In late September of 2024, Ledges State Park celebrated 100 years of existence. Existence as a State Park. Ledges is widely considered the best State Park in Iowa. Although Backbone State Park and Maquoketa Caves State Park are also fine parks. But they are not Ledges. On the morning of… Read More »Ledges Centennial: Morning
It’s a good time to share the THE SELFIE PROJECT images from May. It was a decently busy month. But I never left the state. I mean why would you leave Iowa? We’re second to last in economic growth. 48th in personal income growth. Our education system, which used to… Read More »Selfie Project – May 2025
It is a good time to share the THE SELFIE PROJECT images I took in April. It was a fairly busy month. There was the end of the season of Lent. There was also the work trip to Philadelphia. A busier month than most. Here are the April selfie images:… Read More »Selfie Project – April 2025
This is the final collection of images from my trip to the Valley Junction Farmer’s Market with Jay. These pictures more concentrate on the food and music of the farmer’s market. Here is the final collection of images: While I enjoyed my time at the Valley Junction Farmer’s Market, I… Read More »VJ Farmer’s Market: Music & Food
This is the 2nd collection of images taken from my trip to the Valley Junction Farmer’s Market with Jay. This one more concentrates on some of the fascinating art that we encountered. Here are the pictures: There is still one more collection of images left to share from this little… Read More »VJ Farmer’s Market: Art
Happy Easter everybody! Christ is risen! Here is the Easter Devotional I would like to share: Many churches of all denominations begin worship on Easter Sunday by singing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” Charles Wesley’s lyrics wonderfully celebrate how Jesus’ resurrection is God’s victory over death, and call us to tell the… Read More »Austin Grub: Day 5
I had always heard the legend of the Valley Junction Farmer’s Market. Some claimed it was as good or better than the Downtown Des Moines Farmer’s Market. I had never been, so it was on my list of things to visit last year. Jay actually agreed to go and one… Read More »VJ Farmer’s Market: Initial Impressions
It is the first day of April… which means that I should share all the March selfies for THE SELFIE PROJECT. I didn’t travel very much in March. I’d hoped to travel more, but both of Iowa State’s basketball teams had disappointing ends to their seasons. So I mostly just… Read More »Selfie Project – March 2025
A few weeks back Jay had the grand idea of trying Indian for Friday Night Supper Club. To be honest, it has been years since the last time I ate Indian. And I mean years. I bet it has been at least a decade. So a plan was hatched and… Read More »Messala! Ames Field Work
This isn’t a new food adventure by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, this food adventure is a family tradition. A tradition that goes back years. But I don’t think I’ve ever written about it, so I thought I better correct this terrible oversight. Of course, I must be… Read More »#pancakelife: Boone Field Work
It has been a couple of years since I’ve done the Selfie Project, so I thought it was time to bring it back. Why? In addition to being a fan favorite, it helps me at the end of the year when I’m filling out my Ledger and when I’m thinking… Read More »Selfie Project – January 2025
A new tradition (I hope) that started in 2023 was to go out for a roaring round of miniature golf. In 2023 we went to Jester Park. Last year we went to Perfect Games. Of the 2 courses, I would recommend Jester Park. The Perfect Games course is perhaps the… Read More »2024 Jay Janson Invitational
Time to reveal the March image for the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar: MARCH TECHNICAL DETAILS CAMERA: Sony 7M4 LENS: 14-24 Sigma f/2.8 DG DN Art FOCAL LENGTH: 24mm APERTURE: f/8 EXPOSUER: 1/800 ISO: 400 DATE: June 12, 2024 I took this picture because I wanted a Bokeh picture to enter… Read More »Sweet 22: The Beginning
All of the 2025 Photography 139 Calendars have been distributed or mailed except for one. It is fair game now to start sharing the calendar images. This is the front cover image: FRONT COVER – 2025 Technical Details: CAMERA: SONY 7M4LENS: SIGMA 14-24 f/2.8 DG DN ARTFOCAL LENGTH: 20mmAPERTURE: f/8SHUTTER… Read More »Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes
Today is Jesse’s birthday so I need to wish him a happy birthday. Happy birthday Jesse! I hope it is an absolutely amazing birthday! +++++++ Time to share a few more pictures of Bokeh from her early days. They grow up so fast!
So this food adventure took place on a brief visit I took with Teresa to the Madrid Labor Day Festival. I wanted to get a Gyrrito because Teresa got one last year and loved it and Jay got one at the Valley Junction Farmer’s Market and also was a big… Read More »#GyrritoLife: Madrid Field Work
One of my goals this year was to hit the Valley Junction Farmer’s Market. I had heard that it was almost as good as the Downtown Des Moines Farmer’s Market. Not going to mince words. The people that say that are seriously deranged. I’m not saying I wouldn’t go back.… Read More »Marketin’: Valley Junction Farmer’s Market
Here is another collection of images of Bokeh’s first days. Some are from when Alexis brought over Anela and Kanoa to meet Bokeh. Some are from when Bokeh used to sleep on my desk. Now she sleeps either under the desk or in a bed to my right. Finally, some… Read More »Bokeh: The First Days
I’ve only made it to Nights on the Green once this year. I’m not sure if there is one in October, so the subject of this entry might be the only night I made it up there. There were 2 food trucks on the night I made it up there.… Read More »Food Truckin’: Nights on the Green Field Work
This collection of glorious BLACK & WHITE images i took on July 6. I had a fairly lazy Saturday. I took a mini-road trip over to Jefferson for some A&W and had Jay, Willy, Monica, and Graham over for watermelon. But that was about all I did all day. This… Read More »Will Make You Miss My Wretched Heart
Time to share another collection of alternate images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme BLACK & WHITE. I took these glorious BLACK & WHITE pictures on July 5. I went over to Nevada to try what was allegedly great chicken from a gas station with Teresa and hosted Willy and… Read More »Like Cuttin’ Her Down