This is the final collection of eclipse photos from my trip to Missouri to watch the eclipse with Jesse, Sarah, Tim, Mike, and Adam.
That is the end of the eclipse pictures until the next eclipse. About time to start making plans for it now!
Here are more pictures from our mostly failed trip to Saint Joseph, Missouri to see the Solar Eclipse back in 2017.
These pictures aren’t exactly in chronological order because I used 2 camera on this day and I didn’t have the foresight to synchronize their clocks.
There is one more set of solar eclipse photos in the hopper.
You might recall that back in August of 2017 there was a solar eclipse in the United States for the first time in decades. Or at least a really long time.
It cut a swath through Iowa, but in Iowa you couldn’t see the totality. It was only something like 85%. And if you are satisfied with an 85% solar eclipse, you aren’t living life to its fullest. Let it sink in and do better.
The totality was cutting through parts of Kansas and Missouri. I have some kinfolk in the area where the totality was to happen. My big city cousin Sarah was even going to come home from New York with her beau Tim to see the totality.
We made a plan to get together and watch the eclipse together. She did some research and we determined a park on the Missouri River in Saint Joseph, Missouri would be the best place to watch it. The totality was at its longest there. Plus, Saint Joseph was considered one of the top ten places to watch the eclipse because of the length of the totality and the fact that it hardly ever rains in Saint Joseph in August. People do research on such things.
Jesse and I took a couple days off to come down to see the eclipse. Another one of my cousins, Jordan and his wife Erin graciously allowed us to stay in their tall basement for the night.
We left Boone at something like 4 in the morning because I didn’t want to miss the eclipse because we were stuck in eclipse traffic. I also didn’t want to fight other people for a spot to see the eclipse. We were going to have our spot carved out a good 4 hours before the eclipse started.
We were successful. We beat the traffic and we secured a spot of real estate next to the Mighty Mo. Then it started to rain. Then rain some more. We didn’t get to “see” the totality. It was covered by clouds, for the most part. However, we did get to experience it. The temperature does drop like 10 degree. Everywhere you look in all 360 degrees looks like a sunset.
I didn’t get the picture that I wanted, but I still got an amazing experience. With some amazing people. Including my Uncle Mike and cousin Adam and his daughter Florence.
Here are some pictures from the failure:
I’m already making plans for the eclipse in 2024. It cuts across Paducah, Kentucky. I have some kinfolk that live near there!
In what feels like forever ago, but was actually only a year ago I went up to the “bold” North to visit Bethany, Dae Hee and Nora. One of those days we headed towards the Wisconsin border and visited a sculpture park called Franconia.
It was about an hour drive from Burnsville, but it was 100% worth it. I think it is my favorite sculpture park that I have ever visited.
Here are some pictures:
I love this sign on many levels.
I know what you’re thinking:
“In that last picture, is that a penis sculpture?”
I guess you’ll have to wait until the next time we visit Franconia to find out!
REMINDER
It is once again time for me (and by me, I mean you guys) to pick out my photos to enter in the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Once again, I am going to leave it up to a popular vote.
The Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest allows you to enter up to 6 photos.
There are 4 Categories:
1. Nature
2. Photojournalism
3. Photoshop Enhanced
4. Hidden Treasures of Boone County.
I have selected 60 images for you to consider. To simplify things, I have split the 60 photos into 6 sets of 10. If you wish to exercise your enfranchisement, clicking on the link below will take you to Poll #1. Vote for one of those pictures and then move onto the next poll, until you have voted in all six polls.
The winner of EACH poll will be entered into the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest.
Click on the link below to start voting:
Voting will end at midnight, August 8.
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This is the final collection of photos from my road trip to Maquoketa Caves State Park with Willy and Jay. All the way back in July of 2017.
It was a great road trip and I want to go on another road trip here in the near future. Just need to find a crew. Hmmmm…
Any ways, here are the balance of caves pictures
I can’t endorse Maquoketa Caves State Park enough. Although when you go on a Saturday in the summer, that place is beyond packed!
On the same day that I drove to Decorah to check out their waterfall, I stopped at Union Grave State Park to see their waterfall.
I don’t actually think it counts as a waterfall though. It is a spillway, that some how consistently shows up on the list of Iowa waterfall. Actually if you look at most of the waterfalls on that list, many of them are spillways, which I don’t consider to be waterfalls. Although, I guess you could argue that water does indeed fall at these locations.
It is still pretty, from a distance.
Here are some pictures:
Still jonesin’ for an Iowa road trip. Need to get that on the calendar.
More backlog today. So much backlog to get through.
More pictures from Jay, Willy, and I’s trip to THAT part of the state to visit the caves of Maquoketa Caves State Park.
Hot, humid, harsh lighting. Everything my summer Saturdays seem to be.
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Don’t worry cave lovers, there are a few more cave images left in the hopper!
Welcome to a bonus “An Artist’s Notebook” blog. A couple things before we get into the meat of this blog.
#1. Today Baby Got Rack will be competing at the Boone County Fair’s barbecue competition. They changed the rules from previous years. We are only allowed to enter to categories. We will be entering the Pork category with a tasty pork loin. We will also be entering the Specialty category with nachos. I believe the awards are announced around 4. Since you will already be there to watch the pig races, you might as well stop by Baby Got Rack’s area. There might be free samples.
#2. You can also duck into the Community Building to see the photos I entered in the photography contest. I think those usually go on display around 12 pm or so.
#3. Tomorrow night is The Union Street Movie Club’s monthly movie night. This month will be a triple feature. The B movie will be CHOSEN SURVIVORS. The feature will be AMERICAN MOVIE. Then we will conclude with the bonus of watching COVEN. Due to showing 3 movies, the projector will roll right at 6 PM. Don’t be late! We will be having pizza to celebrate Jay’s birth and Jay will be bringing a cake to celebrate America’s birth. It is going to get a little crazy.
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Later today I will be releasing a blog that will include pictures from the first time The Tenderloin Appreciation Society sat in judgment upon somebody’s tenderloin offering. Because of that, I can’t sit any longer on when I made a solo trip down to Winterset to evaluate a tenderloin.
I had been trying for months to get Scottie D. to commit to go down to Winterset to the Northside Cafe to evaluate their tenderloin. It placed second to the Webster City tenderloin in Iowa Pork Producers Tenderloin Contest in 2017. Only, I couldn’t get Scottie D. to commit. It was almost as if his love for the tenderloin was waning. I became concerned.
Back in May I took my birthday off from work. Nobody was around, so I decided to make a solo trip down to Winterset for lunch, even though I don’t actually like lunching alone.
Here are some pictures from the experience:
Lightly toasted bun.
Chomp. Chomp.
A flattering angle.
Last couple of bites.
My biggest complaint by far would be the service. I arrived at the restaurant a hair before noon and it took at least five minutes before I got seated. Even though I was the only person waiting to be seated.
Then after I ordered it took well over an hour before I got my food. They had forgot to make it.
My waitress, who was very nice and friendly. Stopped by at about the 65 minute mark of waiting and said, “You haven’t got your food yet, have you?”
That would be a negatory, Ghost Rider.
She apologized profusely and I got my food about 15 minutes later.
They were kind enough to give me my meal for free. So it wasn’t all bad.
The Northside Cafe serves a good, but not great tenderloin. I would gladly eat it again, but I would not pursue it. It does not belong in the Tenderloin Pantheon with Nick’s or Cole’s or The Country House. However, it certainly isn’t a garbage tenderloin like The Lucky Pig or Gramma’s Kitchen or Thunderhead Sports Bar & Grill.
The Northside Cafe is a cool historic restaurant though. I would definitely like to eat there again at some point. They acknowledged their mistake with the poor service and they made amends.
About a month after I went to The Northside Cafe, Scottie D. emerged from his hiatus and we supped at Roosters in Boone. That review will be published in about 2 weeks, give or take.
An announcement!
Today is the beginning of the Boone County Fair. On Saturday, Baby Got Rack will be competing in the Barbecue Competition. You should come out an support us. I think we will be there pretty much all day. I think judging is at 4 PM.
See you there!
You can also check out the photos I entered in the Boone County Fair Photography Contest.
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Jay, Willy, and I hopped in the car and went on a road trip to Maquoketa Caves State Park. At this point, I’ve published every ancillary photo from the trip, but not the pictures from the actual Caves State Park.
I begin that process now.
It was a brutally hot and humid day. Spending time in caves was very refreshing. However, the day had the worst photographic conditions you can imagine. The lighting was brutal.
I soldiered on though.
Here is the first batch of pictures from Maquoketa Caves State Park:
Photo Cred: Jay Janson
Photo Cred: Jay Janson
More pictures from this epic adventure coming your way soon!
A quick announcement before we get to the meat of this entry.
I will be working a concession stand at the Boone Municipal Band Festival today for the church. I will be there. I think some of my family. Some of the kid’s from the youth group. I think the money will go to the youth group, but I’m not entirely sure.
Unfortunately, we have no freedom with the menu. We are being forced to serve beef burgers. I know. Gross. The loose meat sandwich is an abomination that will burn in hell next to the only thing more evil than it. The open faced sandwich.
Oh, you don’t think I’d forgotten about the open face sandwich had you! Oh no, my hatred for you still burns. IT BURNS!
That being said, you could do worse than come out and buying some water or chips or tea from us. You can even buy a stupid loose meat sandwich and then just throw it in the trash where it belongs.
You will be doing 2 good deeds that way. Supporting a good cause and making sure there is one less loose meat sandwich in the world.
Also, the Municipal Band Festival usually has pretty good music.
We will be working the concession stand from 2-7.
While I know I’m not selling you on the food, I had forgot to mention there would also be pie for sale. Delicious homemade pie!
Come and get it!
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Back in May of 2017 I went on a little road trip to Decorah to see their waterfall. I would call it by name, but I’ve seen it spelled about 4 different ways. So we’ll just call it the Decorah Waterfall.
Here are some pictures:
The last 2 pictures are from the Ice Cave. I didn’t go very far into the cave because I was travelling alone and I didn’t want to get stuck in a crevice without somebody being able to point and laugh at me or pull me out. That is the price the Lone Wolf* has to pay to be a Lone Wolf!
*Scientifically documented.
