Category Archives: Road Trip

Town Sign Project: Marion County

I recently drove around Marion County to harvest their town signs. Marion County includes two of the more famous Iowa towns, Pella and Knoxville.

Here are some facts about Marion County:

+ Population is 33,309.
+ Pella is the largest city.
+ Knoxville is the county seat.
+ Named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general in the Revolutionary War.
+ Home to the Pella Tulip Festival, which is one of the most popular town festivals in Iowa.
+ Home to the Knoxville Speedway an internationally known auto racing track.
+ Home of Central College.
+ Major highways are: IA-5, IA-14, IA-92, IA-163, and IA-316.
+ Adjacent counties are: Jasper, Mahaska, Monroe, Lucas, and Warren.
+ Population is currently at its peak.

Marion County has a beautiful courthouse:


Marion County Courthouse
Marion County Courthouse in Knoxville, Iowa

The Marion County Courthouse is located near the form Veterans Hospital in Knoxville:


Marion County Freedom Rock
The story about the ashes…

Marion County Freedom Rock

Marion County Freedom Rock

Marion County Freedom Rock

Marion County Freedom Rock

With Marion County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:


Town Sign Project - 21 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

21 counties completed. 21.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the Marion County town signs:


Pella, Iowa
Pella, Iowa
Welcome to Pella – A Touch of Holland
Population: 10,352

Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville, Iowa
Welcome to Knoxville
Population: 7,313

Pleasantville, Iowa
Pleasantville, Iowa
Welcome to Pleasantville – Established 1849
Population: 1,694

Melcher Dallas, Iowa
Melcher-Dallas, Iowa
Welcome to Melcher Dallas – A Coal Mining Community
Population: 1,288

Bussey, Iowa
Bussey, Iowa
Welcome to Bussey
Population: 422

Harvey, Iowa
Harvey, Iowa
Harvey – Home of the Peace Tree – Population 277
Population: 235

Hamilton, Iowa
Hamilton, Iowa
Hamilton City Hall and Community Center
Population – 130

Swan, Iowa
Swan, Iowa
We Honor Our Veterans – Swan, Iowa
Population: 72

Marysville, Iowa`
Marysville, Iowa
<- Marysville 1
Population: 66

I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with Marion County. Pella and Knoxville are pretty big deals. How does Pella not have a tulip or something Dutch on the sign? Maybe the good folks of Indianola are right? FTD. And the race track in Knoxville is a big deal. I’m not a fan of auto racing. I get the appeal of watching things go fast, I just wish racing didn’t lasted so long. Go around the track a couple times. Take off your helmet. Wave to the crowd. We’re all home in time for the start of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. That being said, I’m going to give Knoxville the worst town sign of Marion County. Even though Hamilton doesn’t even really have one and Marysville only has a DOT sign. But at least it has an interesting crack. The most interesting thing about the Knoxville sign is the Laser Car Wash sign behind it.

But who has the best town sign in Marion County? Even though it is a DOT sign, I like the Harvey sign. I would like it even more if I could have found the “Peace Tree”. Melcher-Dallas has a nice sign, but I’m giving this best sign to Pleasantville.


Pleasantville, Iowa
Pleasantville – Best in Show – Marion County

There were a couple of towns with alternate town signs, both better than their main town signs:


Pella, Iowa
Pella – Alternate Town Sign

Melcher Dallas, Iowa
Melcher-Dallas -Alternate Town Sign

Pleasantville, Iowa
Pleasantville – Alternate Town Sign

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Murray, Iowa
Best in Show – Clarke County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Pleasantville, Iowa
Best in Show – Marion County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with the Town Sign Project, it will involve Tama County.

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


WEEK 298 - UP IN THE AIR
UP IN THE AIR

UP IN THE AIR! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

But what is a UP IN THE AIR photo? It is simply a photo of something that is UP IN THE AIR. A bird. A plane. Superman? Well, if Superman isn’t standing on the ground. A good idea is to just throw something into the air and photograph it. Or a good candid portrait is to throw something in the air and have them try to catch it. This is a great candid portrait technique.

Happy photo harvesting!

Audubon and Guthrie County Auxiliary Images: Vol. 1

Harvesting the town signs of Audubon and Guthrie County was one the last road trips I took with my Mom. I took lots of pictures that day, so I’m going to break it up into at least two posts. All of today’s pictures were taken in Guthrie County:


Guthrie County
Panora

Guthrie County

Guthrie County
Guthrie Center

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County
Menlo
Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County
Casey

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County
Adair

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Guthrie County

Most of the remaining pictures were shot in Audubon County, but not all of them.

Town Sign Project: Clarke County

Clarke County includes Murray, Iowa. The Murray town sign was the last town sign I harvested on the last road trip I took with my Mom.

I recently returned to Clarke County to get the one town sign I was missing.

Here are some facts about Clarke County:

+ The population is 9,286
+ Osceola is both the largest town and county seat.
+ Was formed in 1846 and is named for James Clarke, a Governor of the Iowa Territory.
+ Major highways are: I-35, US-34, US-69, and I-152.
+ Adjacent counties include Decatur, Lucas, Madison, Union, and Warren
+ The population peaked in 1900 at 12,440.

The Clarke County Courthouse is pretty lame:


Clarke County Courthouse
Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola, Iowa

The Clarke County Freedom Rock is located near a cemetery in Murray, Iowa:


Clarke County Freedom Rock

Clarke County Freedom Rock

Clarke County Freedom Rock

With Clarke County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:


Town Sign Project - 20 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

20 counties completed. 20.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

There are only 3 towns in Clarke County. Here are their town signs:


Osceola, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola – Proud of Our History – Ready for the Future
Population: 4,929

Murray, Iowa
Murray, Iowa
Murray – Since 1868
Population: 756

Woodburn, Iowa
Woodburn, Iowa
Woodburn – Founded 1868
Population: 125

If you were to go to the Wikipedia page and look up Clarke County, it would also list the town of Weldon as being partially in Clarke County, but mostly in Decatur County. However, since I have switched to the Iowa Department of Transportation is the arbiter of what towns are in a county, Weldon is not in this collection. The Iowa DOT does not consider Weldon to be in Clarke County.

Only 3 signs to choose from in Clarke County. It is pretty obvious which is the worst. Woodburn’s sign isn’t really even a town sign. It is a sign that hangs on what looks like a stage in what looks like a town park.

Osceola and Murray have about equal signs, but I’m going to give Best in Show to Murray for sentimental reasons.


Murray, Iowa
Murray – Best in Show – Clarke County

Osceola and Woodburn have alternate signs, well Woodburn has a DOT sign.


Osceola, Iowa
Osceola Alternate Sign – Looks Kinda Familiar

Woodburn, Iowa
Woodburn Alternate Sign – For being a DOT sign, it does have some character

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Murray, Iowa
Best in Show – Clarke County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we visit THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Marion County. Home of Iowa’s second best tulip festival and a really big race track.

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


WEEK 297 - GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT

What is a GOVERNMENT photo? A GOVERNMENT photo is any photo that involves something that involves the GOVERNMENT. Went to a public park? That is GOVERNMENT. Driving on a road? That is GOVERNMENT. Of course there are GOVERNMENT buildings like courthouse, police departments, fire departments, post offices… Everything military related is GOVERNMENT. Everything dealing with public schools is GOVERNMENT.

Think about the following quote when you are contemplating your GOVERNMENT image:

The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.
-Henry Ward Beecher

Happy photo harvesting!

Town Sign Project: Adair County

Adair County includes Orient, Iowa. The Orient town sign was one of the town signs I harvested on the last road trip I took with my Mom.

I had already taken pictures of most of the town signs in Adair County before going there recently to take pictures of the few that I had yet to harvest.

Here are some facts about Adair County:
+ The population of Adair County is 7,862.
+ Greenfield is both the county seat and largest town in Adair County.
+ Was formed in 1851 from sections of Pottawattamie County and was named after John Adair, a general in the War of 1812.
+ The site of the world’s first robbery of a moving train by Jesse James on July 21, 1873.
+ Major highways are: I-80, US-6, Iowa-25, Iowa-92, and Iowa-925.
+ Adjacent Counties are Guthrie, Madison, Union, Adams, and Cass.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 16,192 and has been below quintuple digits since the 1970 census.

I would describe the Adair County Courthouse as fair:


Adair County Courthouse

The Adair County Freedom Rock is located on a highway near Greenfield, but closer to Menlo. Their is a sign for it on Interstate 80. It is the original Freedom Rock and is repainted every year for Memorial Day.


Adair County Freedom Rock

Adair County Freedom Rock

Adair County Freedom Rock

Adair County Freedom Rock

I’m going to stop sharing the county photo maps. I’m not sure anybody finds much interest in them.

With Adair County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:


Town Sign Project - 19 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

19 counties completed. 19.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Adair County:


Greenfield, Iowa
Greenfield, Iowa
Welcome to Greenfield
Population: 1,982

Adair, Iowa
Adair, Iowa (Partially in Guthrie County)
Welcome to Adair – It’ll make you smile!
Population: 781

Stuart, Iowa
Stuart, Iowa (Partially in Guthrie County)
The City of Stuart Welcomes You
Population- 1,648

Fontanelle, Iowa
Fontanelle, Iowa
Fontanelle – A Place To Call Home
Population: 672

Orient, Iowa
Orient, Iowa
Welcome to Orient
Population: 408

Bridgewater, Iowa
Bridgewater, Iowa
Brigdewater – Since 1885
Population: 182

Casey, Iowa
Casey, Iowa (Mostly in Guthrie County)
Welcome to Casey Iowa – Since 1869
Population: 10 (426 total)

I’m going to not include Casey for the County Awards. It is mostly in Guthrie County. I would say that there is no doubt what town has the worst town sign in Adair County. That is Stuart. What makes it even worse is before they put up that giant tombstone monstrosity, rumor has it that they had a cool sign with a pithy slogan about “bad eggs”.

I also think that Best in Show for Adair County is pretty much a no brainer. It is Fontanelle.


Fontanelle, Iowa
Fontanelle – Best in Show – Adair County

A couple towns had alternate signs:


Adair, Iowa
Adair Alternate Sign

Greenfield, Iowa
Greenfield Alternate Sign

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we visit THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Clarke County. A county with only 3 towns.

Hardin County Auxiliary Images

Back in February I cruised around Hardin County harvesting town sign photos. This was a solo trip. These are some of the non-town sign pictures I took on the trip.


Hardin County
New Providence – This round gym was recently featured in a movie.

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County
Gifford

Hardin County
Union

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County
Whitten

Hardin County
Eldora

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County
Steamboat Rock

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County
Ackley

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

Hardin County

I really liked Hardin County. There is more than one thing there I would like to go back and photograph again in the future.

WPC – WEEK 294 – TRAVEL

There was a decent amount of submissions for TRAVEL. It looks like several people left their house this weekend and had TRAVEL adventures.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - JODIE CUE
Jodie Cue

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEL 294 - TRAVEL - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEL 294 - TRAVEL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEL 294 - TRAVEL - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 294 - TRAVEL - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

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 295 - FACE
FACE

FACE! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

A FACE image is pretty simple. It is merely a picture where a FACE is a major compositional element. Everybody has access to a FACE. Almost everybody either has a FACE or knows somebody that has a FACE. But not just humans have a FACE. Animals have a FACE. Clocks have a FACE. Even cliffs have a FACE.

Think about the following quote when you are contemplating your FACE image:

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
-Victor Hugo

Meditate on this quote and I have no doubt your submission will be one that is ready to FACE the world.

RULES

The picture has to be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch (unless you are taking your picture from the couch) and take pictures challenge.

You can send your images to either bennett@photography139.com OR you may text them to my Pixel 5.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing our idea of FACE in this place that sometimes doesn’t know which way to FACE next Monday.

Town Sign Project: Union County

Union County is the last county of I completed with my Mom. We went through a few counties on that road trip, so there are still a couple individual town signs from that trip to share, but Union County is the final county that we took to completion.

I had a certain degree of expectations for Union County, despite the fact that it is commonly held knowledge that the closer you get to Missouri the more wore down and ragged the towns in Iowa became. That being said, I am a fan of the Union. I live on Union Street. Whenever I watch a Civil War movie, I openly root for the Union. Not everybody does. Some people root for the Confederacy. Those people are known as racists.

I’m also very pro-union, as it applies to organized labor. Even though I don’t currently have the ability to join a union at my current day job. However, my Dad was very pro-union and because of the strength of the UAW while he was alive, my Mom continued to receive benefits from John Deere her entire life.

My key takeaway from our trip to Union County is that Creston is a hidden gem. I loved Creston and would like to visit again some day.

Here are some facts about Union County:
+ The population is 12,534.
+ The county seat and largest city is Creston.
+ The county was organized in 1853 and named for the union that people wanted to preserve.
+ Major highways in the county are: US 34, US 169, and IA 25.
+ Surrounding counties are Adair, Madison, Clarke, Ringgold, and Adams.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 19,928.

Even though Creston has lots of great art and architecture, the Union County Courthouse isn’t great:


Union County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse in Creston

The Union County Freedom Rock is located in Creston, near an old-timey gas station:


Union County Freedom Rock

Union County Freedom Rock

Union County Freedom Rock

Union County Freedom Rock

Here is the Union County Photo Map:


Union County Photo Map
Union County Photo Map – Boundaries are not close.

With Union County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:



PURPLE=COMPLETED

18 counties completed. 18.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Union County:


Creston, Iowa
Creston, Iowa
Welcome to Creston
Population: 7,834

Afton, Iowa
Afton, Iowa
Welcome to Afton
Population: 845

Lorimor, Iowa
Lorimor, Iowa
Welcome to Lorimor – Est. 1887 – “Where The Mississippi & Missouri Divide!”
Population: 560

Cromwell, Iowa
Cromwell, Iowa
Cromwell Next 3 Exits
Population – 107

Arispe, Iowa
Arispe, Iowa
Welcome to Arispe, Iowa – Est. 1887
Population: 100

Shannon City, Iowa
Shannon City, Iowa
Shannon City
Population: 90

Thayer, Iowa
Thayer, Iowa
Thayer
Population: 59

Union County and Madison County really remind me of each other. They both have great towns for their county seats, but also some of the worst towns I’ve ever seen. That is probably the Missouri Proximity Factor. It is hard to pick a worse town sign between Shannon City and Thayer, since neither one really has one. I took the Shannon City sign before I stopped accepting DOT signs as town signs, although now I’m rethinking that policy. The Thayer town sign is a railroad sign. Not really a town sign at all. That bridge in the background in that picture. I wouldn’t ride over that thing on a bike. I would say tied for last.

I don’t think Union County has a strong batch of signs, but a couple are at least good. Afton, Lorimor, and Arispe all have good signs. But I’m going to give Union County Best in Show to Creston. Maybe because I just was surprised by how much I like Creston.


Creston, Iowa
Creston – Best in Show – Union County

A couple towns had alternate signs:


Creston, Iowa
Creston Alternate

Creston, Iowa
Creston Alternate

Afton, Iowa
Afton Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

I’m going to suspend the Bennett Power Rankings.

I have not completed any other counties at this time, so I don’t know what the next county I share will be.

2010-07-26

The pictures in the folder 2010-07-26 are from a road trip I took to Minnesota with Sara. It was frankly one the best road trips of my life. I got to hang out with some of my favorite people in the world. I got to see my favorite band in concert AND we went to Flugtag! Plus we ate at a really mediocre German restaurant.

Here are some pictures:


In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

In this Old Purple Town

WEEK 29 - DEPTH OF FIELD - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

Me and My Miracle Whip Cooler

Me and My Miracle Whip Cooler

That Miracle Whip cooler is one of my proudest possessions. If my house was on fire, it would be just outside the Top 5 things I would run in and grab. It was a gift from Sara. I believe she bought it in Wisconsin. The few chance I get to tailgate, it goes with me. It did sadly get too close to the grill recently. While it is still fully functional, one side is a little sad looking now. I think it makes me love it more!

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

This Old Purple Town

RWPE #29 – DEPTH OF FIELD

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve “nature’s fence”.

Jasper County Auxiliary Images

This is a reminder that at this point you have 1 hour to get your picks in for my NCAA Tournament Pool. Click on the link below to get started:

Roundball Oracles – Year 16

Good luck!

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I need to wish my Aunt Linda a happy birthday today. Happy birthday Aunt Linda!


Bennett Family Reunion

Slice of Life Volume 5

August 29, 2017

Slice of Life Volume 4

Bennett Family Reunion

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be!

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A couple months back I traveled the roads of Jasper County to harvest their town signs. Here is a collection of the non-town sign pictures I took on that trip:


Jasper County
Newton, Iowa

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County
Kellogg, Iowa

Jasper County
Oakland Acres, Iowa – A town that shoves it in the face of towns that don’t “heart” their children.

Jasper County

Jasper County
Lynnville, Iowa

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County
Sully, Iowa

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County

Jasper County
Monroe, Iowa

Jasper County

Jasper County
I absolutely love this church motto.

Jasper County

Jasper County

I want to visit Jasper County again this year and go to their drive-in movie theater. One of only like 3 left in the state.

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


WEEK 288 - STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

It is here. Judgement Day. The last theme that didn’t get double digit submissions. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY. 76 weeks ago. September 23, 2019.

There were only 7 submissions from 7 people:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe
+ Andy Sharp
+ Kim Barker
+ Humble Narrator
+ Stephanie Kim
+ Tamara Peterson
+ Jesse Howard

But what is STREET PHOTOGRAPHY? Why is it so scary and intimidating?

Sorry, Chris from 5 seconds ago. I reject your premise. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY isn’t scary or intimidating. It is awesome!

Some of the best and most famous photographers in history were STREET PHOTOGRAPHYers.

+ Dorothea Lange
+ Helen Levitt
+ Diane Arbus
+ Robert Frank
+ Fan Ho
+ Vivian Maier
+ Robert Doisneau
+ Henri Cartier-Bresson

Okay, great, you are thinking, but you still haven’t defined STREET PHOTOGRAPHY. Is it pictures of a street? No, but it is photography that often takes place on the streets.

Here is the best definition: “conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places.”

The 2 most important things. RANDOM and PUBLIC. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY is often mistaken for CANDID PORTRAITS. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY has to be done in a public place. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a portrait. It can be a piece of art. It can be a building. It can be a sign. It doesn’t have to be on a street. It can be at a sporting event. It can be at an art festival. A farmer’s market. The most common place would be a business district. It only has to meet those 2 criteria: public and random.

What is public? I mean that is pretty obvious. It can’t be in your house or in your friend’s house. It has to be somewhere in the public. Where other people can be.

What is random? That simply means that you didn’t go to wherever you went with the intent of taking that picture. Something about the place you went to compelled you to take that picture. You may have went there to take a picture, but not a pre-planned picture.

Some people think of STREET PHOTOGRAPHY as candid portraits. It isn’t, but it certainly can be. However, the picture can be of street art like the example. Egene Atget, was the first STREET PHOTOGRAPHYer. He took pictures of buildings.

I’ll make one last comparison. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY is to photography what jazz is to music. It is all about improvisation. This is perhaps why I love it so much.

Okay, one last thing. Most of the great STREET PHOTOGRAPHYers worked in black & white. I’m not saying your submission should be in black & white, but it is something to think about.

Also, think about this quote before thinking about your STREET PHOTOGRAPHY creation:

“The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected you find in the street.”
-Robert Doisneau

Happy photo harvesting!

Town Sign Project: Franklin County

A couple weekends ago I hit the open road to harvest the town signs of Franklin County that I was missing. There are 10 towns in Franklin County and 2 Census Designated Places.

Here are some facts about Franklin County:

+ The population is 10,680.
+ The county seat is Hampton.
+ The largest city is Hampton.
+ The county was formed on January 15, 1851 and named after Benjamin Franklin.
+ Major highways include I35, US65, IA3, and IA57.
+ Adjacent counties are Cerro Gordo, Butler, Hardin, Wright, and Grundy.
+ The population peaked in 1930 at 16,382.

Franklin County, thankfully has a beautiful courthouse.


Franklin County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse

The Franklin County Freedom Rock is in Coulter. There is no nudity, but there is a dog:


Franklin County Freedom Rock

Franklin County Freedom Rock

Franklin County Freedom Rock

Franklin County Freedom Rock

The veteran’s memorial park that houses the Freedom Rock is pretty neat. There will be pictures of it at a later date.

Here is the Franklin County Photo Map:


Franklin County Photo Map
Franklin County Photo Map – Boundaries are not close.

With Franklin County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:


Town Sign Project - 16 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

16 counties completed. 16.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the Franklin County signs:


Hampton, Iowa
Hampton, Iowa
Welcome to Hampton – The Heart of Franklin County
Population: 4,461

Ackley, Iowa
Ackley, Iowa (Mostly in Hardin County)
Ackley
Population: 1,589

Sheffield, Iowa
Sheffield, Iowa
Sheffield – Est. 1876 – “Just a good start!”
Population: 1,172

Dows, Iowa
Dows, Iowa (Mostly in Wright County)
Welcome to Dows – A Friendly Community
Population: 538

Latimer, Iowa
Latimer, Iowa
Latimer – A Progressive Community
Population: 507

Coulter, Iowa
Coulter, Iowa
Welcome to Coulter – A Nice Place to Call Home – Population 282
Population: 281

Alexander, Iowa
Alexander, Iowa
First Reformed Church of Alexander – Welcome
Population: 175

Geneva, Iowa
Geneva, Iowa
Welcome to Geneva
Population: 165

Bradford, Iowa (Census Designated Place)
Bradford, Iowa (CDP)
Gorder’s Cafe & Car Wash – Bradford
Population: 99

Hansell, Iowa
Hansell, Iowa
Hansell —–>
Population: 98

Chapin, Iowa (Census Designated Place)
Chapin, Iowa (CDP)
Chapin – Established 1872
Population: 87

Popejoy, Iowa
Popejoy, Iowa
Velkommen to Popejoy
Population: 79

I have decided to no longer pursue Census Designated Places. While it is true that both of the Census Designated Places in Franklin County had sigs, (sorta) it most don’t. So I’m throwing Census Designated Places into the same pile as unincorporated communities. If I stumble across one I will have a look, but I won’t pursue them.

I’ve also decided to no longer use Wikipedia as the arbiter of what towns are in a county. I am now going to us the Iowa Department of Transportation. Their website has a great list of the nearly 900 towns in Iowa and a map of every single one.

Now down to business. What town has the worst town sign in Franklin County. I’m going to let Bradford off the hook, since it isn’t a town, it is a CDP. I’m going to go with Alexander. It isn’t really a town sign. It is the local church welcoming you because the town itself is too lazy to do such things.

But here is the moment of controversy. Who wins Best in Show for Franklin County? Ackley and Dows are really mostly in other counties, so they aren’t even eligible. Coulter’s is cutesy, but the design leaves much to be desired. Hampton’s is okay, but it really is being propped up by the surroundings. It really comes down to two towns for me. Popejoy and Sheffield. They are both great in completely different ways. Sheffield’s sign as a cutesy slogan and is near a sign bragging about past high school sports accomplishments. However, I’m going to give it to Popejoy because Sheffield looks a bit to much like a hotel sign.


Popejoy, Iowa
Popejoy – Best in Show – Franklin County

A couple of Franklin County signs had alternate signs:


Popejoy, Iowa
Popejoy Alternate

Popejoy, Iowa - Backside
Back of Popejoy Sign

Popejoy, Iowa
Popejoy Alternate

Coulter, Iowa
Coulter Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

No change to the BENNETT TOWN SIGN POWER RANKINGS:


Ricketts, Iowa
#10. Ricketts

Dexter, Iowa
#9. Dexter

Menlo, Iowa
#8. Menlo

Templeton, Iowa
#7. Templeton

Farnhamville, Iowa #3 - East Side
#6. Farnhamville

Haverhill, Iowa
#5. Haverhill

Pilot Mound, Iowa
#4. Pilot Mound

Moingona, Iowa
#3. Moingona

Coon Rapids, Iowa
#2. Coon Rapids

Ackley, Iowa
#1. Ackley

The next time we travel the muddy backroads of Iowa for THE TOWN SIGNS PROJECT, we will visit Madison County.