Category Archives: Evie

Post 5,005

I need to start this milestone post by wishing Elainie a happy birthday!


Day 57 - February 26, 2022
Happy birthday Elainie!

I hope your birthday is amazing!!

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Today is also Layla’s birthday!


Day 278 - October 5, 2021
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAYLA!

I hope you have an awesome birthday!

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Can you believe that this is the 5,005th entry in the blog known as “An Artist’s Notebook”? Every 250 posts or so I like to take a moment to reflect on where this post has been and post a lot of meaningless stats. I meant to post this post on Sunday night when it would have been Post #5,000, but you know how my week went. Not great.

As always on these posts, I like to start by quoting the very first “An Artist’s Notebook” entry that published on August 9, 2006. That first post that published 6,296 days.

That post that started with these words:

So here is the first journal entry. I felt like having as pretentious sounding name as possible for my journal. I have a few goals about this journal. My main goal is just to actually write in it. My second goal is to be as truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings. I have another journal on another website, but it is really just a collection of sarcastic statements and cheap jabs at open faced sandwiches. This journal is meant to be about what my achievements and failures are in the world of art. What projects I am working on and what I have accomplished and what I have failed to accomplish. What I am photographing and what I am thinking about entering in photo contests. What I am thinking about. It might not always make sense. It might just be things I need to write down because they strike me as poignant or inspirational. This is in a small way an online “idea box”.

Since those words, I have posted 5,005 journal entries. (Normally I would do this little exercise on post #4,750, but I was in Vegas at that time.) This website is still something of an “idea box”. Sometimes I’m just working stuff out here. I don’t know why, sometimes I need to work stuff out in public. But this website is definitely more than just an “idea box”. It is a place where I post a few thoughts and a ton of pictures. I’ve gone through a few photo projects on these pages. From THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT to the 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT to THE SELFIE PROJECT to the POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT to name just a few. This website has also created a community with THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Which is one of my proudest achievements. Even if it sputtered and spit and barely survived in its first few years.

5,005 posts. I can’t even measure the elevation changes my life have taken since then. Major ups. Major downs. Peaks and valleys. 5,005 posts and I vow to keep on chugging along.

On these reflective posts, I like to publish a bunch of statistics that me and Joe Duff find interesting. So I might as well get to it.

Every post in “An Artist’s Notebook” is tagged with at least one Category. It is one of the easiest ways to navigate around the website. They are listed at the top of each post. Here are some statistics about Categories:

THE TOP 10 MOST USED CATEGORIES (RANK IN POST #4757 & INCREASE SINCE THEN)
10. Carla – 582 (#8 – +52)
9. Teresa – 590 (#9 – +65)
8. Road Trip – 611 (#6 – +42)
7. Macro – 627 (#10 – +132)
6. Formal Portrait – 638 (NR)
5. Jesse – 684 (#4 – +54)
4. Art – 744 (#5 – +122)
3. Animals – 790 (#3 – +65)
2. Flowers – 958 (#2 – +77)
1. Black & White – 1,212 (#1 – +220)

Dropping from the from the Top 10 was Shannon, a category that was #7 in Post #4757.

The 5 categories that have the best shot at making the Top 10 in Post #5,250 are Shannon, Nature, WPC-Submissions, and Candid Portrait.

It should be noted that some of these increases are caused by my working on the categories on some older posts.

THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Photoshop – 432 (#10 – +43)
9. Candid Portrait – 475 (NR)
8. Nature – 538 (+101 – #8)
7. Road Trip – 611 (#5 – +42)
6. Macro – 627 (#6 – +132)
5. Formal Portrait – 638 (#8 – +191)
4. Art – 744 (#5 – +122)
3. Animals – 790 (#3 – +65)
2. Flowers – 958 (#2 – +77)
1. Black & White – 1,212 (#1 – +220)

WPC-Submission fell out of the Top 10. It was ranked #7 in Post #4757.

The categories that are just right outside of the Top 10 are Still Life, Naima, History, and Self-Portrait and Christianity.

THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Vest – 350 (NR)
9. Jay – 353 (#6 – +5)
8. Micky – 359 (NR)
7. Logan – 380 (#9 – +61)
6. Kim – 395 (#7 – +53)
5. Mom – 464 (#5 – +6)
4. Shannon – 576 (#2 – +37)
3. Carla – 582 (#3 – +52)
2. Teresa – 590 (#4 – +65)
1. Jesse – 684 (#1 – +54)

Dropping from the rankings was Willy and Derrick.

The categories that have the best shot at cracking the next Top 10 are Willy, Derrick, Jen, Andy, and Sara.

If you are wondering what is your best way to improve your Photography 139 Score and crack the Top 10, it is simply to be active in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE or go on trips with me or participate in various other photo projects or be related to me. Now these aren’t necessarily the 10 people that have influenced my photography the most, but these are the 10 people that have made the largest imprint on this website.

I can tell you the people that have influenced my photography the most, but that is a tale for another time. But I’m pretty sure you can guess who.

If you have spent any time on the Photography 139 website, you know that on the left sidebar, the “Top 100 Categories” are listed. I thought I would give a little bit of coverage to the Bottom 10 of the Top 100. There are currently 203 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but they are mostly people that either very recently came into the life of this website by birth (Jonah Kahler) or another way (Nathanial, Mindi, Fran). Or people that I thought would be a bigger part of my life and then weren’t. No need to cover those people. The Category that is #203 probably needs to be purged.


THE BOTTOM 10 OF THE TOP 100

#10. Andree – 77
#10. Flat Earth Joe – 77
#10. Self-Portrait Project – 77
#9. Photo Journal – 79
#8. Commercial – 83
#7. Sabas – 84
#6. Becca – 89
#3. Pufferbilly Days – 91
#3. Pastor Sarah – 91
#3. House – 91
#1. Faust – 92
#1. Writing – 92

The following categories have either fallen out of the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 or climbed out of it:
Kelly, Lowell, and Suzie.

The following categories have the best shot at dropping back into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Sarah Toot, Lowell, Suzie, Russell, and Nate

The following categories have the best shot at climbing up into the Bottom 10 of the Top 10:
Layla, Kelly, Vacation, Saydie, and Kalista

“An Artist’s Notebook” is part of Photography 139. The 139 comes from Psalm 139:1-12. The Photography part comes from the fact this website is supposed to be filled with photography. So, what are the most popular photo galleries on the Photography 139 website? Glad you asked:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERIES (LAST 365 DAYS)

To View the Gallery, Click on its Representative Image

Now I don't want your sympathy
10. Naima – 64,796 views

Tenderloin Trail 2.0 - Stumble Inn
9. Tenderloining – 75,558 views

9 Emotions Project - Elainie
8. 9 Emotions Project – 81,405 views

Day 267 - September 24, 2022
7. Selfie-Project – 2022 – 88,632 views

Rodan139: Water Works Park
6. Drone – 99,708 views

WEEK 364 - COLORFUL - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
5. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 9 – 108,852 views

Anita, Iowa
4. Town Sign Project – 118,563 views

Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Las Vegas 2023 – 169,257 views

Plymouth County - Le Mars
2. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 219,546 views

WEEK 414 - ART - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
1. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 10 – 323,781 views

Galleries that fell out of the Top 10 are:
Christopher D. Bennett, Miami Beach, Jayton Poole, and Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020

Galleries that fell just outside of the Top 10 are:
Sleeping Angels – 2023, Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 6, Photo Journal Rejects, Iowa State Cyclones Football – 2008, and Christopher D. Bennett.

But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.

Top 10 Photography 139 Images

Sleeping Angels Fun Run - 2023
10. Sleeping Angels Fun Run – 2,772 views

Maven's Birthday Party - 2022
9. Maven’s Birthday Party – 2022 – 2,820 views

Community Thanksgiving - 2022
8. Boone FUMC Thanksgiving – 2022 – 3,073 views

Color the Wind - 2023
7. Color the Wind – 2023 – 3,149 views

Celtic Dancing - Renaissance Fair - 2022
6. Renaissance Fair – 2022 – 3,302 views

Fran & Pepper - 2022
5. Fran and Pepper – 3,687 views

World Food Festival - 2022
4. World Food Festival – 2022 – 3,754 views

Howards - 2022
3. Howards – 2022 – 3,976 views

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023
2. 2023 Barbecue Contests – 4,168 views

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
1. Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship – 18,045 views

If you are interested in checking out some of the milestone posts of the past, I got you. Click on any of the links below to check them out:

Post 1
Post 750
Post 850
Post 1,000
Post 1,101
Post 1,200
Post 1,447
Post 1,718
Post 2,500
Post 3,000
Post 3,252
Post 3,751
Post 4,000
Post 4,250
Post 4,500
Post 4,757

I think that is enough. We will check back in, in another 245 posts.

WPC – WEEK 423 – VINTAGE

NOTE: – 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 Jonah’s birthday, so I need to wish him a happy birthday:


Canvas No. 76
Happy birthday Jonah!

I hope it is an amazing birthday!

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VINTAGE! Many people are into old stuff. But are enough people into it enough to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, October 216, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Lori Backous – 1 week
2-Pepper Duncan – 1 week
3-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
4-Susanna Funk – 1 week
5-Derrick Gorshe – 1 week
6-Evie Gorshe – 1 week
7-Layla Gorshe – 1 week
8-Mary Green – 1 week
9-Sara Lockner – 1 week
10-Amy Peterson – 1 week
11-Alexis Stensland – 1 week
12-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks
13-Elainie Hernandez – 3 weeks
14-Scott Degeneffe – 8 weeks
15-Sabas Hernandez – 9 weeks
16-Willy McAlpine – 9 weeks
17-Mike Vest – 15 weeks
18-Sheri Fakhouri – 18 weeks
19-Monica Jennings – 19 weeks
20-Logan Kahler – 19 weeks
21-Nathanial Brown – 20 weeks
22-Jesse Howard – 20 weeks
23-Tamara Peterson – 23 weeks
24-Mindi Terrell – 35 weeks
25-Brandon Kahler – 59 weeks
26-Linda Bennett – 64 weeks
27-Sarah Toot – 65 weeks
28-Angie DeWaard – 69 weeks
29-Dawn Krause – 73 weeks
30-Kim Barker – 79 weeks
31-Joe Duff – 80 weeks
32-Teresa Kahler – 91 weeks
33-Carla Stensland – 91 weeks
34-Micky Augustin – 93 weeks
35-Andy Sharp – 94 weeks
36-Bill Wentworth – 95 weeks
37-Cathie Morton – 99 weeks
38-Elizabeth Nordeen – 100 weeks
39-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 102 weeks
40-Kio Dettman – 104 weeks

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 423 - VINTAGE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 70 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Nebraska) – 96 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Riviera Maya Mexico) – 103 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 24 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Disney Springs, Florida) – 100 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 65 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE -  ADAM GORDON
Adam Gordon (Vicksburg, Mississippi)- 1 week

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE -  ADAM GORDON
Adam Gordon (Vicksburg, Mississippi)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE -  ADAM GORDON
Adam Gordon (Vicksburg, Mississippi)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone County, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Tybee Island, Georgia) – 19 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Tybee Island, Georgia)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 36 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Boone County, Iowa) – 21 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 80 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 101 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Don Williams Park – Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 81 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 105 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 66 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa)- 94 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - ELAINIE STENSLAND
Elainie Hernandez (Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Riverside Bible Camp – Story City, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Riverside Bible Camp – Story City, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Riverside Bible Camp – Story City, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Spain) – 10 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 74 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 95 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Don Williams Park – Boone County, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 20 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Clive, Iowa)

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - EVIE GORSHE
Evie Gorshe (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - HARRISON GORSHE
Harrison Gorshe (Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 10 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE -BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 60 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Center Grove Orchard – Cambridge, Iowa) – 21 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 20 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Noel, Missouri) – 16 weeks

WEEK 423 - VINTAGE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 9 weeks

36 participants! That is a great week! And with Adam’s submissions from Mississippi, there is another stated added to the Photography 139 submission map!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Mexico
+ Mississippi
+ Missouri
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ 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
+ Mississippi
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Hampshire
+ New Jersey
+ New Mexico
+ 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

40 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 75% of the way there! Every continental state west of the Mississippi is now accounted for.

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
+ Rome, Italy
+ Cannes, France
+ Koper, Slovenia

There were a few milestones this week and 1 major one! Cathie joins the Triple Digit Club! WooHoo! Sabas and Willy joined the Double Digit Club! WooHoo! Plus the first every submission from Adam. I don’t know that it will continue, but maybe it will. You never know.

But it wasn’t all good times. A ton of streaks and wannabe streaks bit the dust. Lori, Pepper, Funk, Derrick, Layla, and Amy couldn’t make it 2 weeks in a row. Suzie’s 2 week streak is also history.

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 424 - FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM
FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM – SUGGESTED BY ANDY SHARP

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM! What a great them for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM image? It is simply a picture that deals with your FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM. It doesn’t have to be of the team in action. A picture of article of clothing or the stadium they play in or any form of memorabilia. While I wouldn’t make a rule against, I would suggest doing more than just taking a picture of them playing on the television. Find something else that represents the team. It doesn’t have to be a professional or college sports team. Maybe your Tuesday night bowling team is your favorite team. Or maybe that Little League team you played for when you were 9 was your favorite team. Maybe the rec league basketball team is your favorite team. Maybe your son’s middle school soccer team is your favorite team.

I know many of you don’t even like sports. In that case, just take out the word “sports” and capture a picture that suggests your favorite team.

When considering a way to capture your FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM, meditate on the following quote and I have not doubt you will capture a great image:

I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.
-Earl Warren

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 FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM in this place that is a Cyclones fan site next Monday.

Iowa State Fair Food Carousel

As I started looking through these pictures, I realize that I should have published this collection much earlier as the memory has become a bit foggy since the Iowa State Fair, which was 2 months ago. Something to remember for next year.

This food adventure is a collection of all the food I ate at the Iowa State Fair. I made 4 trips to the Iowa State Fair. One with Jen, Evie, and Layla. Another with Scottie D., Melissa, Austin, and Porter. Another one with Monica, Graham, Sabas, and Elainie. Then a final one with Jesse and Nader.

I ate a lot, so we better get to it!


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

The first thing I had was the Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Man-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese. Here is the description:

The Rib Shack’s signature Bacon Brisket Mac and Cheese is slathered between layers of American cheese and two slices of What’s Your Cheez Bacon Cheddar Bread. It is then deep-fried until golden brown and served with a signature raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce.

This was one of the 3 Finalists for Best New State Fair Food. Here are more pictures of it:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

I could only get Evie to take a nibble of it. This sandwich was pretty disappointing. It was bland and lifeless. The only thing that saved it was the raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce. However, it wasn’t the worst Best New Fair Food Finalist.

It was a short day at the Fair and the only other thing I had was ice cream:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

You know my policy on ice cream, so no reason to get into that.

On my next day at the Fair, the only food I purchased was the Grinder Ball from The Bacon Box. It was also a finalist for Best New State Fair Food.

Here is the description:

The Grinder Ball is a blend of bacon balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese, wrapped in bacon, rotisserie smoked and dipped in warm marinara sauce. The Grinder Ball is The Bacon Box’s new signature gluten-free take on the traditional State Fair Grinder.

Here are some pictures:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

No reason to sugar coat it, this thing sucked. Just absolutely terrible. Easily the worst food I had at the fair.

I didn’t purchase anything else, but the Roland-Story FFA gave Scottie D. and I some peach cobbler:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Seriously amazing. Maybe the best thing I had at the Iowa State Fair.

I also had some of Melissa’s Dill Pickle Flavored Cheese Curds from Brad & Harry’s Cheese Curds:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

These were great and I would definitely have again!

On my 3rd trip to the Fair, I started out with the Iowa Twinkie.

Here is the description:

“A Texas staple with an Iowa twist.” A smoked bacon-wrapped jalapeno stuffed with pulled pork, sweet corn, cream cheese and ranch seasoning. It is then glazed with Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ & Brew house-made Sweet + Sticky BBQ sauce and drizzled with house-made ranch dressing.

Here are some pictures:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

I voted for the Iowa Twinkie for the Best New Fair Food, but the Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese won. At least that awful Grinder Ball didn’t win.

As you know, I’m a big fan of the Italian Grinder. I’m still sad when I think about the loss of Jennie’s Grinders which was always my go to when I went to the Iowa State Fair until Jennie passes away a few years ago. I decided to give Aunt Mary’s Italian Grinders a shot.


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

It was a solid grinder, but as those of us in the grinder biz say: INJGG. It’s Not Jennie’s Grinders Grinder. But I would get it again.

That was the final thing I ate on my third trip from the Iowa State Fair.

On my 4th trip to the Iowa State Fair, the temperature was off the charts hot. heat index was over 100 degrees, which isn’t great for appetite. So I mostly just drank a ton of water. I mean a ton of water. But I did eat a couple things.

The first thing I tried was the Dough Crazy Sweet Stick from Dough Crazy.


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

While this thing was delicious, I don’t think I would get it again. It was actually TOO much. This was complete sugar overload.

Then I grabbed an Iowa State Fair staple on my way out the door. The Pork Chop on a Stick:


Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

Iowa State Fair Food - 2023

There was lots of successful eating at this year’s Iowa State Fair. I’m already excited to go back next year and eat some more!

Next Sunday’s food adventure will involve breakfast up in Minnesota!

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.

Iowa State Fair Power Rankings

When this publishes I will be in possession of my Iowa State Fair Photo Contest entries. So at this time, I can lift the blackout on what pictures I entered and what picture was accepted for display. I assume that everybody honored my social media blackout of my picture. And I thank you for that.

Here are the pictures I submitted. The one that got some love and the ones that were told “Get out of here kid! You have no future!”.


2023 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon -
Not Selected for Display

2023 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon -
Not Selected for Display

2023 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon -
Honorable Mention – Color People

2023 Iowa State Fair Photography Salon -
Not Selected for Display

I wasn’t the only person in this little circle of trust that had pictures displayed at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. Logan had two pictures displayed and one of his pictures got a little love on the Iowa State Fair Show on IPTV. Nathanial and Angie both got 3 pictures in and got Honorable Mentions in the Sports class.

I hope more people I know enter again next year. Layla expressed interest in entering. I hope Vest gets back in the game too. I also wonder if Carla won’t consider entering. She is going to enter the Clay County Fair Photo Contest this year.

As for me, I probably start getting organized for next year’s contest. Start a folder of possible entries right now. Maybe I could even break a long standing tradition and have people help pick my submissions. I did give some feedback to Angie, Logan, and Nathanial on their possible entries. Maybe I could do the same. Stranger things have happened.

+++++++

On Tuesday as we were leaving the Iowa State Fair after the barbecue contest, Scottie D. asked me why I loved the Iowa State Fair. So I thought I would give a list of things I love about the Iowa State Fair:


State Fair Power Rankings - Food
#10. Food

I’m sure most people would rank food higher on their list. I do love the food at the Iowa State Fair, but it isn’t actually one of the main attractions for me. I used to have a go-to where I would always get a grinder from Jennie’s Grinder, but Jennie passed away several years ago and I have never found a replacement. There is a “grinder” place near where Jennie’s used to be that sells “Gizmos”. But they aren’t anywhere near the same. Starting with the fact that they don’t use sausage, they use beef. Blah! There is a different grinder place at the State Fair, but I will get into that at a later date.

I also used to get a turkey leg from the Iowa Turkey Federation, but I’ve fallen out of love with the turkey leg. It is just not that much food for the price and it is just too darn messy. But it is very photogenic. Hard to beat a picture with a giant turkey leg.


#9 – People Watching

It is hard to beat the Iowa State Fair for people watching. It truly is a crossroads of all of humanity. You can just post up on a bench anywhere and for hours fascinating things and people walking by.



#8 – Shows

I love the fact that there is so much free entertainment everywhere in the Fair. From concerts on the free stages to chainsaw sculpture artists to the bands playing in Pioneer Hall to the entertainers that are roaming the fairgrounds. There are hypnotists to musicians to jugglers to things that kind of defy description.



#7 – Animals

From the lunkers in the DNR Building to the Biggest Bull to the Biggest Boar to the Avenue of the Breeds I love checking out the animals. And such a wide variety. From turtles to ducks to rabbits to cows to sheep to pigs to chickens to ostriches to elk to horses there is an incredible variety to check out.



#6 – Art

There so much amazing art to check out at the Fair. From sweet murals to sculptures to interactive art displays to sand sculptures to hay sculptures to butter sculptures to so much more.



#5 – Flowers

It is well documented that the Discovery Garden is one of my favorite places at the Iowa State Fair. However, it isn’t the only place to check-out flowers and do some flowertography at the fair. There are 27 flowerbeds and 13,000 flowers. Roses, vinca, zinnias, marigolds… oh my!



#4 – Contests

Obviously I’m partial to the Photography Salon, but there is literally a contest for everybody at the Iowa State Fair. From the barbecue contest to the Ugly Cake Contest to the Big Pumpkin Contest to pie eating to husband calling to the chicken calling to the cow chip throwing to rubber chicken throwing to outhouse racing to horseshoes to crocheting to the 4-H to FFA to the Bill Reilly Talent Show! There are 178 canning categories to enter alone!



#3 – Photo Opportunities

I love street photography! Any place where there is great people watching, art, flowers, animals, and food… to name just a few… you know there is going to be photo opportunities every where you look!



#2 – Tradition

I love the tradition of the State Fair. I have many personal traditions I have every year at the Fair. Some are to remind me of others (such as the Scottish Highland at the Avenue of the Breeds) and some are relatively new (such as going to watch Evie and Layla dance). I have a list of things that I have to do every year. And those are my traditions.



#1 – Family

Going to the State Fair is something that reminds me of family. Both biological and the family I don’t share DNA with. This year I saw Logan and Amanda there. Elainie and Sabas. At one time I was going to go with Teresa and/or Carla before plans fell through. Logan entered the Photo Contest this year. Which is a family tradition. My Dad used to enter the photo contest. Winning the Slide Category one year. My parents both used to volunteer in Pioneer Hall and had a booth there as well.

This year I also met up with the extended family of the Gorshes and the Degeneffes and the Jennings. Nader and Jesse as well. Well maybe, Nader. It is supposed to be in the ballpark of triple digits today, so as of the writing of this entry it is unclear if he ended up punking out.

I might make these power rankings a new Iowa State Fair tradition! Until next year’s Fair!

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest – 2023

This weekend is Pufferbilly Days. So all the work the me and so many others have put into the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest is now on display and will also be on display tomorrow at Art in the Park.

I will get into all the people that helped and the fact that entries more than doubled for the 2nd straight year at a later date.

But here is a look at the winners:

YOUTH – TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES

#111
1ST TPA: Emarose Davis-In the Air

#102
2ND TPA: Kayelee Burns – Welcome to Boone

#89
3RD TPA: Brantlee Staebler – Wing Cart

YOUTH – PLANTS

#116
1ST PLANTS: Daphne Harris-Up to the Sky

#96
2ND PLANTS: Trevor Upah – Tulips

#97
3RD PLANTS: Trevor Upah – Vines

YOUTH – PLACES

#92
1ST PLACES: Layla Gorshe-City Sky

#93
2ND PLACES: Layla Gorshe – Hudson Yards

#90
3RD PLACES: Evie Gorshe – The Inbetween

YOUTH – PEOPLE

#108
1ST PEOPLE: Emarose Davis – Kitten Love

#95
2ND PEOPLE: Trevor Upah – Mom and Scarlett

#86
3RD PEOPLE: Brantlee Staebler – I’m Happy

YOUTH – BLACK & WHITE

#99
1ST BLACK & WHITE: Kayelee Burns – Hungry Bee

#107
2ND BLACK & WHITE: Emarose Davis – Sheep on the Cliff

#112
3RD BLACK & WHITE: Daphne Harris – Dragonfly

YOUTH – ANIMALS

#103
1ST ANIMALS: Hazel Davis – Kitty Cat

#113
2ND ANIMALS: Daphne Harris – Duck Duck

#106
3RD OVERALL: Emarose Davis-In the Air

YOUTH OVERALL

#92
1ST OVERALL: Layla Gorshe-City Sky

#116
2ND OVERALL: Daphne Harris-Up to the Sky

#111
3RD OVERALL: Emarose Davis-In the Air

TEEN – PLANTS

#79
1ST PLANTS: Noah Davis – Flowers

#120
2ND PLANTS: Tommy Williams – Moss on Tree

TEEN – PLACES

#121
1ST PLACES: Tommy Williams – Light Shining through Corridor at ISU

#83
2nd PLACES: Simon Enabnit – My Backyard

TEEN – BLACK & WHITE

#118
1ST BLACK & WHITE: Tommy Williams – Barbed Wire with Clouds

#75
2ND BLACK & WHITE: Emma Wiebold – Crossroads Motel

#77
3RD BLACK & WHITE: Emma Wiebold – Evil Mabel

TEEN – ANIMALS

#76
1ST OVERALL: Emma Wiebold – Hen in Clover

#81
2ND ANIMALS: Simon Enabnit – Playful Kitty

#82
3RD ANIMALS: Simon Enabnit -Why, Hello There

TEEN OVERALL

#76
1ST OVERALL: Emma Wiebold – Hen in Clover

#118
2ND OVERALL: Tommy Williams – Barbed Wire with Clouds

#121
3RD OVERALL: Tommy Williams – Light Shining through Corridor at ISU

ADULT – TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES

#74
1ST TPA: Nathanial Brown – Sun Up to Sun Down

#67
2ND TPA: Alex Grimes – 102 Seconds of Building

#58
3RD TPA: John Roberts – Fast Colors

ADULT – PLANTS

#17
1ST PLANTS: Savannah Martin-Dawn of the Dahlia

#3
2ND PLANTS: Monica Jennings – Corn Rows

#27
3RD PLANTS: Jolene Bowman – Haze

ADULT – PLACES

#72
1ST PLACES: Nathanial Brown – Narrow Pass

#41
2ND PLACES: Logan Kahler – Quiet Curve

#35
3RD PLACES: Dawn Krause – Iron Mountain Road

ADULT – PEOPLE

#73
1ST PEOPLE: Nathanial Brown – Burning the Midnight Oil

#66
2ND PEOPLE: Alex Grimes – Tattoos as Rings

#70
3RD PEOPLE: Nathanial Brown – Ride Fast

ADULT – BLACK & WHITE

#39
1ST BLACK & WHITE: Logan Kahler – Veiled Beauty

#16
2ND BLACK & WHITE: Savannah Martin – Shattered Dreams

#71
3RD BLACK & WHITE: Nathanial Brown – Sold Out

ADULT – ANIMALS

#49
1ST ANIMALS: JoAnne Korpi – Mr. Will on the Hill

#26
2ND ANIMALS: Allison Kayser – Froggy Feeder

#56
3RD ANIMALS: John Roberts – Reflection? Nope

ADULT – OVERALL

#73
1ST OVERALL: Nathanial Brown – Burning the Midnight Oil

#49
2ND OVERALL: JoAnne Korpi – Mr. Will on the Hill

#39
3RD OVERALL: Logan Kahler – Veiled Beauty

BEST IN SHOW

#73
Nathanial Brown – Burning the Midnight Oil

The only thing left to determine in the People’s Choice Award. If you are interested in voting, first go here to see ALL the entries:

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Entries – 2023

Then go here to vote:

People’s Choice Award Poll

Choose wisely.

WPC – WEEK 410 – GUILTY PLEASURE

Today is Dahlia’s birthday so I need to wish her a happy birthday. Happy birthday Dahlia!


Easter - 2022

Enjoy life without spreadsheets and emails and meetings and call centers and bills and jobs as long as you possibly can!

+++++++

This is your reminder that if you are interested in entering the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest, the deadline is Friday:



I’ve already heard from a few of you that you are entering and I am excited. Hopefully this is a popular year for the photo contest!

+++++++

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 7 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.

Are there resolution requirements for submissions?

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

What format should my submission be?

.JPG but .PNG also works.

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

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

+++++++

You are probably wondering if you are every going to get to see this week’s submissions. It is one of my GUILTY PLEASURE(s) to make you wait. But were there a ton of people that were willing to share the shame of their GUILTY PLEASURE with all of us? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

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

1-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
2-Scott Degeneffe – 2 weeks
3-Mary Green – 2 weeks (3)
4-Mike Vest – 2 weeks
5-Suzie Brannen – 3 weeks
6-Sabas Hernandez – 3 weeks
7-Sheri Fakhouri – 5 weeks
8-Monica Jennings – 6 weeks (2)
9-Logan Kahler – 6 weeks (2)
10-Nathanial Brown – 7 weeks
11-Jesse Howard – 7 weeks
12-Tamara Peterson – 10 weeks
13-Alexis Stensland – 15 weeks (3)
14-Mindi Terrell – 22 weeks (3)
15-Brandon Kahler – 47 weeks
16-Linda Bennett – 51 weeks
17-Sarah Toot – 52 weeks (2)
18-Angie DeWaard – 56 weeks
19-Dawn Krause – 60 weeks
20-Kim Barker – 66 weeks
21-Joe Duff – 67 weeks (2)
22-Teresa Kahler – 78 weeks (2)
23-Carla Stensland – 78 weeks (2)
24-Micky Augustin – 80 weeks
25-Andy Sharp – 81 weeks
26-Bill Wentworth – 82 weeks
27-Cathie Morton – 86 weeks
28-Elizabeth Nordeen – 87 weeks
29-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 89 weeks
30-Kio Dettman – 91 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 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 81 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Sommerset, Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Iowa) – 67 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone County Fair – Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 52 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (J.C. Newman Cigar Company – Tampa, Florida) – 8 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (John’s Pass – Treasure Island – Florida)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Near Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 57 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 68 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE -EVIE GORSHE
Evie Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Clive, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Ames, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 7 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 48 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone County Fair – Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 79 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Infamous Ink – Boone, Iowa) – 61 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Road to Newton, Iowa) – 87 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 88 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 1 week

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 11 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 82 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 16 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 79 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 23 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Maryland) – 53 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Maryland)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Maryland)

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Iowa) – 3 weeks

WEEK 410 - GUILTY PLEASURE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 83 weeks

35 participants!! WooHoo! Another great week! Nearly tying a record currently held by FLOWER. Lots of guilty people out there! Also exciting is that thanks to Sarah Toot’s travelling ways, we’ve added Maryland to the map!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Florida
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Maryland
+ Nebraska
+ 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 Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

32 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
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I took my picture about 1 mile from my front door, so I continue not to contribute.

The big milestones this week were Evie had her first submission of the year! WooHoo! Linda joined the 1 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! Another exciting development was that there were no streaks broken this week. WooHoo!

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 411 - LIQUID
LIQUID – SUGGESTED BY SARAH TOOT

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

But what exactly is a LIQUID image? Simply put it is an image where the subject or a major compositional element is a LIQUID. And there are so many LIQUID(s) out there. From water to Jones Soda to AE Chocolate Milk to Jagermeister to some kinds of soap to lotion. There are just so many possibilities!

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

Time is liquid. One moment is no more important than any other and all moments quickly run away.
-Kurt Vonnegut

I look forward to 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 GUILTY PLEASURE in this place that will hold only a little bit of judgment on your pleasures next Monday.

Viva Las Vegas: Day 2

Day 2 in Las Vegas for the CMC was a long one. I only had a chance to take pictures before I went to the Planet Hollywood conference rooms for what would end up being an almost 13 hour work day. I’m a little bit embarrassed to say that I was about halfway through Day 2 before I realized that there was a 2 hour time difference between Las Vegas and Iowa and not a one hour time difference.

I started the day by walking down to a nearby CVS to look for some Las Vegas stickers and postcards. Maybe some breakfast. I didn’t find any stickers but I bought some post cards and a package of Zingers for breakfast. That was about $3.00.

After walking around a little bit I went to Planet Hollywood. Once there I stared at the walls of the same conference room for pretty much forever. It didn’t help that the temperature in the room was approximately 120 degrees.

After we finally got done with the setup, Lowell and I ended up back at the Linq Promenade and had supper at In-n-Out. Supper cost about $15 and was much better than Bobby Flay’s burger from the night before. It was so packed inside we had to eat outside in the cold. It was cold pretty much every day in Las Vegas.

I think we might have went back and hung out with some other miners in the Heart Bar, which is the bar in the middle of the Planet Hollywood Casino floor. It was this bar that became my marker for figuring out how to get out of the casino and how to find the elevators to my room.

I started the day with an estimated $258 in the Per Diem Fund.

Breakfast: $3
Lunch: I’m not allowed to talk about it.
Supper: $15

Estimated Per Diem Fund Balance: $240

Here are some of the pictures I took that day:


Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunrise from my room.

Las Vegas, Nevada
Paris

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada
Seriously so hot and such terrible carpet.

According to the highly inaccurate fitness app on my phone, I walked 14,843 steps for a total of 6.93 miles on Day 2.

More pictures from this trip still to come.

+++++++

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


WEEK 393 - COMPETITION
COMPETITION

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

But what is a COMPETITION image? It is simply an image of beings engaged in some kind of contest. Or it can be a picture of something that is used in a COMPETITION. Like a bowling ball. Or it can be a picture of the result of a COMPETITION. Like a trophy. There are so many possibilities!

This isn’t the first time COMPETITION has been a theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Here are some examples of previous submissions:


WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 154- COMPETITION - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley (Morton)

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 154 - COMPETITION - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

Hope this provides some inspiration for some people.

Happy photo harvesting!

Weekly Photo Challenge Year 9 Review

Thought I would take a quick look back at Year 9 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

Here are a few quick stats:

+ 44 different participants
+ 1811 photos submitted
+ Least popular theme for participation was ROCK with 16 participants
+ Most popular theme for participation was SELF-PORTRAIT with 31 participants
+ Least popular theme for submissions was ROCK with 20 submissions
+ Most popular theme for submission was LINES with 51 submissions
+ The average week had 24.6 participants
+ The average week had 34.8 submissions

If you want to look back at all 1811 images that were submitted this year, click on the link below:

Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 9

Michelle once told me that her kids think that THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is a contest and they always ask her if she “won” this week. It isn’t a contest and I’m not really sure art should compete against other art (yes I run and enter photo contests), but I thought I would share my favorite picture from all 44 participants this year:


WEEK 332 - TRIANGLE - ROBYN AUGUSTIN
Robyn Augustin
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 1
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - TIM CUCULIC
Tim Cuculic
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 1
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 339 - GOVERNMENT - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 3
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 361 - FAMILY - BROOKLYN ERB
Brooklyn Erb
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 1
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 354 - SELF-PORTRAIT - DERRICK GORSHE
Derrick Gorshe
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 1
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 364 - COLORFUL - STEVE MARTIN
Steve Martin
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 2
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 374 - STRONG - MYRIAH SHARP
Myriah Sharp
Weeks Participated: 1 – 2%
Submissions: 1
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 354 - SELF-PORTRAIT - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim
Weeks Participated: 2 – 4%
Submissions: 2
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 354 - SELF-PORTRAIT - LORI BACKOUS
Lori Backous
Weeks Participated: 3 – 6%
Submissions: 3
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 340 - ABSTRACT - HARRISON GORSHE
Gorshe Twins
Weeks Participated: 3 – 6%
Submissions: 3
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 341 - SHADOW - LAYLA GORSHE
Layla Gorshe
Weeks Participated: 8 – 15%
Submissions: 8
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 375 - COMMUNICATION - SARAH KARBER
Sarah Karber
Weeks Participated: 10 weeks 19%
Submissions: 10
Current Streak: 1 week

WEEK 377 - ANIMAL - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe
Weeks Participated: 16 weeks – 31%
Submissions: 17
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 351 - FLOWER - EVIE GORSHE
Evie Gorshe
Weeks Participated: 18 weeks – 35%
Submissions: 18
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 342 - FRAMED - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest
Weeks Participated: 19 weeks – 37%
Submissions: 19
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 380 - EXPLORE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine
Weeks Participated: 21 weeks – 40%
Submissions: 23
Current Streak: 7

WEEK 371 - LINES - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez
Weeks Participated: 23 – 44%
Submissions: 23
Current Streak: 3

WEEK 365 - GREEN - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler
Weeks Participated: 24 weeks – 46%
Submissions: 24
Current Streak: 20

WEEK 363 - CIRCLE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot
Weeks Participated: 24 – 46%
Submissions: 37
Current Streak: 24 weeks

WEEK 360 - PEOPLE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green
Weeks Participated: 26 – 50%
Submissions: 66
Current Streak: 1

WEEK 365 - GREEN - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner
Weeks Participated: 32 – 62%
Submissions: 43
Current Streak: 1

WEEK 353 - SERVICE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee
Weeks Participated: 32 – 62%
Submissions: 36
Current Streak: 3

WEEK 379 - WATER - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen
Weeks Participated: 35 weeks – 67%
Submissions: 38
Current Streak: 0

WEEK 364 - COLORFUL - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard
Weeks Participated: 36 – 69%
Submissions: 44
Current Streak: 28

WEEK 362 - WEEKENDS - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard
Weeks Participated: 40 – 77%
Submissions: 46
Current Streak: 1

WEEK 357 - WORK - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett
Weeks Participated: 42 – 81%
Submissions: 94
Current Streak: 23

WEEK 348 - SLICE OF LIFE - MONICA HENNING
Monica Jennings
Weeks Participated: 44 – 85%
Submissions: 60
Current Streak: 1

WEEK 364 - COLORFUL - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker
Weeks Participated: 48 – 92%
Submissions: 59
Current Streak: 38

WEEK 363 - CIRCLE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause
Weeks Participated: 48 – 92%
Submissions: 70
Current Streak: 32

WEEK 348 - SLICE OF LIFE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff
Weeks Participated: 49 – 94%
Submissions: 63
Current Streak: 39

WEEK 378 - STREET PHOTOGRAPHY - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler
Weeks Participated: 49 – 94%
Submissions: 102
Current Streak: 41

WEEK 377 - ANIMAL - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson
Weeks Participated: 50 – 96%
Submissions: 55
Current Streak: 9

WEEK 338 - HOBBIES - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt
Weeks Participated: 51 – 98%
Submissions: 51
Current Streak: 51

WEEK 377 - ANIMAL -  TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler
Weeks Participated: 51 – 98%
Submissions: 106
Current Streak: 50

WEEK 368 - RUINS - CAR;A STENSLAND
Carla Stensland
Weeks Participated: 51 – 98%
Submissions: 93
Current Streak: 50

WEEK 349 - HAT - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 57
Current Streak: 52

WEEK 355 - ENTERTAINMENT - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 53
Current Streak: 61

WEEK 348 - SLICE OF LIFE - CHRISTOHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 52
Current Streak: 485

WEEK 367 - SIGNS - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 156
Current Streak: 63

WEEK 346 - #INSTAGOOD - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Morton
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 56
Current Streak: 58

WEEK 347 - #INSTAGOOD - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 64
Current Streak: 59

WEEK 364 - COLORFUL - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 71
Current Streak: 53 weeks

WEEK 368 - RUINS - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth
Weeks Participated: 52 – 100%
Submissions: 54
Current Streak: 54

Don’t think I put a ton of effort into picking my favorite images from each person. But I did put some effort in it.

2022 was a great year for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Hopefully 2023 is even better!

Iowa State Fair – Day 1 Wanderings

After we watched Evie’s Irish dance group perform, we wandered the State Fair for several hours taking in the sights. Here are some pictures from our day:


Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

Iowa State Fair - 2022

I went to the Iowa State Fair two more days, so lots more Iowa State Fair adventure pictures left to share.

+++++++

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


WEEK 376 - IN THE AIR
IN THE AIR

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

But what is an IN THE AIR image? Simply put, an IN THE AIR image is a picture where the subject of your picture is untethered from the earth. So a flag, that is technically IN THE AIR, but it is still tethered to a flagpole, which is tethered to the earth. (Yeah technically everything is tethered to the earth via gravity, but take it easy Isaac.) This picture can be as simple as throwing something up in the air (or have somebody else do it) and taking a picture of it. An exercise that produces interesting pictures is throw something to somebody and take a picture of them trying to catch it. The portraits you can get this way are often intriguing and are a different way to see somebody.

Happy photo harvesting!