Category Archives: Event

Automobiles, Event, Gretchen, Music, Nature, Sara

Happy Anniversary Juncks!

January 24, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

As you become aged, you get invited to less and less parties. I think I was invited to 3 toddler birthday parties and 1 anniversary party last year. I think that was it. My entire social calendar for 2017.

The anniversary party was for the parents of Sara and Steven Junck. I love visiting the Junck farm and snapped a couple of pictures while I was there:

I think I could spend days photographing the Junck farm and never get bored with it. But I only took a few pictures, cause I was partying it up! Actually I believe this was the day after I returned from the Mission Trip, so I was mostly ready to nap it up!

Derrick, Event, Jesse

Freedom Flight Sendoff

January 12, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

A few months back I went to the Freedom Flight Sendoff and snapped a few pictures. Here are a few of them:

I went to the Freedom Flight Sendoff to see Jesse’s Dad, but I was surprised when Derrick’s Dad got up and gave an impromptu speech about the sacrifice of the significant others of veterans.

If you don’t know, the Freedom Flight is a flight that takes veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials that stand in their honor.

Event, Road Trip, Scottie D., Tenderloining

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Webster City Field Work

December 28, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

On Saturday, the Tenderloin Appreciation Society hopped in one of Scottie D.’s many vehicles and headed north on 17 to Webster City. Home of the Grid Iron Grill and Sports Lounge. The current reigning Best Tenderloin in Iowa according to the Iowa Pork Producer’s Association.

Scott and Porter had their game faces on. Although Porter actually ordered chicken strips. He is still in training.

They have one of those pin your location maps.

Boone! Represent!

They also have coloring contests.

The official plaque!

Our waittress delivering our tenderloins.

The tenderloin.

Austin. About to become a man.

Scottie D.’s first bite.

Austin with a “tenderloin bomb”.

Austin makes it official.

Side view.

Are you taking the picture?

My first bite.

The aftermath.

Christopher D. Bennett was here.

His work done. He retired for the day.

They have a mailbox for Santa.

They’ve won some awards. Dilly dilly!

Their nightly specials.

The Tenderloin Appreciation Society

THE VERDICT

THE GOOD

The meat to bun ration was nearly dead on. Could have used a touch more meat, but awful close to the golden ratio.
A good thick cut of meat. Not one of those flat pork fritters masquerading as a tenderloin.
A light breading, which worried me, but the breading had a good flavor.
The bun was toasted.
It is a clean restaurant with good service.
They serve Pepsi products.

THE BAD

Red onions. Not a complete miss, but not the preferred tenderloin onion.
Kaiser bun. Seemed to distract from the tenderloin. But at least it wasn’t as terrible as a panini bun.
Standard tenderloin came with onion, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. The standard tenderloin SHOULD come with onion and pickles. You should put the mustard and ketchup on yourself. Get rid of the lettuce and tomato.

THE UGLY

Sweet pickles. This was the biggest miss by far. Sweet pickles don’t belong on a tenderloin.
Very greasy. I know. A tenderloin. But so greasy that the bottom bun was very soggy and made it a challenge to finish the sandwich and keep my glorious beard relatively clean. I’m not sure if this sogginess was a result of the kaiser bun OR because the tenderloin wasn’t properly drained after it was pulled from the fryer. My gut reaction is that it is a conglomeration of both.

THE FINAL WORD

The Grid Iron Grill serves a good, but not great tenderloin. I would gladly eat it again, but I would not pursue it. It is does not belong in the Pantheon with Nick’s or Cole’s or The Legal Limit (may she rest in peace), but it is certainly several notches above garbage tenderloins like you see at The Lucky Pig or Gramma’s Kitchen or Thunderhead Sports Bar & Grill.

Next Up

Sometime in January the Tenderloin Appreciation Society will be visiting the 2017 runner-up in Winterset. If you would like to apply for a spot on our next field work trip, you know how to contact me.

Alexis, Animals, Art, Black & White, Brandon, Event, Flowers, Johnathan, Logan, Mom, Teresa

Mother’s Day – 2017

December 17, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Hitting the backlog for pictures from the Bennett Family Mother’s Day Barbecue:

I hope when you celebrated Mother’s Day 6 months ago, it was as awesome as our Mother’s Day celebration!

Black & White, Boone FUMC, Event, Macro, Nature, Photoshop

Christmas Eve – 2016

December 15, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

Sit tight. This is a long one!

Working on the old backlog. These pictures were taken on Christmas Eve last year:

Ledges State Park - Christmas Eve - 2016

Some of these pictures were taken at Ledges State Park. Some on the High Trestle Trail. Some of them at my chuch (Boone First United Methodist Church represent!).

Alisa, Event, Mom, Youth Group

Manger Things

December 14, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 6 Comments

I don’t usually explain the titles of the entries in The Artist’s Notebook, but I’m going to explain this one.

Last night as I was restlessly watching a DVRed copy of THE HUNT FOR THE ZODIAC KILLER and thinking about general events of the day, I played a snap from Alisa from her church’s youth group. The theme from their current sermon series is “Manger Things”.

A reference to the Netflix hit (and second best show on television) STRANGER THINGS.

I thought that was a clever idea and I’m curious how it is. Often times when Christians try to appropriate pop culture it comes off like this:

I’m hoping it is actually pretty cool, but I guess I’ll just never know.

On Sunday, following the soup supper my church (Boone First United Methodist Church represent!) did its own version of MANGER THINGS. Here are a few images:

Solid work from everybody involved! I think it was one of my favorite Christmas plays we’ve done to date!

Event, Kio, Mom, Politics, Youth Group

#Methodists2Houston

December 13, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

I wanted to start today’s entry into An Artist’s Notebook by thanking Alabama for not sending a serial pedophile to the Senate.

Thank you Alabama for not sending a serial pedophile to the Senate.
Thank you Alabama for not sending a serial pedophile that thinks that homosexuality should be a crime and compared it to bestiality to the Senate.
Thank you Alabama for not sending a serial pedophile that thinks that homosexuality should be a crime and compared it to bestiality and thinks that we should get rid of the amendments that freed the slaves, gave African-Americans the right to vote, gave women the right to vote, and outlaws voter suppression via taxes.
Thank you Alabama!

Now to the meat of this entry. On Sunday night we had our annual Christmas Play at the church. Before the play the youth group hosted a soup supper as a fundraiser for the mission trip to Houston. Here are a few photos from that event:

Thank you to everybody that came out and supported the youth group mission trip and donated the fat stacks of cash!

Boone FUMC, Event, Night

Maybe Christmas Doesn’t Come from a Store

December 6, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

Last Thursday was the Christmas Lighted Parade in Boone. My church started (hopefully) a new tradition by entering a float in the parade. I went down to the parade with the thought of photographing it, but in the end, I ended up on the church float.

Here are a few pictures from the night:

I’ll be excited to see where the church takes this new tradition in the future!

Event, Photoshop, Politics, Street Photography

The Horse and the Sparrow

December 1, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett 8 Comments

The balance of the photos from the Women’s March from back in January:

I’m already looking forward to the march in 2018.

And Happy Michael Flynn Day to you!

Event, Politics, Street Photography

We in the Sh!t Now, Somebody Gotta Shovel It!

November 30, 2017 Christopher D. Bennett

As I continue to hammer away at my backlog, the photos I took during the Women’s March in January seem apropos for this time in our history.

The #MeToo movement has really made some progress in this country lately. They have managed to out and take down several members of the media, Hollywood, and politicians. However, at the same time, there is still so much work to do.

Alabama is about to elect a serial pedophile to Congress.

A man that has sexually assaulted at least 19 women and was sued twice for raping a 13 year-old sits in the Oval Office.

I mean this is a legitimate argument and a legitimate screen shot of an ad for Michigan’s Attorney General race:

On top of that…

The most corrupt and treasonous regime in U.S. History currently sits in Washington trying to create a permanent aristocracy by killing net neutrality, ending estate taxes (while also raising taxes on the middle class), and getting rid of anti-trust rules to unify sources of information.

The work is far from done. We must continue to rise up!

Here is a set of pictures from the Women’s March back in January:

I’ll publish the balance of these pictures on the morrow.