Category Archives: Life

Black & White, Jesse, Nader, Night, Photo Journal, State Fair, Street Photography, WPC - Reminder

A Photo Journal – Henry Carroll – Page 79

October 26, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

I took Page 78 of the PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT on the morning of the Barbecue Contest of the Iowa State Fair.

I came back to the Iowa State Fair on the last day of the fair to take the companion picture.

Page 78 was to “Photograph a place that’s nondescript during the day…”

Page 79 – …but comes alive at night.

Only one picture can be physically adhered into the physical copy of THE PHOTO JOURNAL, but I did take several other pictures that night.

Nader and Jesse were photo assistants for this photo shoot.

Next time we check in with THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT, we will probably check in with Page 40.

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This is you weekly reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is COLORFUL.

COLORFUL

A COLORFUL picture is a picture of anything that is COLORFUL.

Happy photo harvesting!

Art, Ernie, Flowers, Railroad, Teresa, Travel, Vacation

08-02-08

October 20, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Pictures from the folder 08-02-08 are from my second day of a Kentucky vacation to visit Ernie with Teresa.

On Day 2 we visit a tobacco farm, a gravity pull hill, Newsom’s, and Lambert’s. Plus we also visited a PostSecret display in Paducah. I think everybody knows how much I love PostSecret.

If you ever have a chance to eat at Lambert’s, I highly recommend it. Might be the best restaurant I’ve ever been to. If you every get to eat a ham from Newsom’s, I highly recommend that as well.

If you don’t know what a gravity pull hill is, it is a hill where if you put your car in neutral, ghosts will push your car uphill. I can’t remember why there are ghosts on this particular gravity pull hill, but I think a woman murdered her children here. Similar to the haunted Bannwell Bridge near Fort Dodge.

If you watch Ghost Adventures, they visit a gravity pull hill in one of their episodes.

Here are some of the pictures from the folder 08-02-08:

I should point out that a gravity pull hill is actually an optical illusion. Ghosts don’t really push you up a hill. I have no commentary on whether or Bannwell Bridge is haunted. I have never been there. Maybe I’ll visit before Halloween to see.

By adding these photos to The Photography 139 Photo Gallery I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” journal entry to its original glory:

Down South – Day 2

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve a trip to a Southern Baptist church and a trip to a lake and a trip to a pond. Plus, some pictures where I might have accidentally desecrated the memory of Abraham Lincoln, not as thoroughly as the modern Republican Party, but still not good.

Black & White, Photo Journal, Photoshop, State Fair, Street Photography, WPC - Reminder

A Photo Journal – Henry Carroll – Page 78

October 19, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

While I was at the Iowa State Fair, I came across a great subject for Page 78 and Page 79 for THE PHOTO JOURNAL PROJECT.

On my first trip to the Iowa State Fair I took the picture for Page 78. I’ll share those pictures today and you’ll have to wait for Page 79:

Page 78 – Photograph a place that’s nondescript during the day…

I visited the midway early on the morning while Baby Got Rack’s meat was smoking.

Only 1 picture can be physically adhered into the physical THE PHOTO JOURNAL. Here are some that will only exist in the digital world:

Next Friday we will definitely check in with Page 78.

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This is your reminder that the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme this week is COLLECTIBLE:

COLLECTIBLE

A COLLECTIBLE photo is a photo of anything that people collect.

Happy photo harvesting!

Formal Portrait, Scottie D., Tenderloining

Them Degeneffe Boys 2017 – Alpha

October 16, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks back I published some photos from the 2016 annual Degeneffe boys photo shoot.

Today I start publishing pictures from the 2017 photo shoot.

Pretty much all the pictures from these photo shoots are candids.

Since these pictures of Scottie D.’s progeny, it would be a good time to point out that they recently announced the winner of the Best Tenderloin in Iowa.

Here is the text from the Des Moines Register article:

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. The winner of the Best Pork Tenderloin in Iowa has been announced.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association has named Three C’s Diner at 300 9th St. in Corning as the winner of the Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest for 2018. It’s the first time a restaurant in southwest Iowa has won the competition.

IPPA judges chose Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ & Brew in Luther as the runner up. Landmark Bistro in Grundy Center, Stout’s Irish Pub & Grill in Clinton and Nine & Dine Restaurant in Eagle Grove rounded out the top five finalists

Whatcha Smokin BBQ & Brew in Luther became the 4th Boone County restaurant to place in the Iowa Pork Producers annual contest. While it is true that 2 of the restaurants that have placed in the past are now closed, it is undeniable that Boone County is the greasy heart of tenderloin country. Which makes sense, since Boone County is also the worldwide headquarters of The Tenerloin Appreciation Society.

I have already had several people volunteer to travel with me to Corning to try this year’s reigning champion (a trip that will be coming no doubt) I came across something fascinating on the Iowa Pork Producer website: The Tenderloin Trail.

From the Pork Producer website:

The most delicious trail in Iowa is finally here!

Iowa leads the nation in pork production and with all of that delicious pork comes a mid-west treasure that most of the country has no idea even exists … the best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich!

Now, we’re not talking about something that comes out of the freezer and is dropped in a fryer. We’re talking about hand-pounded or tenderized center-cut pork loin that becomes blanketed in a custom bread crumb mixture or dipped in a savory batter and fried to golden perfection. There are many ways to craft a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and this trail takes you on a journey to enjoy some of Iowa’s best!

Quick Fact: Don’t let the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich be confused with the actual cut of pork called TENDERLOIN. They’re completely different! In fact, the tenderloin cut is just as lean as a boneless, skinless chicken breast (only 2.98 g of fat) and is an excellent lean protein choice! The tenderloin cut has even earned the American Heart Checkoff for being heart healthy!

But now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s get back to the savory goodness of the tenderloin sandwich!

The Iowa Tenderloin Trail features 14 unforgettable sandwiches while celebrating the passionate families around the state who work diligently to provide safe, affordable and delicious pork. You don’t have to take our word for it though, take on the trail and experience the tasty tenderloin goodness for yourself!

Your efforts will even be rewarded so you can boast about your tenderloin feat! Receive 10 stamps on your passport within 24-months and receive a free t-shirt from the Iowa Pork Producers Association that is sure to create envy amongst your family and friends!

All you need to get started and become a true mid-westerner, is your official passport. It can be downloaded here or picked up at any of the restaurants along the trail. Be sure to get your passport custom stamped at each restaurant you visit.

These are the 14 restaurants on the trail:

1. Three C’s Diner – Corning
2. The Lucky Pig Pub & Grill – Ogden
3. Stout’s Irish Pub & Grill – Clinton
4. Chuckie’s Tenderloin Trailers – A roving food truck
5. Breitbach’s Country Dining – Balltown
6. Town House Supper Club – Wellsburg
7. Dairy Sweet – Dunlap
8. Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe – Prairie City
9. Nick’s – Des Moines (Although last I knew, Nick’s was closed because of some tax problems.)
10. The Other Place – Des Moines
11. The Brick Street Market and Cafe – Bondurant
12. Larsen’s Catering & Pub – Elk Horn
13. Gramma’s Kitch – Walcott (This tenderloin is super gross, makes The Lucky Pig look like they have a good tenderloin.)
14. Belmond Drive-In – Belmond

You can download your Passport here:

Tenderloin Trail Passport

I’ll be looking for people to help me complete the trail. Look over each restaurant and figure out which one you want to attend with me.

Art, Christianity, Road Trip, Teresa, Travel, Vacation

08-01-08

October 13, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The pictures in the folder 08-01-08 are from a trip I made to Kentucky with Teresa to visit Ernie.

On the way down we stopped in Metropolis. Visited an illegal immigrant friend of mine. He’s a good chap. Maybe you’ve heard of him:

I highly endorse going to Metropolis. It is pretty cool!

By adding these images to The Photography 139 Gallery I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” blog to its original glory:

The South – Day 1

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will continue to revolve around this 2008 trip to Kentucky.

Animals, Black & White, Pufferbilly Days, Street Photography

2017 Pufferbilly Days Petting Zoo

October 9, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the final collection of photos from the 2017 Pufferbilly Days.

These pictures are from the petting zoo, which is one of my favorite parts of Pufferbilly Days. Behind the Photo Contest and the food. Although the food wasn’t really all that great this year.

But I digress…

If you liked the 2017 petting zoo photos, I bet you’ll love the 2018 petting zoo photos!

Black & White, Boone FUMC, Jeff Daniel, Jim, Mission Trip, Ruins, Travel, Vacation, Yin

07-20-07

October 6, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

The images from the folder 07-20-07 run the gamut from pictures from the first mission trip I ever went on to pictures from the Miller Farm to pictures from a RAGBRAI stop in Ames.

The mission trip photos are from Cedar Rapids. I went with an adult group from my church.

The Miller Farm pictures were taken before June and Dean moved off the farm and into town.

The mission trip to Cedar Rapids was after a flood. After working the second day, you drove home. One the second day we worked in a house where they had to pull a Youth Group out of because they found pornography.

I still can’t describe how bad that house smelled. The family had left their cat behind. It survived the initial flood. Then it came back to the house. Then it crapped all over the house. Well, mostly behind the couch. The food was still in the fridge. You could stand on the other side of the street and still smell the house.

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Photography Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory: