – 64 weeks

417 - SHOES - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 90 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 54 weeks

417 - SHOES - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Titanic Museum – Branson, Missouri) – 86 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 94 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 68 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 95 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 417 - SHOES - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 15 weeks

417 - SHOES - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 75 weeks

417 - SHOES - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas)

417 - SHOES - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 74 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 99 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 59 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 14 weeks

417 - SHOES - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa) – 6 weeks

417 - SHOES - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Beaverhead Mountains, Wyoming) – 88 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 10 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 30 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ogden, Iowa) – 14 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ogden, Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 15 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 6 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 60 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Trout River Lodge – Ear Falls, Ontario, Canada) – 97 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Chukuni River in rural Ear Falls, Ontario, Canada)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Colorado) – 2 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 417 - SHOES - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 86 weeks

WEEK 417 - SHOES - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

WEEK 417 - SHOES - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Alto del Perdon – Spain) – 4 weeks

34 participants! A great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Canada
+ Kansas
+ Iowa
+ Missouri
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Spain
+ Texas
+ Wyoming

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

36 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 70% of the way there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ Alto del Perdon – Spain
+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
+ Puenta de la Reina, Spain
+ St. John pied de port, France

I took my picture about 15 miles from house. So I continue to not extend the map!

The big milestone this week was Vest joining the Double Digit Streak Club. WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses and smelly shoes. Lori and Amy could not build on last week’s submissions and their “streak” ends at 1.

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 418 - SKY
SKY

SKY! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a SKY photo? Simply put it is a picture where the SKY is either the main subject of your picture OR plays a major compositional element of the image. It can be a picture of clouds or a sunset or a sunrise or of the moon or something that is in the sky. Like a plane or a bird or a balloon or Superman.

While thinking about possible subjects for your SKY picture, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a fascinating image!

No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.
-Bob Dylan

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 SKY in this place that stops me from seeing the clouds as much as I should next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 416 – NATURE

To all of us who toil on the frontlines in the mines of America, I wish us a happy Labor Day!


Dubuque County  - Dubuque

If you don’t know why we celebrate Labor Day, it is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.

What kind of social and economic achievements?

Well… the Computer Mine is not a union shop, but trust me, I’m very pro-union. While they aren’t without their problems and a history of corruption, if it weren’t for unions and labor activists, we wouldn’t have the following:

1. Weekends
2. Paid vacation
3. FMLA
4. Paid sick leave
5. Child labor laws (while we have them)
6. Social Security
7. Minimum wage (even though it is too low)
8. 8 hour work day
9. Overtime pay
10. OSHA
11. Health care (even though tying health care to employment is a profoundly awful idea, but better than what we had before)
12. Collective bargaining (in some states)
13. Breaks (including bathroom and lunch)
14. Wrongful termination laws
15. Age discrimination laws
16. Raises
17. Sexual harassment laws
18. American Disabilities Act
19. Holiday pay (enjoying that right now)
20. Military leave
21. Equal Pay Act (1963 & 2011)
22. Civil rights
23. Workers compensation
24. Unemployment insurance
25. Whistleblower protection
26. The right to strike

While this list is hardly comprehensive, it is just many of the things I’m thankful for on this Labor Day.

+++++++

NATURE! A great theme, but was it people’s nature to get out in the world and take a picture of it? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, August 28, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Suzie Brannen – 1 week
2-Scott Degeneffe – 1 week
3-Evie Gorshe – 1 week
4-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks
5-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
6-Becky Parmelee – 2 weeks (3)
7-Mary Green – 4 weeks
8-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks
9-Mike Vest – 8 weeks
10-Sheri Fakhouri – 11 weeks
11-Monica Jennings – 12 weeks
12-Logan Kahler – 12 weeks (2)
13-Nathanial Brown – 13 weeks
14-Jesse Howard – 13 weeks
15-Tamara Peterson – 16 weeks
16-Alexis Stensland – 21 weeks (3)
17-Mindi Terrell – 28 weeks (3)
18-Brandon Kahler – 52 weeks
19-Linda Bennett – 57 weeks
20-Sarah Toot – 57 weeks
21-Angie DeWaard – 62 weeks
22-Dawn Krause – 66 weeks (2)
23-Kim Barker – 72 weeks
24-Joe Duff – 73 weeks (2)
25-Teresa Kahler – 84 weeks (2)
26-Carla Stensland – 84 weeks (2)
27-Micky Augustin – 86 weeks
28-Andy Sharp – 87 weeks
29-Bill Wentworth – 88 weeks
30-Cathie Morton – 92 weeks
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 93 weeks
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 95 weeks
33-Kio Dettman – 97 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 416 - NATURE - LORI BACKOUS
Lori Backous (Boone County, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 416 - NATURE - LORI BACKOUS
Lori Backous (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Colorado) – 1 week

WEEK 416 - NATURE - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Idaho Falls, Idaho) – 1 week

WEEK 416 - NATURE - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Cleveland, Ohio) – 3 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Puenta de la Reina, Spain) – 3 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Puenta de la Reina, Spain)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (St. John pied de port, France)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 5 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa) – 5 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Iowa) – 9 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 12 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ogden, Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Dayton, Iowa) – 14 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Grand Junction, Iowa) – 14 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 17 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 22 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 29 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Albert Lea, Minnesota) – 53 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Sparks, Kansas) – 58 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 59 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 63 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - DAWN KRAUSEDA
Dawn Krause (Dayton, Iowa) – 67 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 73 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 74 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 85 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 85 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Deal’s Orchards – Jefferson, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (West Lake Okoboji – Arnold’s Park, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Wyoming) – 87 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Storm Lake, Iowa) – 88 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Near Perry, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 89 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Water Works Park – Des Moines, Iowa) – 93 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 94 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Pakwash Lake – between Ear Falls and Red Lake, Ontario, Canada) – 96 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Moingona, Iowa) – 98 weeks

WEEK 416 - NATURE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Moingona, Iowa)

WEEK 416 - NATURE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 520 weeks

34 participants! That is a pretty great week! Especially for a holiday weekend! There were submissions from all over the place this week.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Colorado
+ France
+ Kansas
+ Idaho
+ Iowa
+ Minnesota
+ Nebraska
+ Ohio
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Pennsylvania
+ Spain
+ Texas
+ Wyoming

Thanks to Amy’s trip, Idaho has been added to this year’s map!

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Idaho
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

36 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 70% of the way there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Ontario, Canada
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
+ Puenta de la Reina, Spain
+ St. John pied de port, France

I took my picture about 3 miles from my front door, so I continue not to contribute.

There were no major milestones this week. Unfortunately 3 steaks did bite the dust. Suzie and Evie couldn’t build on last week’s submission. Becky’s streak ended at 2.

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 417 - SHOES
SHOES – SUGGESTED BY SARAH TOOT

SHOES! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a SHOES photo? Simply put, it is an image where SHOES are the subject OR play a major compositional element.

While thinking about the SHOES to photograph for this week’s theme, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a great image!

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.
-Marilyn Monroe

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 SHOES in this place that is mostly written in my bare feet next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 415 – SHADOW

It is the last collection of submissions of the month, so it is a good time revisit the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE FAQ:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

What skill level photographer can participate?

THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is open to photographers of all skill levels. From award winning photographers to professionals to the highly ranked amateurs to those that are just beginning to those who don’t even know how to focus a camera. All skill levels are encouraged and welcome. You can’t be too bad and you can’t be too good! Everyone has room to learn and be challenged!

Award winning photographers? Really?

Yes. I can think of at least 10 photographers that participate regularly that have won a photography award of some kind.

Is this a competition?
NO.

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

Yes. That limit is 3. If you send me more than 3, I will post the first 3 that you send. I’m not trying to harsh your photography buzz, but any more than that starts to overwhelm the other submissions and it takes me about 5 minutes to take a picture from my inbox to code it on the website. So I have to manage my workload.

If you are going to submit more than one picture, I strongly urge you to choose completely different subjects for each submission. If you are submitting multiple pictures of the same subject, make sure that each picture is saying something unique.

If participation rates climb, that limit of 3 is subject to lower.

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 for 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.

Do I have to wait until Monday morning to submit?

Absolutely not! In fact I appreciate the submissions that make it to me by Sunday evening. Makes the job of putting this together on Monday morning much easier!

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 widest 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. But if you let me know where the picture was taken, I will include that.

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

I will take suggestions only and ONLY in the comments sections of the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE posts the last week of October and the 1st week of November.

+++++++

SHADOW! A great theme, but did inspire people to lurk in the dark or come out into the light of participation? You’ll have to keep streaming to find out!

I do want to say that hope at least somebody appreciates my submission this week. I was pretty close to kicked out of a museum for taking it.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, August 21, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Sabas Hernandez – 1 week
2-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
3-Becky Parmelee – 1 week
4-Nader Parsaei – 1 week
5-Mary Green – 3 weeks (2)
6-Sara Lockner – 3 weeks (3
7-Mike Vest – 7 weeks
8-Sheri Fakhouri – 10 weeks
9-Monica Jennings – 11 weeks
10-Logan Kahler – 11 weeks (2)
11-Nathanial Brown – 12 weeks
12-Jesse Howard – 12 weeks
13-Tamara Peterson – 15 weeks
14-Alexis Stensland – 20 weeks
15-Mindi Terrell – 27 weeks (3)
16-Brandon Kahler – 51 weeks
17-Linda Bennett – 56 weeks (2)
18-Sarah Toot – 57 weeks (2)
19-Angie DeWaard – 61 weeks
20-Dawn Krause – 65 weeks (2)
21-Kim Barker – 71 weeks
22-Joe Duff – 72 weeks (2)
23-Teresa Kahler – 83 weeks (3)
24-Carla Stensland – 83 weeks (3)
25-Micky Augustin – 85 weeks
26-Andy Sharp – 86 weeks
27-Bill Wentworth – 87 weeks
28-Cathie Morton – 91 weeks
29-Elizabeth Nordeen – 92 weeks
30-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 94 weeks
31-Kio Dettman – 96 weeks (2)

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 415 - SHADOW - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 97 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 95 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 93 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Water Works Park – Des Moines, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 88 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 87 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 86 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 84 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 84 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Dallas, Texas) – 73 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Dallas, Texas)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 72 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 66 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW -
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 62 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 58 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 57 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 52 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 28 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 21 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Ames, Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 12 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 12 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Guthrie Center, Iowa)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Camp Wyoming – Wyoming, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (King Author Flour & Bakery – Norwich, Vermont) – 2 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (West Lebanon, New Hampshire)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Atlanta, Georgia)

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Cleveland, Ohio) – 2 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - WILLY MCAPLINE
Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - EVIE GORSHE
Evie Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Dickcissel Park – Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 415 - SHADOW - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Union Station – Omaha, Nebraska)

34 participants! That is a pretty great week! And pictures were taken from all over the country this week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:
+ Georgia
+ Kansas
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ Ohio
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas
+ Vermont

Thanks to Becky’s recent travels, 2 more states have been filled in on the map. New Hampshire and Vermont. WooHoo!

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Vermont
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

35 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 70% of the way there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I took my picture 156 miles from my front door. In a state where a regular contributor resides. I continue not to contribute.

The big milestone this week is Brandon joining THE YEAR LONG STREAK CLUB! WooHoo! Congratulations Brandon!

But it wasn’t all good news! Nader could not build on their submissions last week and their streaks are over before the began.

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 416 - NATURE
NATURE

NATURE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a NATURE photo? “Nature photography is a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures.”

That encompasses a lot of the world. So what isn’t NATURE? Humans and anything created by humans. Although those elements can be included in a NATURE photo. But they aren’t the main subject matter.

While thinking about possible subjects for your NATURE photo meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a fascinating image:

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
-Khalil Gibran

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 NATURE in this place that shows mine next Monday.

WPC – WEEK 414 – ART

I’m leaving for Omaha later than I anticipated, so I did have time to get this post out on time.

ART! A great theme! But did it make a large number of people feel ARTistic enough to submit? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out.

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, August 14, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Mary Green – 2 weeks
2-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
3-Mike Vest – 6 weeks
4-Suzie Brannen – 7 weeks
5-Sheri Fakhouri – 9 weeks (2)
6-Monica Jennings – 10 weeks
7-Logan Kahler – 10 weeks
8-Nathanial Brown – 11 weeks
9-Jesse Howard – 11 weeks
10-Tamara Peterson – 14 weeks
11-Alexis Stensland – 19 weeks
12-Mindi Terrell – 26 weeks (3)
13-Brandon Kahler – 50 weeks
14-Linda Bennett – 55 weeks (2)
15-Sarah Toot – 56 weeks
16-Angie DeWaard – 60 weeks
17-Dawn Krause – 64 weeks
18-Kim Barker – 70 weeks
19-Joe Duff – 71 weeks
20-Teresa Kahler – 82 weeks (3)
21-Carla Stensland – 82 weeks
22-Micky Augustin – 84 weeks
23-Andy Sharp – 85 weeks
24-Bill Wentworth – 86 weeks
25-Cathie Morton – 90 weeks
26-Elizabeth Nordeen – 91 weeks (2)
27-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 93 weeks
28-Kio Dettman – 95 weeks (2)

Here is a look at the updated THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE SUBMISSION MAP:



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 414 - ART - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 20 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 86 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 61 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (?????) – 1 week

WEEK 414 - ART - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 87 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 51 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Spirit Lake, Iowa) – 83 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 91 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 65 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 12 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 72 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas)

WEEK 414 - ART - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Ames, Iowa) – 71 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 96 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – 56 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 414 - ART - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 414 - ART - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Elkader, Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Elkader, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 85 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 27 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - NADER PARSAEI
Nader Parsaei (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 414 - ART - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 12 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 414 - ART - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 57 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania)

WEEK 414 - ART - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 94 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 10 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 15 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 83 weeks

WEEK 414 - ART - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Des Moines, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 414 - ART - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

32 participants this week! That is a great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Michigan
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

33 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 60% of the way there!

This is the list of current missing states:
+ Alabama
+ Alaska
+ Connecticut
+ Delaware
+ Hawaii
+ Idaho
+ Indiana
+ Kentucky
+ Maine
+ Massachussetts
+ Mississippi
+ New Hampshire
+ New Mexico
+ Rhode Island
+ Vermont
+ Virginia
+ West Virginia

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The big accomplish week this week was Sheri joining the Double Digits Streak Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Suzie’s 7 week streak came crashing to a halt. The humanity!

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 415 - SHADOW
SHADOW

SHADOW! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a SHADOW photo? Simply put it is a picture where a SHADOW plays a major compositional element.

While considering a possible subject for your SHADOW picture meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with a fascinating interpretation.

To light a candle is to cast a shadow.
-Ursula K. Le Guin

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 SHADOW in this place that is a candle in my life next Monday.

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Recap

I know I might have written that I was finally going to start sharing pictures from the Color the Wind Festival today, but instead I’m going to do a recap of the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest before it gets too long in the tooth.

First, I should announce to those of you that voted in the People’s Choice Award what photo took home the prize:



Road Trip by Savannah Martin

Road Trip received 50 votes. The next highest vote total received was 21 votes.

If you are interested in seeing this year’s photo books, click on the links below:

Readable Photo Book

Printable Photo Book

There is a lot of people I need to thank for making this years Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest a success.

The Judges:
+ Andie DeWaard
+ Janae Erickson
+ Lisa Person

The Administrative Staff:
+ Teresa Kahler
+ Carla Stensland

The Pegboard Builders:
+ Andy Sharp
+ Jason Stensland

The Graphic Designer:
+ Monica Jennings

The Photo Display Team:
+ Dawn Krause
+ Jesse Howard
+ Monica Jennings
+ Graham Jennings

The Book Designer:
+ Michelle Haupt

The Best of Show & People’s Choice Award Creator:
+ Anonymous

The Merchants that hosted the photo entries:
+ Boone Theater (Teen and Adult Places)
+ Ema’s Elegance (Adult Animals)
+ The Houndstooth Haberdashery (Adult Trains, Planes, & Automobiles)
+ Infamous Ink (Adult Black & White)
+ The Lavender Basket (Adult Plants)
+ Paradox (Youth)
+ Studio 721 (Adult People)

I didn’t take as many pictures as I have in the past of the machinations of the Photo Contest but I did take a few.

Here are some from the Judging:


Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Judging went very smooth. There was some good and spirited debate from the judges and for the first time ever, had to engage in some tie-breakers. Including a tie-breaker for Best in Show.

I already have 2 of the judges picked out for next year. Still thinking on that third judge, for now. But I have a pretty good idea. Or at least a couple of candidates in mind.

Monica and I set up the photo displays on Thursday. Paradox and Studio 721 set up the displays themselves, which was a big help. Monica really put the displays together and I did the grunt work.

Here are some pictures of the displays:


Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

On Saturday Jesse and I tore down all the displays. On Sunday we transported them out to McHose Park. Graham and Monica met us out there and setup the tents and the display. Jesse and I sat out there in the pouring rain all day trying to keep the pictures dry.

Here are some pictures from Art in the Park:


Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest - 2023

Watching over the photo display at Art in the Park was a pretty cool experience, even if the conditions weren’t ideal. I got to meet and speak with a few of the photographers that I hadn’t met before. And I met one person that is interested in entering next year and another that is an artist that urged their friend to enter this year. I enjoyed all of those interactions.

After Art in the Park concluded Dawn and Nathanial helped tear down the display and the tents. Logan returned all the pictures that weren’t picked up at Art in the Park for me.

All things considered, it was a successful year. I’m not sure what changes I will make for next year, but I know I will need to add some new faces to the list of volunteers. That volunteer might be you!

WPC – WEEK 413 – NEGATIVE

WARNING! NEXT MONDAY I WILL BE ON THE ROAD, SO NEXT WEEK’S POST WILL PUBLISH LATE AND THERE MIGHT NOT BE ANY REMINDERS. PLAN ACCORDINGLY!

I need to start this post by wishing Russ a happy birthday. Happy birthday Russ!


Mother's Day - 2009

I hope you have lots of visitors today!

+++++++


I did have a late submission for SELF-PORTRAIT that I do need to share. A couple actually:


WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Vallunareju Norte – Peru)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Vallunareju Norte – Peru)

You might be asking yourself why Funk gets special privileges and can blow past the deadline and nobody else can? Because she is climbing a mountain in Peru! If you go climb a mountain in Peru, I will also let you miss the deadline. Maybe.

+++++++

NEGATIVE! An abstract and maybe demanding theme. But were there many people that could find some NEGATIVE in their life to make NEGATIVE into a positive theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, August 7, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Mary Green – 1 week
2-Sara Lockner – 1 week (3)
3-Becky Parmelee – 3 weeks
4-Willy McAlpine – 4 weeks
5-Mike Vest – 5 weeks
6-Suzie Brannen – 6 weeks
7-Sabas Hernandez – 6 weeks
8-Sheri Fakhouri – 8 weeks
9-Monica Jennings – 9 weeks
10-Logan Kahler – 9 weeks
11-Nathanial Brown – 10 weeks
12-Jesse Howard – 10 weeks (2)
13-Tamara Peterson – 13 weeks
14-Alexis Stensland – 18 weeks
15-Mindi Terrell – 25 weeks (3)
16-Brandon Kahler – 49 weeks
17-Linda Bennett – 54 weeks
18-Sarah Toot – 55 weeks (3)
19-Angie DeWaard – 59 weeks
20-Dawn Krause – 63 weeks (2)
21-Kim Barker – 69 weeks
22-Joe Duff – 70 weeks
23-Teresa Kahler – 81 weeks (3)
24-Carla Stensland – 81 weeks
25-Micky Augustin – 83 weeks
26-Andy Sharp – 84 weeks
27-Bill Wentworth – 85 weeks
28-Cathie Morton – 89 weeks
29-Elizabeth Nordeen – 90 weeks
30-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 92 weeks
31-Kio Dettman – 94 weeks
* Susanna Funk – 1 week

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 413 - NEGATIVE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Hickory Grove Park – Story County, Iowa) – 84 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (High Trestle Trail – Boone County, Iowa) – 93 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 70 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – 55 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 7 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Iowa State Fair – Des Moines, Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 95 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 60 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Dallas, Texas) – 71 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 9 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Des Moines, Iowa) – 10 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 50 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Iowa) – 10 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa) – 82 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 64 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 91 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - TAMARA PTERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 14 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 85 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 19 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 82 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 26 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 56 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE -
Mike Vest (Iowa) – 6 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 86 weeks

WEEK 413 - NEGATIVE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Orpheum Theater – Minneapolis, Minnesota)

29 participants! Subtracting last week’s 33 participants, creates a negative 4. But 29 is still pretty good considering it is somewhat of an abstract theme.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

33 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 60% of the way there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Vallunareju Norte – Peru
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I took my picture 226 miles from my front door. But in a state that has already been marked. I continue to not contribute.

The big milestones this week were Monica and Logan reaching The Double Digit Streak Club. WooHoo! Mindi reached The Half Year Streak Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Becky’s 3 week streak ended. Willy’s 4 week streak is gone. Sabas’ 6 week streak is no more.

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 414 - ART
ART

ART! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is an ART photo? Simply put, it is a picture of an existing piece of ART. You could simply find a piece of ART and stand back and take a picture of it. But I would urge you to take an ARTistic look at a piece of an ART. Take a picture of it from a different angle. Take a picture of only part of the picture. Take a picture of it in its environment. Other possibilities are to take pictures of an ARTist making a piece of ART or tools made in the creation of ART. There are just so many possibilities.

While considering possible subject for your submission, meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt your ART submission will be a new piece of ART all its own:

Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.
-Stella Adler

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 NEGATIVE in this place that started with a pile of negatives next Monday.