Nader made this selection over Mongolian one night before we saw The Expendables. This picture had my favorite judge’s comment on it.
“Nice try.”
Hilarious!
Nader also consider this picture over a bowl of noodles.
5 of 6 selectors have been selected for next year’s Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest. Still room for 1 more, but it has to be a dude. If you are interested in trying you hand at it, let me know.
Jay had a million questions about the process before he picked (which was a little strange since he had picked in the past), but once he was on the clock he said it was a tough decision because there were “so many good pictures”. But he arrived at his decision fairly quickly and chose the picture below:
It is only a theory, but I think he liked the power lines in the background. He loves it when I have power lines in my pictures.
The Ain’t Distributed Right photos were taken between Boone and Ames.
I don’t know another subject that cooperates with me less than lightning. Turtles might be close, but lightning always seems to disappear when I get ready to photograph it.
I wasnt able to get out and about to see much of the flooding of Ames yesterday, but here are a few pictures from the flooding near the Computer Mine:
Maybe next flood I will have a chance to prowl around and take more photos. Hopefully that flood isn’t in two days.
Here is a collection of flower pictures that didn’t quite fit into earlier or future postings.
I am thinking of adding a weekly segment to this journal where lesser gardeners can ask me questions about how I became such a super badass gardener and I would sprinkle my nuggets of wisdom on them. If you have any questions, leave them in the Comments section of this journal entry and I may answer your question next week.
Monday night was Round 3 of the epic struggle between Man(kind) and Nature known as Hedgegeddon. Round 1 went to Nature in a very decisive manner. Very decisive. Round 2 was even more of a rout as 4 people backed out with severe cases of fear and trepidation.
Round 3 was the clearly won by Mankind though. It started out rough as the first two hedges eluded the grasp of the chain and remained in the ground. However, after a change in strategy, it was all Mankind.
We managed to completely remove the entire South Hedge without killing and/or maiming the hollyhocks.
Although I clearly intend to win this epic struggle before it goes to the judges’ scorecards, this is what the scorecard looks like at this moment:
Round 1 – Nature 10-8
Round 2 – Nature 10-8
Round 3 – Mankind 10-9
Total – Nature 29-26
Even though I(we) are clearly trailing in the battle at this moment, I can already hear Howard Cosell’s voice bellowing in my head as the last hedge comes free from terra firma:
“Down goes Nature! Down goes Nature! Down goes Nature!”
But in a good way, not in the BP way.
Here are a few pictures that show off some of my super badass gardening skills:
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Although I like to use the hollyhocks to make lesser gardeners jealous, it is my moss rose that makes me the most proud. I am excited because I have some lilies that are just getting ready to bloom. Plus my coneflowers are almost ready to bloom. I’m guessing that it won’t be long before the moonflower buds and blooms. It is an exciting time for my yard.
Here are a handful of pictures that were considered for the last two weeks’ RWPE submissions, but were passed over for various reasons.
First, Painting with Light:
Second, Strong:
I should start thinking about COLORFUL pretty soon.
Last week’s theme really fired the imagination of some contributors as multiple people submitted multiple images for PAINTING WITH LIGHT.
Mike Vest B
Christopher D. Bennett
IMAGE LOST
Carla Stensland A
IMAGE LOST
Carla Stensland B
IMAGE LOST
Dawn Krause A
IMAGE LOST
Dawn Krause B
IMAGE LOST
Justin Whitaker
Dawn Weekly Poem
Painting with Light
Oh the ache
and cold of the dark
A searing pain
has left it’s markGloomy days with
impending doom
Lead us toward our
eventual tombWait for the light
to paint the sky
Raise my spirits
and hopes to flyCradle my heart
in His warm hands
With promise of
happier lands
The Random Generator has been randomizing and it has spit out this week’s theme:
To answer the inevitable question- “No, you can’t take my picture for this theme.”
Housekeeping Note
Thanks to the 10 or so people that “Like”d the Photography 139 Journal. However, I am removing that feature because of hierarchy issues. However, you will still have the ability to like individual posts. So if you like this post and have a Facebook account, feel free to “Like” away.
When I originally was planning my vacation I had set aside this day to make a road trip. I didn’t know where I wanted to go for sure, but I knew that a trip to Wilton and their old timey ice cream parlor was definitely on the list.
I had spent some time with a fellow computer miner and member of the Broken Furnace Support Group Micky in discussing places near Wilton. I had given some thought to visiting a mint shop in Deep River. A really big frying pan in Brandon. I was also thinking about visiting Muscatine to see the Button Factory Museum and the Button Factory Restaurant that was highly endorsed by Micky.
However, after spending an extra day in Minnesota and driving close to 800 miles in those 3 days, plus spending only about 30 minutes of waking time at home on Thursday I decided to just become reacquainted with my buddy the Clockwork Couch.
I vowed not to leave my house until Friday Night Supper Club.
For the most part, I made good on my vow. I sat on my couch and caught up An Artist’s Notebook. I sent Jen a text message wishing her a “Happy Ultrasound Day”. I texted Jill some frog pictures from a Personal Photo Project that will get published in about 3 weeks.
But mostly I tried to reduce myself to a vegetative state while watching movies. It must have worked, because the only movie I can remember watching for sure is Unforgiven. I realize now that I should have made it a western day. Backing it up with The Ox-Bow Incident, Once Upon a Time in the West and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
However, I was only able to sit and do nothing for so long. So I contacted Mercury AKA The Salmon AKA The Dance Machine AKA The Ex-Lone Wolf AKA Willy to see if I could photograph him running.
A deal was brokered and I followed him around McHose Park (in a car) while he ran. I will publish those pictures in 5 weeks, but I will publish some of the other pictures I got while hanging around the best city park in the state.
You should be warned that one of these pictures is brutally frank in its portrayal of the biological function of sex. I suppose that it could be described as pornographic.
Ye be warned!
After our trip to McHose I went home and cleaned up for FNSC. While I was getting ready I got a text from Jen.
“Happy ultra sound day! Everything looks perfect! Don’t know if it is a boy or a girl… It’ll be a surprise.”
That was awesome news!
With news like that it was time to go and cap off a pretty lazy day with a great FNSC.
I don’t recall if I woke up in my own bed or on my own couch on Thursday morning, but I definitely slept good and solid after getting home close to midnight the previous night. I think that I was able to fall asleep rather quickly after the 3.5 hour Funyun and Grape Faygo fueled drive.
I met Shannon for lunch at Battle’s. She explained to me her current sources of stress. I explained to her the Christopher D. Bennett Apathy Method of Stress Management. Although she possesses the intellect to grasp the basic tenets of the system, I have my doubts that she will give up her stress to the brilliance of my system.
After Shannon returned to work I picked Nader up from the west Ames location of the Evil Clown Empire. Since VEISHEA we had discussed spending part of a day on the beautiful Iowa State campus taking pictures. I had one spot in mind in particular to complete a Personal Photo Project, but those pictures will have to wait until it is their turn to be revealed to the world.
However, here is quite a sizable collection of other pictures that I took on that day:
Nader next to his favorite picture.
After the time on the ISU campus we hit a movie and had dinner. It was a perfectly acceptable way to conclude the month of the Lone Wolf Off. I have yet to submit the panel to the 3 judges, but I have no doubt that I won this baby with ease! I think Willy has even conceded and fully endorsed the fact that he is The Salmon!