Category Archives: Nature

Made it Ma! Top of the World!

A couple weeks back I went down to Manhattan, Kansas to visit Nate with Dae Hee. I actually only took out my camera once on the trip. Here are a few photos from Top of the World:


Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

Top of the World

It was a successful trip. We ate at the Toot Toot. We sat next to Nick Weiler-Babb’s uncle during the Iowa State-Kansas State game. We watched IT. We ate at Jordy Nelson’s family restaurant. We went down a seedy back alley for donuts. We found out that Nate is a heavy sleeper in the most inconvenient way possible. All in all, it was a successful trip!

Don’t Know if I’m Elated or Gassy. But I’m Somewhere in that Zone

On my recent trip to the “bold” north, I made it a trip to Minnehaha Falls. Dae Hee and I foolishly made our way down a very dangerous set of steps to get near the base of the waterfall. Bethany and Nora wisely stayed in the car:


Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls

If Dae Hee tells this story, he will say that I fell 3 times on this little trip. But the truth is that I only fell twice. The third time did not count. Either way, he made a wonderful photo assistant. Top notch!

Stupid Fleet Foot

Hitting up the backlog again. Here are a few more pictures from the Caves Road Trip. These are from Wapsipinicon State Park:


Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park

These aren’t the caves we headed out to see, but we still hit them hard. Nothing like Bonus Cave Action.

There is a legend about how the Wapsipinicon River got is name. It goes a little something like this (according to the Buchanan County Historical Society):

A beautiful Indian maiden named Wapsi who once lived in a village near present-day Quasqueton. In a neighboring village lived Pinicon, son of an Indian chief and the ardent lover of the gentle Wapsi. On the eve of their wedding day, the two lovers were canoeing near Wapsi’s village when the jealous Fleet Foot, a former suitor of the Indian girl, drove an arrow into Pinicon’s heart. As wapsi sprang to the aid of Pinicon the canoe overturned and the two lovers sank beneath the water of the swiftly flowing river. In commemoration of this tragic event the sorrowing Indians combined the names of the two lovers and called the stream Wapsipinicon.

While it is a great story and reminds one of the story of the Swinging Bridge in Columbus Junction. Unfortunately, it probably isn’t true. The Wapsipinicon is most likely named for the wild artichokes that grow on its banks.

While artichokes aren’t romantic, even though there is such a thing as artichoke hearts, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Brandi Carlile’s new album came out last Friday:

A love song was playing on the radio
It made me kind of sad because it made me think of you
And I wonder how you’re doing but I wish I didn’t care
Because I gave you all I had and got the worst of you

If you haven’t picked it up, you aren’t doing the way you listen to music right.

Iron Mountain Road

Now is probably a good time to share a few more photos from my trip to South Dakota with my Mom. These pictures are from the Iron Mountain Road:


Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road

If you ever visit the Black Hills, I would strongly recommend the Iron Mountain Road. You travel through 3 tunnels that all face Mount Rushmore. It is a particularly scenic route if you are going from Mount Rushmore to Custer State Park.

03-01-08

The following pictures were in the folder 03-01-08 even though most of them seem to be from July of 2007.


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03-01-08

The last picture is of my Grandpa Paris’ 1979 Iowa State football season ticket.

Some of these pictures were taken at the Boone County Fair, some at McHose Park, some behind the Computer Mine.

By adding these photos to the Photography 139 Photo Gallery, I was able to restore the following posts to their original glory:

ISU FOOTBALL
COMPUTER MINE WOODS

I’m not exactly sure where next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will end up yet.

Happy Anniversary Juncks!

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:


Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

Junck Anniversary Party

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!