Category Archives: Jesse

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WPC – WEEK 438 – CIRCLE

February 5, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is possible that this will publish late this week. I am getting my taxes done at 11 this morning and when this publishes is dependent on how long that takes. BIG BUCKS! NO WHAMMIES!*

CIRCLE! 360 degrees of fury! But is there enough fury in a CIRCLE to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 22, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Myriah Sharp – 1 (2)
2-Elainie Hernandez – 2 weeks
3-Sara Lockner – 2 weeks
4-Monica Jennings – 3 weeks
5-Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks
6-Lowell Davis – 4 weeks (2)
7-Michelle Haupt – 4 weeks
8-Alexis Stensland – 4 weeks (2)
9-Brandon Kahler – 5 weeks
10-Mary Green – 6 weeks (2)
11-Scott Degeneffe – 23 weeks (2)
12-Sabas Hernandez – 24 weeks
13-Mike Vest – 29 weeks
14-Sheri Fakhouri – 33 weeks (2)
15-Logan Kahler – 34 weeks (2)
16-Nathanial Brown – 35 weeks
17-Jesse Howard – 35 weeks (2)
18-Tamara Peterson – 38 weeks
19-Mindi Terrell – 50 weeks (2)
20-Linda Bennett – 79 weeks (2)
21-Sarah Toot – 80 weeks
22-Angie DeWaard – 84 weeks
23-Dawn Krause – 88 weeks
24-Kim Barker – 94 weeks
25-Joe Duff – 95 weeks (2)
26-Teresa Kahler – 106 weeks
27-Carla Stensland – 106 weeks (2)
28-Micky Augustin – 108 weeks
29-Andy Sharp – 109 weeks
30-Bill Wentworth – 110 weeks
31-Cathie Morton – 114 weeks
32-Elizabeth Nordeen – 115 weeks
33-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 117 weeks
34-Kio Dettman – 119 weeks (2)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

1. The picture must 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 and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
3. Sometimes, for special people, for special circumstances, we can negotiate something.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Adam Gordon (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Adam Gordon (Boone, Iowa)

Evie Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Jason Stensland (Lake Waubay, South Dakota) – 1 week

Jason Stensland (Lake Waubay, South Dakota)

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa)- 5 weeks

Lowell Davis (Ames, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 6 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 24 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 25 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 30 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Iowa) – 34 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 35 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Jefferson, Iowa) – 36 weeks

Jesse Howard (Ames, Iowa) – 36 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 39 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 51 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 80 weeks

Sarah Toot (New York City, New York) – 81 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Des Moines, Iowa) – 85 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 89 weeks

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa)

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 95 weeks

Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 96 weeks

Joe Duff (League City, Texas)

Teresa Kahler (Ankeny, Iowa) – 107 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 107 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ames, Iowa)

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 109 weeks

Andy Sharp (Mason City, Iowa) – 110 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska)- 111 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 115 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 116 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 118 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) 120 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 542 weeks

38 participants! That is a new high for this year!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ New York
+ South Dakota
+ Texas

Thanks to Jason’s trip to South Dakota and Sarah’s trip to New York, we can add those to this year’s list!

Here is the Year 11 list of states where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each state):

+ Hawaii (2)
+ Iowa (195)
+ Kansas (8)
+ Michigan (2)
+ Nebraska (6)
+ New York (1)
+ Pennsylvania (5)
+ South Dakota (2)
+ Texas (9)

The big milestone this week was the first ever submission from Jason! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good news. Myriah couldn’t build on last week’s submission and her streak was over before it 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 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES

TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES – POTENTIAL PUFFERBILLY DAYS CLASS

TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I look forward to your interpretation!

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 TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES in this place in this place that was heavily influenced by a book on trains next Monday.

*There were no BIG BUCKS! But there were also NO WHAMMIES! But at least I didn’t owe any money.

Adam, Andree, Art, Jesse, Music, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Tenderloining

Liberty Bowl Road Trip Grub

February 4, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

When Jesse and I went down to Memphis to watch the embarrassing debacle that was the Liberty Bowl we made sure to eat a bunch of delicious food. Fortunately the Pastor at my church lived in Memphis for several years and he gave us several solid recommendations on places to eat.

Here are the pictures from my Memphis food adventure with Jesse:

On the road trip down, we stopped at an Imo’s pizza for a meal.

St. Louis–style pizza is a type of pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding areas.[1] The style has a thin cracker-like crust made without yeast, generally uses Provel cheese, and is cut into squares or rectangles instead of wedges.

For supper that night we ate at Central Barbecue.

The cole slaw was maybe the worst thing I’ve tasted in my life, but the rest was amazing!

Breakfast the next morning in the hotel.

B.B. King’s Blues Club with Andree and his brother.

It was so dark in there, there aren’t many pictures.

But the entertainment was hard to beat.

Breakfast again the next morning. We really didn’t eat supper the night before.

More breakfast at Gibson’s Donuts.

We got a free donut cause it was our first time.

Before the game we had brunch at Railgarten with some awesome people! Cyclone fans!

Food was nothing special but it got the job done.

Also we met up with Jon and his friend.

Corky’s after the game!

Give me a pile of everything that is delicious and bad for you!

Way better coleslaw!

It was a great trip and so much great food! I would say that Corky’s was my favorite. But I don’t think we had a bad meal. That includes the lunch at A&W in Mount Pleasant, Iowa on the trip back.

That is the last food adventure I have to share right now. Maybe I will come up with one in the next few days. So I will have one to share next Sunday. Time will tell!

Art, Bethany, Black & White, Jesse, Music, Nora, Road Trip, Street Photography, Travel

Jagged Little Road Trip II

January 31, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Here is the balance of images from the quick road trip I took with Jesse up to see Bethany, Nora, and the musical JAGGED LITTLE PILL.

Some of these are at that art park. The others are from around the Orpheum.

Do you think this was left by Cindee and Randi or somebody that is doubling it up in their love life?

So how was “Jagged Little Pill” you might be asking?

It was okay. There isn’t much there-there as far as the story goes. Although that is a generic criticism that could be made of most musicals. It definitely feels like a stretch to make the songs fit the storyline. It is definitely worth seeing, but I don’t know I would go see it again. Once seems enough.

The Orpheum Theater is beautiful, but if you are of the female persuasion, the bathroom situation is a bit of a disaster. Go before you get to the theater. That is a Photography 139 Orpheum Theater Pro Tip! If you are a dude, it ain’t great shakes, but you are a dude, so it is still quite a bit better.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip! Go to see Rancho Deluxe. Got to hang with Bethany and Nora. Got to eat a great breakfast. Got to see a cool art park. Got to see a good musical. Got to hang with Jesse. 10 stars. Would recommend!

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elainie, Elizabeth, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Olympic Sports, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Still Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, WPC - Submissions

WEEK 437 – RULE OF THIRDS

January 29, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

It is the last Monday of the month and on the last Monday of the month I like to revisit our Frequently Asked Questions. Who asks these questions? I mostly ask them of myself. But that isn’t a Frequently Asked Question. These are:

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. It is a challenge. There are no winners and losers. Well the people that don’t participate are losers.

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

Yes. That limit is 2. If you send me more than 2, I will post the first 2 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 I start to average like 45 participants a week, I will lower the limit to 1.

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 every week. 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 (AND CAN’T EMPATHIZE THIS ENOUGH) 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. But don’t tempt me!

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. In fact, I appreciate you letting me know where a picture was taken. If you don’t let me know, I will assume the picture was taken in the state you live in.

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.

+++++++

RULE OF THIRDS! The first technical (and we’re not talking very technical here) theme we’ve had for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE in quite some time. Was it technically a popular theme our did a third of our participants last week throw in the towel at this theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 22, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Elainie Hernandez – 1 week
2-Sara Lockner – 1 week
3-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
4-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week
5-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 2 weeks
6-Monica Jennings – 2 weeks
7-Suzie Brannen – 3 weeks
8-Lowell Davis – 3 weeks
9-Michelle Haupt – 3 weeks
10-Alexis Stensland – 3 weeks
11-Brandon Kahler – 4 weeks
12-Mary Green – 5 weeks (2)
13-Scott Degeneffe – 22 weeks
14-Sabas Hernandez – 23 weeks
15-Mike Vest – 28 weeks
16-Sheri Fakhouri – 32 weeks (2)
17-Logan Kahler – 33 weeks (2)
18-Nathanial Brown – 34 weeks
19-Jesse Howard – 34 weeks
20-Tamara Peterson – 37 weeks
21-Mindi Terrell – 49 weeks (2)
22-Linda Bennett – 78 weeks
23-Sarah Toot – 79 weeks (2)
24-Angie DeWaard – 83 weeks
25-Dawn Krause – 87 weeks
26-Kim Barker – 93 weeks
27-Joe Duff – 94 weeks (2)
28-Teresa Kahler – 105 weeks
29-Carla Stensland – 105 weeks
30-Micky Augustin – 107 weeks
31-Andy Sharp – 108 weeks
32-Bill Wentworth – 109 weeks (2)
33-Cathie Morton – 113 weeks
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 114 weeks (2)
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 116 weeks
36-Kio Dettman – 118 weeks

Here is the updated list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 119 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 117 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 115 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 114 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 110 weeks

Andy Sharp (Council Bluffs, Iowa) – 109 weeks

Micky Augustin (Hickory Grove Park – Story County, Iowa) – 108 weeks

Carla Stensland (West Lake Okoboji – Arnolds Park, Iowa) – 106 weeks

Carla Stensland (Lower Gar Lake – Arnold’s Park, Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 106 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 95 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Kim Barker (Ames, Iowa) – 94 weeks

Dawn Krause (Rooster’s – Boone, Iowa) – 88 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 84 weeks

Sarah Toot (Pennsylvania) – 80 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 79 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 50 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 38 weeks

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 35 weeks

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Jefferson, Iowa) – 35 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 34 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Sheri Fakhouri (6th Avenue – Des Moines, Iowa) – 33 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Mercy Hospital – Des Moines, Iowa)

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 29 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 24 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 23 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 6 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Brandon Kahler (Story County, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Lowell Davis (Copa Classico at TBK – Bettendorf, Iowa) – 4 weeks

Lowell Davis (Copa Classico at TBK – Bettendorf, Iowa)

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa)- 4 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Linwood Cemetery – Boone, Iowa) – 4 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Boone County, Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Sara Lockner (Woodward, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Myriah Sharp (Hawaii) – 1 week

Myriah Sharp (Hawaii)

Christopher D. Bennett (Memorial Park – Boone, Iowa)

35 participants! That is a great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Kansas
+ Hawaii
+ Iowa
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

Thanks to Myriah’s trip, Hawaii was added!

Here is the Year 11 list of states where submissions have been taken:

+ Kansas (7)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Iowa (153)
+ Michigan (2)
+ Nebraska (5)
+ Pennsylvania (5)
+ Texas (7)

There weren’t any major milestones this week, but there are some on the horizon! There were a few streaks that bit the dust. Willy and Johnathan couldn’t build on last week’s submission and their streaks are over before they began. Jen’s streak is gone after 2 weeks.

CIRCLE

CIRCLE! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I look forward to your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of CIRCLE in this place in this place that has a pretty large circle of trust next Monday.

Animals, Candid Portrait, Jay, Jesse, Nature

Birthday Hikin’

January 27, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

When I celebrated my birthday with Jesse and Jay it was actually a split affair. We celebrated my birthday and Jay’s birthday. We played miniature golf for me. Then Jay chose the restaurant. We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Granger. I took pictures and was going to make it a Sunday food adventure entry, but I found it a little hard to quantify. Then we went to Picket Fence Creamery and got ice cream. Then for the pièce de résistance, we made the hike to the High Trestle Trail Bridge. It was Jay’s first ever trip to the bridge. So while that may have been more for Jay, making this happen was definitely for me.

Some of the pictures here might confuse. Some of you might think they are HDR. Some might think they are Photoshopped. They are neither.

Here they are:

The 1st Step!

Every trip to the High Trestle Trail Bridge is a great trip. Now that Jay has been to the bridge there is only one person left that I badly want to make a trip there. But that is probably a pipe dream. But if I have to smoke opium to make it happen, I guess that is what has to happen.

Art, Bethany, Candid Portrait, Jesse, Nora, Travel

Jagged Little Road Trip I

January 23, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Back in August Jesse and I took a road trip up to Minnesota to watch the musical “Jagged Little Pill”. It was a quick trip, but we did get to spend some time with Bethany and Nora. They took us to this fascinating art park. I took a few pictures…

Still one more collection of images to share from this day!

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Bill, Birthdays, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Elainie, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Johnathan, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Nathanial, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Shannon, Sheri, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 436 – BREAKFAST

January 22, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Toda is Sheri’s birthday so I need to wish her a happy birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I hope it is as good of a birthday as is possible!

+++++++

BREAKFAST! Some say that is it the most important meal of the day! I don’t know that it is, but was it important enough to enough people to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, January 8, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
2-Monica Jennings – 1 week
3-Suzie Brannen – 2 weeks
4-Lowell Davis – 2 weeks
5-Susanna Funk – 2 weeks
6-Michelle Haupt – 2 weeks
7-Alexis Stensland – 2 weeks
8-Brandon Kahler – 3 weeks
9-Mary Green – 4 weeks (2)
10-Scott Degeneffe – 21 weeks
11-Sabas Hernandez – 22 weeks
12-Mike Vest – 27 weeks
13-Sheri Fakhouri – 31 weeks (2)
14-Logan Kahler – 32 weeks
15-Nathanial Brown – 33 weeks (2)
16-Jesse Howard – 33 weeks
17-Tamara Peterson – 36 weeks
18-Mindi Terrell – 48 weeks (2)
19-Linda Bennett – 77 weeks (2)
20-Sarah Toot – 78 weeks
21-Angie DeWaard – 82 weeks (2)
22-Dawn Krause – 86 weeks
23-Kim Barker – 92 weeks
24-Joe Duff – 93 weeks (2)
25-Teresa Kahler – 104 weeks (2)
26-Carla Stensland – 104 weeks (2)
27-Micky Augustin – 106 weeks
28-Andy Sharp – 107 weeks
29-Bill Wentworth – 108 weeks
30-Cathie Morton – 112 weeks
31-Elizabeth Nordeen – 113 weeks
32-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 115 weeks
33-Kio Dettman – 117 weeks (2)

Reminder. Here is the updated list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Willy McAlpine (Iowa) – 1 week

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Mary Green (Manchester, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Iowa) – 108 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 83 weeks

Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 107 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 33 weeks

Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 87 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 34 weeks

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 49 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 22 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 23 weeks

Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 1 week

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 32 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 105 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Iowa) – 34 weeks

Kim Barker (Iowa) – 93 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 118 weeks

Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 113 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 78 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 105 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 116 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 28 weeks

Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 79 weeks

Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania)

Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 94 weeks

Joe Duff (League City, Texas)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 37 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 3 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 109 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska)

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 114 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

37 participants this week! That is definitely the high for this year! WooHoo!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Kansas
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

No new states added this week.

Here is the Year 11 list of states where submissions have been taken:

+ Kansas
+ Iowa
+ Michigan
+ Nebraska
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

The big milestone this week is Linda hitting the Year and a Half Club! WooHoo!!

But it wasn’t all rainbows and puppies. Funk’s streak came to a screeching halt at 2 weeks. Hopefully she gets back on the mountain this week!

RULE OF THIRDS (SUGGESTED BY SARAH TOOT)

RULE OF THIRDS! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I’m not explaining the themes this year, unless it is something technical.

Here is the definition of the RULE OF THIRDS from the SLR Lounge:

“In photography, the rule of thirds is a type of composition in which an image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself.”

You will notice on the theme reveal image I have left the RULE OF THIRDS lines there so you can get an idea of where they are. Every camera gives you the ability to put these lines on the display screen before you take the picture.

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

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 RULE OF THIRDS in this place that doesn’t follow many rules next Monday.

Carla, Dahlia, Formal Portrait, Jesse, Logan, Nader, Road Trip, Scottie D., Still Life, Tenderloining, Teresa

Tenderloin Trail 2.0: Audubon Field Work

January 21, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

A couple months back Jesse and I hit the open road and ended up at The Feed Mill Restaurant in Audubon, Iowa. It was the 9th stop (technically 10th – but I’ll cover that) on the Tenderloin Trail 2.0. Leaving me just one stamp short of earning my Tenderloin Trail 2.0 shirt!

Despite being one of the closer Tenderloin Trail 2.0 restaurant stops to Boone, I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to cross this one off the list. Their hours are pretty awful. They are only open a few hours a week. Which is too bad, because their food is excellent!

The Feed Mill Restaurant is inside Waspy’s Truck Stop and that gas station itself has really good food. There are two Waspy’s. One in Audubon and another in Templeton. If you are in the area, I think it is worth the stop. But you know me, I’m partial to food in gas stations. Casey’s Pizza. The Filling Station in Madrid. The Filling Station in Ames. Joe’s in Kansas City. You get the point.

Here are some pictures from the outing:

Tenderloin Trail 2.0: The Feed Mill Restaurant

As you know, in addition to being a noted tenderloin fiend, I also love me a great cheese curd. Fried or otherwise. If I remember correctly their cheese curds were muenster. It made a fine cheese curd, but it wasn’t decidedly different from your standard cheddar cheese curd. So I’m saying it was pretty great!

As for the tenderloin. It was a pretty great tenderloin! Now the question is, would I eat there again? Would I go out of my way to go there? Would I make a special trip to get this tenderloin?

It is a great tenderloin. The problem is that it is just down the street from Darrell’s Place and the Darrell’s Place tenderloin is the O.G. great tenderloin in Iowa. So being put in the situation of having to choose one, if I was in the area, I would choose Darrell’s Place.

That isn’t a reflection on The Feed Mill. Just nothing is Darrell’s Place.

The Feed Mill Restaurant is located at:

2079 US Highway 71
Audubon, Iowa

Located in Waspy’s Truck Stop.

But I’m not done with this post quite yet. Earlier I wrote that this was the 9th Stop on the Tenderloin Trail, but technically the 10th. That is because back in 2022 I visited the Wood Iron Grille in Oskaloosa with Carla and Teresa and knocked down their tenderloin. However, I didn’t have my Passport on me, so I didn’t get it stamped.

You can understand my frustration because it takes 10 stamps (out of 14, but really 13) to get the free shirt. So shortly after my trip to Audubon with Jesse I made a return trip to Oskaloosa with Teresa. With passport firmly in my hands.

I don’t need to cover the Wood Iron Grille tenderloin again, but I thought I could share 2 pictures from that trip:

The last bite of Tenderloin Trail 2.0.

The passport.

I got my shirt and this letter within a couple weeks of mailing in my Passport:

I’m not going to share a picture of the shirt yet. I have a whole photo session for that worked up in my head. Which means you will probably never get to see it, unless you catch me in the wild wearing it.

However, I would be a poor tenderloin enthusiast if I didn’t thank those people that helped me in fulfilling this dream. An accomplishment that some are calling “the greatest in the history of mankind”. So thanks to everyone who at least sat across from me while I knocked down a tenderloin on this trail:

+ Austin Degeneffe (Iowa Taproom)
+ Porter Degeneffe (Iowa Taproom)
+ Scott Degeneffe (Co-Founder of the Tenderloin Appreciation Society) (Iowa Taproom)
+ Jesse Howard (The Feed Mill, Birdies, Burgers & Brews, and The Pub at Pinicon)
+ Dahlia Kahler (Whatcha Smokin’)
+ Logan Kahler (Whatcha Smokin’)
+ Teresa Kahler (Whatcha Smokin’, Grid Iron Sports Bar & Grille, Stumble Inn, and Wood Iron Grille)
+ Nader Parsaei (Darrell’s Place, Birdie’s Burgers & Brews)
+ Carla Stensland (Wood Iron Grille)
+ Phil Webb (Grid Iron Sports Bar & Grille)

The only stop on the trail I made solo was PrairieMoon on Main.

You might be asking yourself what my future tenderloin plans are since I am eating healthier these days? It is true. I don’t really eat much fried food any more. Really hardly at all. That doesn’t mean tenderloins are off the menu. I have a plan for a more structured tenderloin quest this year. I want to make 1 special tenderloin trip a month. 1st on my list is the reigning 2023 Best Tenderloin at Cliff’s Place in Manning.

I haven’t had this month’s special tenderloin, so I’m going to effort to go to Manning next week and if that doesn’t work out, some place else. Also on my list are the 3 tenderloins on the Tenderloin Trail 2.0 that I haven’t tried. Jethro’s is also on the list, but I’ve had that tenderloin. It isn’t great. Plus my understanding is that the owner of Jethro’s is not a great person and I have limited desire to line his pockets with any of my green. Also on that list is the other finalists from last year. Plus any of the past champions that I haven’t tried.

Drop me a line if you want to go on one of these tenderloin quests. I already have you marked down Michelle. I haven’t forgotten.

The next food adventure I will share will be the last time I ate ice cream. At least I’m pretty sure the last time I ate ice cream.

Birthdays, Candid Portrait, Jay, Jesse, Olympic Sports, Still Life

A Miniature Birthday

January 20, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Last year the only real birthday celebration I had was playing miniature golf with Jesse and Jay at Jester Park. I’m not old and unathletic enough to play real golf yet. Maybe I’ll get there in the next few years, but until then the occasional stroll around a miniature golf course is good enough for me.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Jesse came out as the victor. Jay finished last. I look forward to playing miniature golf again this year. Maybe.

Art, Candid Portrait, Jesse, Road Trip

Rancho Deluxe – II

January 16, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share the rest of the collection from my trip to Rancho Deluxe with Jesse on our way up to Minnesota. Definitely something you should visit if you like art at all.

I definitely want to visit this place again… and again… and again!