Category Archives: Automobiles

Pufferbilly Days Car Show – 2023

Time to share the October image from the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar. It is a picture of a mural of Jack from THE SHINING near Graffiti Alley in Des Moines.


2024 Calendar - October
OCTOBER

I chose this image for October since it is an artistic depiction from THE SHINING, one of the 5 best horror movies every made.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: September 30, 2023 – 1:23 PM
LENS: 17-28mm f/2.8
APERTURE: f/5
EXPOSURE: 1/100
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will share the November image from the calendar!

+++++++

Seems like a good time to start sharing pictures from Pufferbilly Days that aren’t related to the Photo Contest. I’m not a car person, per se, but I do like attending the occasional car show. Partially cause old cars are cool looking and partially because I have a few friends that display cars at car shows.

Here are some pictures:


Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Pufferbilly Days Car Show - 2023

Next Friday I will share some pictures from the Pufferbilly Days Parade.

Stanhope Watermelon Day 2023 – II

Time for another collection of images from my trip to the Stanhope Watermelon Day with Teresa. This collection of images is of the parade. I’m not really a parade person. In fact few things are more boring than a parade. Well actually few things have greater gap between participating in and watching. Being in a parade is tons of fun. Watching a parade is tons of boring. Similarly to fireworks. Lighting off fireworks is tons of fun. Watching fireworks is boring. Baseball also fits into this category as well. But I digress.

Here are the parade pictures:


Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Watermelon Day - 2023

Still plenty more pictures to share from Watermelon Day. Including many pictures of delicious… delicious watermelon!

Dysart Illusion Road Trip – III

This is the final collection of images from the road trip to Dysart to see their illusions I took with Nader. This collection starts in Traer, but also goes through the Matchstick Marvels Museum in Gladbrook.


Dysart Illusions Road Trip
Traer

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip
Gladbrook

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip
Toledo

Dysart Illusions Road Trip
A different town sign.

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

Dysart Illusions Road Trip

It was a good road trip, even if I confess, the Dysart illusions were a little bit of a disappointment. But the Matchstick Marvels Museum was definitely not a disappointment!

Davis County Aux. – Vol. 4

Here it is. The final collection of auxiliary images I took during THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT. Finally being shared almost 14 months after I took them. Closing the book on pictures I took in 2022. To be honest there is one last collection of pictures I took in 2022, but I’m not going to share those. Those I will keep for me.

The final county of town signs I harvested was Davis County. A county I left for last because I wanted to save the Paris, Iowa (there are two unincorporated towns named Paris in Iowa) for the end because I have some family history on my Mom’s side of the family there. Paris is almost a ghost town now. There is a cemetery a couple miles down the road. There are a few houses and there are the remains of a general store. But it was still interesting to visit and I don’t regret leaving it for last, even though it really didn’t have a town sign.

Here is the final collection of images, starting at a general store in Cantril.


Van Buren County - Cantril

Van Buren County - Cantril
I swear Randall’s had this exact same signs when I was a kid.

Van Buren County - Cantril

Van Buren County - Cantril

Van Buren County - Cantril

Van Buren County - Cantril

Van Buren County - Cantril
The artist definitely spend most of their time and effort on the boobs.

Van Buren County - Cantril

Davis County

Davis County - Troy
Troy

Davis County - Troy

Davis County - Troy

Davis County - Troy

Davis County - Troy
This building housed the Troy Academy. Which was one of the first institutions of higher education west of the Mississippi.

Davis County - Troy
It is also the subject of a painting by Buckley Moss.

Davis County - Troy

Davis County

Davis County
Back to Bloomfield

Davis County

Davis County

Davis County

Davis County - Paris
Paris Cemetery

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Davis County - Paris

Marshall County - Marshalltown
Marshalltown

It is a little sad to close the last page on this photo project. My original plan for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT was to turn it into a book. I have made next to no progress on that. None. I haven’t really made much or no progress on what was going to be my next photo project. I have let you down…

But maybe I will make progress on the book this winter. Stranger things have happened.

I’m not sure what will be posted on Wednesdays going forward. But there isn’t a shortage of RAW images waiting to be edited and shared!

Scott County Aux. – Vol. 3

Time to share another collection of images from my trip to Scott County to harvest their town signs. Most of these pictures are also taken in Le Claire and this collection ends in Davenport. It includes a brief stop I made at Antique Archaeology. The store made famous by the show American Pickers. It is a cool store and definitely worth the trip, but I think the downtown area of Le Claire is also worth the trip as well.

The collection starts where Volume 2 ended. With a great blue heron on the banks of the Mississippi River.


Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Le Claire

Scott County - Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley

Scott County - Pleasant Valley

Scott County - Davenport
Davenport

Scott County - Davenport

Scott County - Davenport

Scott County - Davenport

Scott County - Davenport

Scott County - Davenport
This is actually in Illinois.

Scott County - Davenport
Back in Davenport.

Scott County - Davenport

Still plenty of pictures from this road trip left to share.

And Maybe I’m Just Not As Interesting

Time once again to clean up some backlog. These pictures I took during December of 2022, but they didn’t really fit into any previous posts. Some were taken at the Community Christmas Concert that I went to, to watch Logan and Nathanial and Logan work it. Some are alternates for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme WATER. Some are taken at the candlelight service at Boone First United Methodist Church. Some are just of Naima.


Naima at Ledges

Naima

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Community Christmas Concert - 2023

Semi in a Ditch

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

WPC Alternate - WATER

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Christmas Eve Service - 2022

Apparently Logan and Nathanial and Janae did a pretty good job with the Christmas Concert video because now an independent movie company wants to come to Boone and shoot a movie based on seeing the video on the internet. It will be interesting to see if that actually happens.

WPC – WEEK 412 – SELF-PORTRAIT

SELF-PORTRAIT! Maybe not the most artistic theme, but on the other hand, it is a chance for some of you to introduce yourself to the rest of you. But did a bunch of people do that? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, July 31, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Becky Parmelee – 2 weeks
2-Willy McAlpine – 3 weeks
3-Scott Degeneffe – 4 weeks
4-Mike Vest – 4 weeks
5-Suzie Brannen – 5 weeks
6-Sabas Hernandez – 5 weeks
7-Sheri Fakhouri – 7 weeks (2)
8-Monica Jennings – 8 weeks
9-Logan Kahler – 8 weeks
10-Nathanial Brown – 9 weeks
11-Jesse Howard – 9 weeks
12-Tamara Peterson – 12 weeks
13-Alexis Stensland – 17 weeks (3)
14-Mindi Terrell – 24 weeks (3)
15-Brandon Kahler – 49 weeks
16-Linda Bennett – 53 weeks
17-Sarah Toot – 54 weeks (2)
18-Angie DeWaard – 58 weeks
19-Dawn Krause – 62 weeks
20-Kim Barker – 68 weeks
21-Joe Duff – 69 weeks
22-Teresa Kahler – 80 weeks (2)
23-Carla Stensland – 80 weeks
24-Micky Augustin – 82 weeks
25-Andy Sharp – 83 weeks
26-Bill Wentworth – 84 weeks
27-Cathie Morton – 88 weeks
28-Elizabeth Nordeen – 89 weeks
29-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 91 weeks
30-Kio Dettman – 93 weeks (3)

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:


WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Washington D.C.) – 1 week

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Altoona, Iowa)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Washington D.C.) – 1 week

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 3 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Iowa) – 5 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (The Outlets at Orange – Orange County, California) – 6 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Iowa) – 6 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Iowa) – 9 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - NATHANIAL BROWN
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 9 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Iowa)- 10 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 10 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 13 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ALEXIS BAUGHER
Alexis Stensland (Iowa) – 18 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 25 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 50 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 54 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Sedgefield Country Club – Greensboro, South Carolina) – 55 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Sedgefield Country Club – Greensboro, South Carolina)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Sedgefield Country Club – Greensboro, South Carolina)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Nebraska – probably) – 59 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa) – 63 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Iowa)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Fort Madison, Iowa) – 69 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Texas) – 70 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Gretna, Nebraska) – 81 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Gretna, Nebraska)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Gretna, Nebraska)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Don Williams Lake – Ogden, Iowa) – 81 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Room M4470B, Converse, 4th Floor, Friley Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA)

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Undisclosed Location – Iowa) – 83 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Las Vegas, Nevada) – 84 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 85 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 89 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 90 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Lake Okoboji United Methodist Camp – Spirit Lake, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Iowa) – 94 weeks

WEEK 412 - SELF-PORTRAIT - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Boone, Iowa) – 516 weeks

32 submissions this week! That is a pretty great week! Plus, thanks to Sarah Toot, we’ve now added South Carolina to the map! WooHoo!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Kansas
+ Iowa
+ Nebraska
+ Nevada
+ South Carolina
+ Texas
+ Washington D.C.

Here is the current calendar year list for states:

+ Arizona
+ Arkansas
+ California
+ Colorado
+ Florida
+ Georgia
+ Illinois
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Louisiana
+ Maryland
+ Michigan
+ Minnesota
+ Missouri
+ Montana
+ Nebraska
+ New Jersey
+ New York
+ Nevada
+ North Carolina
+ North Dakota
+ Ohio
+ Oklahoma
+ Oregon
+ Pennsylvania
+ South Carolina
+ South Dakota
+ Tennessee
+ Texas
+ Utah
+ Washington
+ Washington D.C.
+ Wisconsin
+ Wyoming

33 states and 1 district! That is pretty impressive! Over 60% of the way there!

The Outside of the United States map is currently:

+ British Virgin Islands
+ Mexico (General)
+ Isla Mujeres, Mexico
+ Riviera Maya, Mexico
+ Nassau Bahamas
+ Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I took my picture about 1 mile from my front door, so I continue not to contribute.

Both Nathanial and Jesse joined the Double Digit Streak Club. WooHoo! But it wasn’t all good news. Scottie D.’s streak came crashing to a halt at 4 weeks. The humanity!

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 413 - NEGATIVE
NEGATIVE – SUGGESTED BY ANGIE DEWAARD

NEGATIVE! What a great theme for Year 10 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a NEGATIVE photo? NEGATIVE might be an abstract theme that might be hard to wrap your mind around at first. But there are multiple types of NEGATIVE. There are simply bad things or things you don’t like. In the theme reveal picture there are dead sunflowers, which is a NEGATIVE. Plus, I inverted the colors so it looks like an old school NEGATIVE. You know a film NEGATIVE. So you could just edit a photo so that colors are inverse. That would be a NEGATIVE. So it could be something that is a NEGATIVE in your life. Like bad weather or work. Or it can simply mean rejecting something. A disagreement. Or in science (and electricity) there is also NEGATIVE. I think once you put your mind to it, you will come up with something that is NEGATIVE. Maybe some of you still have physical film NEGATIVE(s).

While considering possible subjects for your NEGATIVE picture meditate on the following quote and I have no doubt you will come up with an interesting picture:

It’s as if my life were magically run by two electric currents: joyous positive and despairing negative – whichever is running at the moment dominates my life, floods it.
-Sylvia Plath

I look forward to seeing your interpretation!

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. There is a limit of 3 submissions per participant. To be considered the photographer, you have to be the one that takes the picture. Don’t be stealing the work of other artists. You can submit pictures for other photographers that took pictures with your camera or phone, but give credit where credit is due.

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

That is it. Thems the rules!

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 NEGATIVE in this place that started with a pile of negatives next Monday.

Baby Got Rack Jr. – Boone County Fair

I announced a few weeks back that Baby Got Rack was not competing this year at this year’s Boone County Fair barbecue contest. However, that didn’t mean that there wasn’t plenty of people in the Photography 139 orbit competing to root for.

For starters, Logan entered and competed in his first ever barbecue contest. Logan has always been a pretty good cook and if you follow his Snapchat stories, you know that he has become very passionate about smoking in the last few years. He and Nathanial talked a big game about entering this year, but Nathanial got stuck in Florida and so Logan flew solo.

Secondly Scottie D.’s oldest progeny Austin decided he wanted to compete in the Youth division. Austin has a test run the previous Saturday and devised his recipe himself by picking the barbecue products in Scottie D.’s arsenal that had the coolest logos. A sound strategy if I have ever heard it.

Here are a few pictures from the barbecue battle:


Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Boone County Fair Barbecue Contest - 2023

Austin one Grand Champion, even though he technically wasn’t eligible for it. But that is just how good he is!

Austin will be going down to compete at the Iowa State Fair on the Tuesday of the Iowa State Fair. I’ll be going down to photo document it and because I never turn down a free trip to “the Best State Fair… our State Fair is a great state fair. Don’t miss it. Don’t even be late. It’s dollars to doughnuts at our state fair. It’s the best state fair… in our state”!

As of the publishing of this blog, it is unclear whether or not Logan is going to go down to compete at the State Fair. Although I’m pretty sure Logan is competing at the Pufferbilly Days Barbecue Contest. Scottie D. is not competing at it because he is running it. Last I heard, Nathanial was considering it. I won’t be able to check much of it out because I’ll be dealing with the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest at the same time.

One other thing. Scottie D. threw his car in a Car Show that was going on during the barbecue competition. He won some kind of chairman’s prize or something. The guy needs to add on to his palatial estate just to house all his trophies.

Lee & Van Buren County Aux. – Vol. 2

Time for another collection of images from my road trip to Lee County and Van Buren County to harvest their town signs. All of these pictures are taken in Lee County.


Lee County - West Point
West Point

Lee County - West Point
West Point has a badass window painter.

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - West Point
So I think this is badass. There are scores of towns across Iowa that has their own mini Statue of Liberty. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every single one of them. This is the ONLY one that has a base that is a replica of the base that the actual Statue of Liberty sits on. When I sent a picture of it to a bunch of people I didn’t even get a single response. Not a SINGLE person was impressed by this and this makes me sad. Melancholy even.

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - West Point
I like to hit a bakery on these trips if I can.

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - West Point

Lee County - Fort Madison
Fort Madison

Lee County - Fort Madison

Lee County - Fort Madison
Lee County has 2 courthouses.

Lee County - Fort Madison

Lee County - Denmark
Denmark

Lee County - Denmark

Lee County - Denmark
I bet this place was the bomb in the day!

Lee County - Denmark

Lee County  - Denmark

Lee County - Montrose
Montrose

Lee County - Montrose
If you look closely here you can see a giant white building across the Mississippi River. That is a rebuilt LDS Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. More on that later.

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Lee County - Montrose

Here is a little history of Nauvoo and the LDS Temple there from the Wiki:

In late 1839, arriving Latter Day Saints bought the small town and in April 1840 it was renamed Nauvoo by Joseph Smith, who led the Latter Day Saints to Nauvoo to escape conflict with the state government in Missouri. The name Nauvoo is derived from the traditional Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains…” By 1844 “Nauvoo’s population had swollen to 12,000, rivaling the size of Chicago” at the time.

After Joseph Smith’s death in 1844, continued violence from surrounding non-LDS members forced most Latter-Day Saints to leave Nauvoo. Most of these followers, led by Brigham Young, emigrated to the Great Salt Lake Valley. In 1849, Icarians moved to the Nauvoo area to implement a utopian socialist commune based on the ideals of French philosopher Étienne Cabet. The colony had nearly 500 members at its peak, but Cabet’s death in 1856 led some members to leave this parent colony.

The Icarians are the same cult that setup shop in Corning, Iowa. The remains of their cult compound still remain today.

More:

The Latter Day Saints made preparations to build a temple soon after establishing their headquarters at Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1839. On April 6, 1841, the temple’s cornerstone was laid under the direction of Joseph Smith, the church founder and president; Sidney Rigdon gave the principal oration. At its base the building was 128 feet (39 m) long and 88 feet (27 m) wide with a clock tower and weather vane reaching to a total height of 165 feet (50 m)—a 60% increase over the dimensions of the Kirtland Temple. Like Kirtland, the Nauvoo Temple contained two assembly halls, one on the first floor and one on the second, called the lower and upper courts. Both had classrooms and offices in the attic. Unlike Kirtland, the Nauvoo Temple had a full basement which housed a baptismal font. Because the Saints had to abandon Nauvoo, the building was not entirely completed. The basement with its font was finished, as were the first floor assembly hall and the attic. When these parts of the building were completed they were used for performing ordinances (basement and attic) or for worship services (first floor assembly hall).

A Sunstone from the original Nauvoo Temple in a case in front of LDS Church’s Visitor Center in Nauvoo
The Nauvoo Temple was designed in the Greek Revival style by architect William Weeks, under the direction of Joseph Smith. Weeks’s design made use of distinctively Latter Day Saint motifs, including sunstones, moonstones, and starstones. It is often mistakenly thought that these stones represent the three degrees of glory in the Latter Day Saint conception of the afterlife, but the stones appear in the wrong order. Instead, Wandle Mace, foreman for the framework of the Nauvoo Temple, has explained that the design of the temple was meant to be “a representation of the Church, the Bride, the Lamb’s wife”.[4] In this regard, Mace references John’s statement in Revelation 12:1 concerning the “woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” This explains why the starstones are at the top of the temple (“crown of twelve stars”), the sunstones in the middle (“clothed with the sun”) and the moonstones at the bottom (“moon under her feet”).

Construction was only half complete at the death of Joseph Smith in 1844. After a succession crisis, Brigham Young was sustained as the church’s leader by the majority of Latter Day Saints in Nauvoo. As mob violence increased during the summer of 1845, he encouraged the Latter Day Saints to complete the temple even as they prepared to abandon the city, so portions of it could be used for Latter Day Saint ordinance, such as baptisms for the dead in the basement font. During the winter of 1845–46, the temple began to be used for additional ordinances, including the Nauvoo-era endowment, sealings in marriage, and adoptions. The Nauvoo Temple was in use for less than three months.

Most of the Latter Day Saints left Nauvoo, beginning in February 1846, but a small crew remained to finish the temple’s first floor, so that it could be formally dedicated. Once the first floor was finished with pulpits and benches, the building was finally dedicated in private services on April 30, 1846, and in public services on 1 May. In September 1846 the remaining Latter Day Saints were driven from the city and vigilantes from the neighboring region, including Carthage, Illinois, entered the near-empty city and vandalized the temple.

Initially the church’s agents tried to lease the structure, first to the Catholic Church, and then to private individuals. When this failed, they attempted to sell the temple, asking up to $200,000, but this effort also met with no success. On March 11, 1848, the LDS Church’s agents sold the building to David T. LeBaron, for $5,000. Finally, the New York Home Missionary Society expressed interest in leasing the building as a school, but around midnight on October 8–9, 1848, the temple was set on fire by an unknown arsonist. Nauvoo’s residents attempted to put out the fire, but the temple was gutted. James J. Strang, leader of the Strangite faction of Latter Day Saints, accused Young’s agents of setting fire to the temple. However, Strang’s charges were never proven. On April 2, 1849, LeBaron sold the damaged temple to Étienne Cabet for $2,000. Cabet, whose followers were called Icarians, hoped to establish Nauvoo as a communistic utopia.[5]

From 1937 to 1962, the LDS Church reacquired and restored the lot on which the temple stood.[8] The church bought the portion that initially housed the temple in an uncontested public auction on February 19, 1937, for $900, after previously being listed and protected by the bank at auction several times because prices were lower than expected.[8] Wilford C. Wood then bought the majority of the remainder of the temple square in 1940, 1941, and 1951 and transferred it to Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.[8] The Corporation bought the remainder of the property with purchases in 1959, 1961 and 1962.[8]

In 1999, church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced the rebuilding of the temple on its original footprint. After two years of construction, on June 27, 2002, the church dedicated the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, whose exterior is a replica of the first temple, but whose interior is laid out like a modern LDS temple.

Anyways, I find it fascinating as I like history, religion, and religious history. Mormon history is also fascinating.

There is even more that happened in Nauvoo with Joseph Smith III and the establishment of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, which is now called The Community of Christ, but this is probably enough history for today.

Tenderloining: Altoona Field Work

A few weeks back Brandon and I tried to go to Flight in Huxley after church. However, when we got there it was closed for a private event. (Flight did just win Best Burger in Iowa, in case you didn’t see.) So we ended up going to Claxon’s Smokehouse & Grill in Altoona. I’ve wanted to try it because of or in spite of the fact that they have the 2nd most annoying radio commercials in the world. The awfulness of their commercials are only eclipsed by the ApprovedbyJoe.com commercials.

The basic gist of all of their commercials is that one member of a married couple gets in trouble with the other one by going to Claxon’s behind the other one’s back. However, they get off the hook by bringing them back something from Claxon’s. While that doesn’t seem like that annoying of a concept on the surface, their is just something about how they are written and acted that puts my teeth on edge. When they come on it is usually a near instant turning of the radio. ApprovedbyJoe.com commercials are an instant turning of the radio and then pulling over to the nearest church and cleaning out my ears with holy water.

Here are some pictures of our trip:


Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill
Fried Okra! Yes Please!

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill
Okra Cornbread

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill
The Three Pigs

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

Tenderloining - Claxon's Smokehouse & Grill

I actually intended to go there and get barbecue, but I hadn’t tried a new tenderloin in 2023 and it was halfway through April and when I saw the name The Three Pigs, I was suckered in. The Colorado Grill has this specialty where they put something on the menu that is really good and then they take it away. One such item is the Porky Pig or maybe it was call The Three Little Pigs. Either way, it was a grilled tenderloin with a creamy barbecue sauce and a couple more types of pork on it. It is delicious! Well it was, until they took it away. Occasionally (like fried mushrooms) it shows up as a “special”. Willy also loves this sandwich and we alert each other if it is the special. This is why I went for The Three Pigs.

We started the meal with their Tobacco Onion Rings. They are described as:

“Lightly breaded, thinly sliced onions piled high as the sky, served with a side of Claxon’s chipotle-Chile ketchup | Half Order $6.99 | Full Order $8.99”

We got the Full Order, cause Brandon and I aren’t chumps. As a general rule I prefer a fatty onion ring (like at Dublin Bay) over an thin “onion ring”. Known in some circles as a “onion straw” or “onion strings”. I usually find them to be too greasy and they often lose their temperature too fast. Like the fries at Freddy’s.

However, these were really good and were the highlight of the meal. With the possible exception of the fried okra.

The Three Pigs came with 2 sides and rang in at a whopping $18.99! Cheap! The menu describes it thusly:

“Watch out big bad wolf! We have a Joe’s breaded pork tenderloin, thick cut applewood smoked bacon and a generous portion of our pulled pork!, served on a large toasted Kaiser with all the fixins.”

I got the fried okra for one side. It was delicious! I got the okra cornbread for the other side. It was less than. Middling would be a stretch. Which was quite the disappointment because I love a good cornbread. This wasn’t it.

I probably made a mistake ordering The Three Pigs. I’m not really a fan of pulled pork, but even discounting that fact, the tenderloin was a disappointment. It had some good aspects, but in the end it wasn’t very flavorful and it wasn’t moist. Reminded me of what a tenderloin that has sat for 17 hours and then been microwaved must taste like. And yes, the pulled pork wasn’t great and the bacon (strangely) wasn’t anything special either.

To cut to the chase. I would go back to Claxon’s if I was in the area. But I wouldn’t pursue it ever again. Yeah, annoying commercials… you won this round. But you won’t win a second time.

Claxon’s Smokehouse & Grill can be found here:

3181 8th Street Southwest
Altoona, Iowa

My final comment is that the service was pretty good. It took a minute for us to get seated, but once we were seated our server was quick and attentive. The fact that she was wearing an Elizabeth Warren shirt didn’t hurt either.