Category Archives: Nader

Bokeh, Nader, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Tenderloining

Burgertime: Adair Field Work

June 16, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Here is your Bokeh Picture of the Week:

In this picture Bokeh is running with a tennis ball that Lola, the dog from across the street, gave her. She had a vet appointment on Friday where she got 2 shots. Only 2 more rounds of shots and she will be good for a year. She now weighs 23.9 pounds.

+++++++

A few weeks back I went on a road trip with Nader and we ended up in Adair to try the burger at the Chuckwagon in Adair. It was one of the 10 finalists for Best Burger in Iowa, but it did not win. Here are some pictures:

Nader’s Chicken Strips

Great urinal.

The burger was a hot delicious mess! I would gladly go back there. I wouldn’t make a special trip from Boone, but if I was on I-80 between Des Moines and Omaha, I would pull over and knock down a tasty burger from there.

You can find the Chuckwagon Restaurant here:

113 5th Street
Adair, Iowa

HOURS:
Sunday Closed
Monday 7 AM–8 PM
Tuesday 7 AM–8 PM
Wednesday 7 AM–8 PM
Thursday 7 AM–8 PM
Friday 8 AM–8:30 PM
Saturday 8 AM–8:30 PM

Next Sunday’s food adventure will recount all the food I ate in New Orleans.

But…

How is my efforting to live a healthy lifestyle going?

This week my weight went down 0.0 pounds. I weight exactly the same as I did last Sunday. Definitely a week of plateauing, but also a week of not exercising much and not eating well. But it happens. I am now down 46.5 pounds since starting Noom.

So my new goal is to drop that 8.1 pounds by the 4th of July. That would be around 2 pounds a week, which seems realistic. Although. I can say for certain that after I reach my “ultimate goal weight” that goal weight will change. I’m going to guess with about another 25 pounds or so. We’ll see. I have to make that weight first.

But weight isn’t the only measure (or even the most important measure) of positive results. I’m not sure I can come up with any this week. Obviously there are. I guess I’ll just go with yardwork is definitely easier these days.

Since I started using Fitbit on February 20, 2024 (117 days) I’ve:

+ Taken 1,402,585 steps
+ Averaged 8,154 steps a day for the last 7 days
+ Walked 648.81 miles
+ Averaged walking 5.54 miles a day

That is all to report for now.

*Ultimate goal weight subject to change.

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Beckham, Becky, Bill, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dad, Dawn, Elainie, Elizabeth, Flowers, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nader, Nathanial, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Slice of Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 456 – ANYTHING BUT A CAT

June 10, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

READ THE THEME DESCRIPTION THIS WEEK. THERE ARE SPECIAL RULES!

ANYTHING BUT A CAT! A great theme, but did enough people get pumped to not take a picture of a cat to make it a popular theme? You’ll have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, June 3, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Monica Jennings – 1 week (IA) <2>
2-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks (IA)
3-Johnathan Stensland – 3 weeks (IA)
4-Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks (IA, MD) <2>
5-Mike Vest – 4 weeks (IA, MO)
6-Alexis Stensland – 6 weeks (IA) <2>
7-Sabas Hernandez – 8 weeks (IA, OH) <2>
8-Adam Gordon – 14 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
9-Becky Parmelee – 15 weeks (AR, IA, OK)
10-Lowell Davis – 22 weeks (IA) <2>
11-Michelle Haupt – 22 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
12-Brandon Kahler – 23 weeks (IA, MN)
13-Scott Degeneffe – 41 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN)
14-Sheri Fakhouri – 51 weeks (IA, NE)
15-Logan Kahler – 51 weeks (IA, MN) <2>
16-Nathanial Brown – 53 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN)
17-Jesse Howard – 53 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW) <2>
18-Tamara Peterson – 65 weeks (IA, MN)
19-Mindi Terrell – 68 weeks (IA) <2>
20-Linda Bennett – 97 weeks (KS) <2>
21-Sarah Toot – 98 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV)
22-Angie DeWaard – 102 weeks (IA, IL) <2>
23-Dawn Krause – 106 weeks (IA) <2>
24-Kim Barker – 112 weeks (IA, CO, LA)
25-Joe Duff – 113 weeks (TX)
26-Teresa Kahler – 124 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
27-Carla Stensland – 124 weeks (IA, MO) <2>
28-Micky Augustin – 126 weeks (IA, IL)
29-Andy Sharp – 127 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA) <2>
30-Bill Wentworth – 128 weeks (NE, MO) <2>
31-Cathie Morton – 131 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
32-Elizabeth Nordeen – 133 weeks (IA, OH)
33-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 135 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
34-Kio Dettman – 137 weeks (IA)

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.

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:

WPC - WEEK 456 - ANYTHING BUT A CAT - ADAM GORDON

Adam Gordon (Iowa) – 15 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 128 weeks

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa)

Angie DeWaard (Iowa)

Beckham Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 16 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 129 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 24 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 125 weeks

Cathie Morton (West Des Moines, Iowa) – 132 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa)

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 107 weeks

Elainie Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 134 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa)

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Iowa) – 1 week

Jesse Howard (Waukee, Iowa) – 54 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 114 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Johnathan Stensland (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 113 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 138 weeks

Kyle Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 1 week

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 98 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 52 weeks

Logan Kahler (Iowa)

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 23 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa)

Mary Green (Vieques, Puerto Rico) – 1 week

Mary Green (Vieques, Puerto Rico)

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 23 weeks

Micky Augustin (Colo, Iowa) – 127 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 69 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Nader Parsaei (Iowa) – 1 week

Nader Parsaei (Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Guinness Storehouse – Dublin, Ireland) – 54 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Teeling Distillery – Dublin, Ireland)

Sabas Hernandez (Marshalltown, Iowa) – 9 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (State Center, Iowa)

Sara Lockner (Iowa) – 1 week

Sarah Toot (New York City, New York) – 99 weeks

Sarah Toot (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 42 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Illinois)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Summerset, Iowa) – 136 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 52 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa)

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 66 weeks

Teresa Kahler (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa) – 125 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Lost Lake – Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 2 weeks

NOTE: A surly person that might have sent me hate mail over this theme may have noticed that there is one picture that does in fact include a cat. You might be wondering why that picture was NOT rejected. It isn’t cause I like Scott more than the rest of you. Although he does feed me. (But the list of people that have cooked me or given me some kind of food is pretty extensive. – See Michelle’s submission.) It is for 2 reasons. That cat is Fred. And Fred, I’m told, identifies as a dog. And on this website we believe that Love is Love. Black Lives Matter. Women’s Rights are Human Rights. No Human is Illegal. Science is Real. Kindness is Everything. In Religious Freedom. Hate Has No Home Here. But secondly and sadly, sometime between when that picture was taken and this post published, Fred may have crossed over the rainbow bridge. Fred was not expected to make it through the night. And I would not deny Fred, who has the outwards appearance of being a cat, but is in fact a dog, one final appearance on this website. And if this makes you mad, ask yourself, why you hate cats so much?

42 participants this week! Man, people were so thirsty for pictures that don’t have cats in them. I guess that Andy Sharp knows how to come up with the theme ideas!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Illinois (1)
+ Iowa (47)
+ Ireland (2)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Nevada (1)
+ New York (1)
+ Puerto Rico (2)
+ Texas (2)

Thanks to the travels of Nathanial we added Ireland to the list. And thanks to the travels of Mary we added Puerto Rico to the list! WooHoo!

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

+ Arkansas (15.5)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ California (3)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Colorado (5)
+ Florida (85)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (7)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (830)
+ Ireland (2)
+ Kansas (34)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (8)
+ Mississippi (1.5)
+ Missouri (13.5)
+ Nebraska (30)
+ Nevada (4)
+ New York (13)
+ Ohio (2)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (16)
+ Puerto Rico (2)
+ South Dakota (3)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (35)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)
+ Wisconsin (1)

29 states so far! 1 U.S. Terriorty! 4 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA) – 7
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY, IL) – 7
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW) – 6
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN, IL, RP) – 5
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA, IRL) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA) – 4
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV) – 4
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS, MN) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL) – 2
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO) -2
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2
+ Elizabeth Nordeen (IA, OH) – 2
+ Linda Bennett (KS, IA) – 2
+ Bill Wentworth (NE, MO) – 2
+ Deanna McClain (IA, MN) – 2

Jen is currently in the lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jesse and Andy and Scott are in striking distance though!

There were a couple of big milestones this week! Sheri and Logan both reached the 1 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! WooHoo!

No streaks were killed 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:

SLICE OF LIFE – IN HONOR OF MY DAD

SLICE OF LIFE! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a SLICE OF LIFE image? This is where I normally give you kind of a broad definition of the theme, but not this week. For those that don’t know SLICE OF LIFE is the name of the postcard company that my Dad started and ran out of the basement darkroom in our house.

He specialized in black & white postcards of local interest. Here is this week’s assignment. It is to take a picture that you could see being used on a postcard. Now back in the day, they used to take pictures of all sorts of things and put them on postcards. So don’t think that there is nothing in your area that would make it on a postcard. It could be a building that is interesting looking or has a historical significance. It could simply be a pretty scene. Back when I was doing THE POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT, sometimes they took pictures of downtown intersections and put those on postcards.

While I will require your submission to be a postcard like image, meaning don’t try to “interpret” Slice of Life to mean something different, I will only strongly encourage you to submit the picture in black & white and also only slightly encourage you to throw some text on the image, if you have the editing skills or software. You know, design a postcard!

There is one more thing. This is the one and only theme where if you write a SHORT description of your image (like you would see on the backside of a postcard) that I will include it along with your submission.

I don’t manipulate the order of themes for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I put the 52 themes in a random generator and then I have it generate the the order of the themes EXCEPT for this theme. This theme I put this week specifically. This week is my Dad’s birthday. In fact, it is tomorrow. He would have turned 81. So it seemed apropos to put the theme that is an homage to him during this week.

And if you don’t know, he is the person in the theme reveal image.

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 SLICE OF LIFE in this place that is a continuation in many ways next Monday.

Jesse, Logan, Music, Nader, Nathanial, Shannon, State Fair, Street Photography

Iowa State Fair – Day 4 – Delta

May 10, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time to share the final collection of images from my trips to the Iowa State Fair. I’m already looking forward to this year’s Iowa State Fair.

I probably should start thinkin about what I’m going to enter at the Iowa State Fair this year.

Animals, Art, Candid Portrait, Jesse, Nader, Politics, State Fair, Street Photography

Iowa State Fair – Day 4 – Gamma

May 3, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time to share another collection of images taken on my last trip to the Iowa State Fair on the last day of the Iowa State Fair with Jesse and Nader.

This collection begins in the Varied Industry Building and ends in the Cultural Building. One of my favorite buildings at the Iowa State Fair:

This mural is interactive when you hold your phone up to it.

This was a bad, delicious idea.

A deliciously bad idea.

Still one more collection of images to share from this day and that will be it for Iowa State Fair 2023. Just about in time for me to start thinking about what I’m going to enter this year.

Adam, Alexis, Amy, Andy, Angie, Art, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Deanna, Elizabeth, History, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Movies, Nader, Nathanial, Road Trip, Sabas, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 450 – EMOTION

April 29, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

NOTE: Next Monday I will be in New Orleans and have limited access to the internet or the phone. Don’t expect any kind of reminders. You’ll have to be your own dawg.

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 EMPHASIZE 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.

+++++++

EMOTION! A great theme! But enough people get their emotions under control to make a submission to make EMOTION a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

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

1-Monica Jennings – 1 week (IA)
2-Sabas Hernandez – 2 weeks (IA)
3-Suzie Brannen – 4 weeks (IA)
4-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 4 weeks (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL)
5-Willy McAlpine – 5 weeks (IA)
6-Deanna McClain – 6 weeks (IA)
7-Johnathan Stensland – 6 weeks (IA)
8-Adam Gordon – 8 weeks (IA, MS, MO)
9-Becky Parmelee – 9 weeks (AR, IA, OK)
10-Sara Lockner – 13 weeks (IA)
11-Lowell Davis – 16 weeks (IA) <2>
12-Michelle Haupt – 16 weeks (IA, MO, KS)
13-Brandon Kahler – 17 weeks (IA, MN)
14-Scott Degeneffe – 35 weeks (2) (IA, FL, UT, CO)
15-Mike Vest – 40 weeks (IA, MO)
16-Sheri Fakhouri – 45 weeks (IA, NE)
17-Logan Kahler – 46 weeks (IA, MN)
18-Nathanial Brown – 47 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN)
19-Jesse Howard – 47 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW)
20-Tamara Peterson – 59 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Mindi Terrell – 62 weeks (IA) <2>
22-Linda Bennett – 91 weeks 129(KS)
23-Sarah Toot – 92 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV)
24-Angie DeWaard – 96 weeks (IA)
25-Dawn Krause – 100 weeks (IA) <2>
26-Kim Barker – 106 weeks (IA, CO)
27-Joe Duff – 107 weeks (TX) <2>
28-Teresa Kahler – 118 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
29-Carla Stensland – 118 weeks (IA, MO) <2>
30-Micky Augustin – 120 weeks (IA, IL)
31-Andy Sharp – 121 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA)
32-Bill Wentworth – 122 weeks (NE)
33-Cathie Morton – 125 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO)
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 127 weeks (IA)
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 129 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
36-Kio Dettman – 131 weeks (IA)

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. PLEASE INCLUDE THE LOCATION OF WHERE YOUR PICTURE WAS TAKEN WITH YOUR SUBMISSION.
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.

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 132 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Honey Hollow – Summerset, Iowa) – 130 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 128 weeks

Cathie Morton (West Des Moines, Iowa) – 126 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 123 weeks

Andy Sharp (Adel, Iowa) – 122 weeks

Micky Augustin (Ames, Iowa) – 121 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 119 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

Carla Stensland (Linwood Cemetery- Boone, Iowa) – 119 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Joe Duff (Texas) – 108 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 107 weeks

Dawn Krause (Boxholm, Iowa) – 101 weeks

Dawn Krause (Les’s Auto – Boone, Iowa)

Angie DeWaard (Chicago, Illinois) – 97 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Chicago, Illinois)

Sarah Toot (Valley Cottage, New York) – 93 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 92 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Mindi Terrell (Johnston, Iowa) – 63 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 60 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, Iowa) – 48 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, Iowa)

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 48 weeks

Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa)

Logan Kahler (Simpson College – Indianola, Iowa) – 47 weeks

Logan Kahler (Simpson College – Indianola, Iowa)

Sheri Fakhouri (Civic Center – Des Moines, Iowa) – 46 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 41 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Bardstown, Kentucky) – 36 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Indiana)

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 18 weeks

Lowell Davis (Boone High School – Boone, Iowa) – 17 weeks

Lowell Davis (HYSC – Ames, Iowa)

Michelle Haupt (Bricktown Bakery – Nevada, Iowa) – 17 weeks

Sara Lockner (Near Bahamas) – 14 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 10 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa) – 9 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa)

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 7 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa)

Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 6 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Ames, Iowa) – 5 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Progressive Field – Cleveland, Ohio) – 3 weeks

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 1 week

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Nader Parsaei (Clark Tower – Winterset, Iowa) – 1 week

Amy Peterson (Dayton, Iowa) – 1 week

Christopher D. Bennett (John Wayne Birthplace Museum – Winterset, Iowa)

39 participants this week! A great week. The slow bleed of the last few weeks has been cauterized!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Bahamas (1)
+ Illinois (2)
+ Indiana (1)
+ Iowa (41)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ New York (1)
+ Ohio (1)
+ Texas (1)

Thanks to Scott’s trip we added Kentucky to the list for this year! WooHoo! Thanks to Sabas’ trip we added Ohio to this year’s list! WooHoo!

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

+ Arkansas (10.5)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ California (3)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Colorado (5)
+ Florida (85)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (5)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (686)
+ Kansas (26)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (2)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (6)
+ Mississippi (1.5)
+ Missouri (10.5)
+ Nebraska (26)
+ Nevada (2)
+ New York (12)
+ Ohio (1)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (13)
+ South Dakota (3)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (27)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)

28 states so far! 3 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA) – 7
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY) – 6
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW) – 6
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN) – 5
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA) – 4
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV) – 4
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO) – 4
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN) – 3
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL) – 2
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Sara Lockner (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO) -2
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL) – 2
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2

Jen is in the lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jesse and Andy and Scott are in striking distance though!

Angie, Sara, and Sabas all joined the list of people that have submitted from multiple “PLACES” this year!

The major milestone this week was Becky joining the Double Digit Streak Club! WooHoo! The other major milestone this week is Shannon joining the 2 and a Half Year Streak Club. WooHoo! WooHoo! Woo!

But it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows. Johnathan’s 6 week streak came tumbling down! Sacre bleu!

LETTERS OR NUMBERS – Slightly modified from a suggestion by Andy Sharp

LETTERS OR NUMBERS! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

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 see your idea of LETTERS OR NUMBERS in this place that is nothing more than characters at its base level next Monday.

Art, History, Iowa State, Jesse, Music, Nader, Politics, State Fair, Street Photography

Iowa State Fair – Day 4 – Beta

April 26, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to share another collection of images I took on my last trip to the Iowa State Fair on the last day of the Iowa State Fair with Jesse and Nader. This collection begins in the Agriculture Building and ends in the Varied Industry Building. I love the Agriculture Building. Not so much of a fan of the Varied Industry Building, but it is air conditioned and sometimes, you just need a touch of that sweet air conditioning. Like on a day such as this, when it was nearly triple digits on the thermometer.

You can say what you want about Bandalini, dude has swag!

These Jack Trice throwbacks were tight!

Still plenty more pictures from this trip left to share!

Animals, Jesse, Nader, State Fair, Still Life, Street Photography

Iowa State Fair – Day 4 – Alpha

April 19, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Time to start sharing the images from my last trip to the Iowa State Fair. This trip was on the last day of the Fair and I went with Jesse and Nader to pick up my pictures from the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. It was scorching hot on this day. Just brutal. And my experience on this day was one of those times that just kind of drilled into me that I need to get healthier. Drop a few lbs and just get in better shape in general. I’m hoping to stay on my positive general trajectory and this year at the Fair, I definitely will feel a difference. More at the end of the day.

This first collection is heavy on that most cutest of animals… the pig!

Many more pictures from this steaming hot day at the Fair left to share!

Art, Christianity, FNSC, Jay, Jesse, Nader, Nature, Still Life, Tenderloining

Fisher of Men: Rural Story County Field Work

April 14, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back FNSC made another stop on the Catholic Fish Fry Circuit. This time we went north of Ames on County Line Road and hit up the culinary offerings of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. A church that I have often wondered what it looked like on the inside. This particular Friday Night Supper Club was attended by your Humble Narrator, Jesse, Jay, and Nader.

Here are some pictures:

First things first. This was by far the best value of any of the Catholic fish fries we hit. Mainly because the dessert was included in the price of admission. All of the other ones had an at-will donation for the desserts. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem throwing in a few bucks for a brownie or a piece of pie or cake. But they didn’t want my few extra bucks.

Here is the other thing to note. The real show stopper here wasn’t the fish, which was very good. It wasn’t the baked potato. Or the cole slaw. Or the green beans. It was the corn. This corn clearly didn’t come out of a can or a frozen steamer bag. This corn came from somebody’s farm. AND… IT… WAS… AMAZING!!!! I immediately was longing for a day in the not too distant future where I would be able to stop and buy some Grimes Sweet Corn from the back of a pickup truck in some random gas station. Despite its flaws that are growing by the day, there are parts that are great about living in Iowa. And buying sweet corn out of the back of a pickup truck is one of those great things. Then eating that sweet corn is even better. When I was eating the corn at this fish fry, dang it, if I wasn’t proud of this state again.

I would definitely add Saints Peter and Paul’s Fish Fry to my list of fish fries that I will hit again next year. There are still more fish fries left to share. Wish it was 3. Stupid Friday wasted at On the Waterfront in Ankeny. You don’t understand. We coulda had class. We coulda been contenders. We coulda been somebody, instead of bums. Which is what we are. Next year, there will be no wasted night in Ankeny. This I swear on the graves of many a fried fish. That I have eaten.

The next food adventure I will share will be another stop on the Central Iowa Catholic Fish Fry Tour. Next year we need to get shirts!

But…

How is my efforting to live a healthy lifestyle going?

This week my weight went down -3.0 pounds. I am now down 29.5 pounds since starting Noom. I am .1 pounds away from reaching my May 1 goal weight. 25.1 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight*. It is nice to officially be on the side where I’ve lost more weight than I need to lose. That is an accomplishment of some kind.

I’m actually surprised that my weight went down this week. On my eclipse road trip I didn’t eat well and spent a ton of times just sitting in cars. Shoutout to whomever brought the peanut butter bars to the Eclipse Party. I crushed an unhealthy amount of those. Pete’s chili was also delicious! I also ate fast food. Had fried food 3 times. Crushed a carrot cake from an Indiana bakery. A raspberry something or other from “the bakery” in Pella. Ate some candy from a candy store in Chariton. Skipped a day at the gym because it closed due to a bomb threat. But I still kept moving as much as I could.

Seems like I should hit my May 1 goal this week. It is ONLY .1 pounds away! But I won’t be surprised if I don’t. Might be a rebound week or a plateau week. Only 1 thing to do, just keep moving.

But weight isn’t the only measure (or even the most important measure) of positive results. I think one of those is I think I’m officially down 1 shirt size. Depending on what company makes the shirt. That is something that is hard for me to judge, cause I don’t really like my clothes touching me too much. But some of my shirts are starting to be too big, even based on my very loose standards for very big. See what I did there?

In the 56 days since I started using FitBit I’ve:

+ Taken 380,541 steps
+ Averaged 12.158 steps a day
+ Walked 316.95 miles
+ Averaged walking 5.66 miles a day

Sometimes I think about going into the Computer Mine an extra day a week, cause it easier for me to get my steps in there, but the if you follow you me on SnapChat you know the main stumbling back against this is Canadian. CANADIANS! But maybe that part of the job is coming to an end. One never knows.

That is all to report for now.

*Ultimate goal weight subject to change.

Andree, Andy, Angie, Baier, Basketball, Becky, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Derrick, Elizabeth, Faust, Frank, Jesse, Laura, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mark, Michelle, Micky, Nader, Robert, Russell, Sara, Sarah Toot, Shannon, Shawn Lockner, Toby, Willy

Roundball Oracles Year 19

March 17, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

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

Once again, I will be sponsoring a NCAA Tournament Pool. There is no cost to enter the pool, except for pride. And if pride is nothing to you, well done.

The winner gets a trophy. The dead last place person gets a trophy known as The Sara*. Nobody else gets a trophy. I’m not made of trophies people!

By winning, you get your name etched on the List of Immortals:

PAST ROUNDBALL ORACLE CHAMPIONS – LIST OF IMMORTALS

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

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

Past “The Sara” Winners:

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

The Sara doesn’t have the long storied history of the championship trophy, but it will get there. I have no doubts. This will be the 9th winner since its inception after all.

These were the final standings from last year:

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

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

Roundball Oracles – Year 19

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

The Play-in Games (AKA the First Four) don’t matter. You can wait for those games to complete before filling out your bracket. The deadline to fill out your bracket, is tip-off of the first game on Thursday. Roughly 11 AM.

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

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

There were 37 competitors in 2023. A 1 person gain from 2022. Hopefully there is continued growth in participation this year, but I don’t know that I have 1 more friend than I did in 2023. It is possible I have gained even more friends since 2023. I might be a pretty great person.

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

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.