Category Archives: Town Sign Project

And They’ll Think that I am So Exciting

It is time to share the November image from the 2024 Photography 139 Calendar image. It is a picture of the redbud trees in Red Haw State Park.


2024 Calendar - November
NOVEMBER

I chose this picture for November because it had purple in it.

TECHINICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony ILCE-7M4
DATE: April 29, 2023 – 12:23 PM
LENS: 17-28mm f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 17mm
APERTURE: f/6.3
EXPOSURE: 1/160
ISO: 100

Tomorrow I will show the last image from the 2024 calendar.

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Now is the time to clean up the May backlog. These images were taken in May, but never really fit into a previous “An Artist’s Notebook” post. Some of are Naima. Some were alternate images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Hopefully all are of interest.

Naima

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima at Dickcissel

Naima

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

And They'll Think that I am So Exciting

Wolf, Iowa

Incline, Iowa

It definitely feels good to get some of the backlog cleared out!

A Long Day…

Back on May 6 I had a pretty long day. I spent the morning into the early afternoon doing photography for Sleeping Angels. Logan assisted me on this project. After we photographed the Sleeping Angels Fun Run crossing the Mile Long Bridge, we headed down to Grimes and had lunch.

After taking Logan home I watched the Kentucky Derby. Then I headed to Marshalltown to have supper at Zeno’s with Jorge, Randi, and their brood, Clevenger, Hope, Cathie, Micky, Robyn, Katelyn, Aubrey, Michelle, Craig, Elizabeth, Alexander, and Nicholas.

The dinner is the annual end of the Witch Hunt. This year’s Witch Hunt went to Cathie. At the end of the dinner she was presented with The Broom. The travelling trophy for the Witch Hunt.

There was an incident that happened after dinner and while there is photographic evidence of what transpired, I’m apparently not allowed to share them…

After leaving Marshalltown I stopped at Iowa State to do a little night photography, before retiring to my house for some much needed rest.

Here are some pictures of the day.


Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Mile Long Graffiti

Marshalltown, Iowa

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

Iowa State at Night

It was a pretty great day! Although any day that involves photography AND Zeno’s pizza is a great day!

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!

Birthday Road Trip Denouement

Here is the final collection of images from the birthday road trip I took with Jesse and Nader. On the way back we stopped at The Grotto of the Redemption. Nader had never been to it before, which was no shocker. But this was also Jesse’s first trip there.

But before we made it to The Grotto of the Redemption, we stumbled across an unincorporated town with a town sign that had a town sign I hadn’t harvested:


Langdon, Iowa - Unincorporated
Langdon, Iowa – Unincorporated
LANGDON
IOWA
EST. 1899 POP. 53

Maybe not a great town sign, but a solid town sign.

When we pulled up to The Grotto, I wasn’t sure if Nader was going to get out of the car. He was being a grumpypants and was pretty addicted to his phone. But he did finally get out of the car and then after he saw the Grotto he described it as the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his life. It is definitely beautiful.

Here are the pictures:


The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

The Grotto of the Redemption - 2023

I wonder where I will go for my birthday road trip in 2024?

And You Left Me There Cryin’ Wonderin’ What I Did Wrong

Today is Jason’s birthday. Happy birthday Jason!


June 14

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be!

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Time to clean up the backlog. These images are from September that never quite fit into any previous posts. Some are alternates for THE WEEKLYPHOTO CHALLENGE. Another is a photo I took of Ron for last year’s Computer Mine Holiday Card.


And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

Railroad Bridge near Jefferson

Railroad Bridge near Jefferson

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

And You Left Me There Cryin' Wonderin' What I Did Wrong

Ames, Iowa

Boone Scenic & Valley Railroad

Boone Scenic & Valley Railroad

Boone Scenic & Valley Railroad

Boone Scenic & Valley Railroad

Boone Scenic & Valley Railroad

Ron - 2022

Maybe you are wondering about the George A. Wyman sign. Don’t worry, I’ll feed you baby birds. From the Wiki:

Wyman used his 1902 California machine for his crossing of the United States. The California had a 200 cc (12 cu in), 1.5 hp (1.1 kW) four-stroke engine attached to an ordinary diamond-frame bicycle. Wyman’s machine was equipped with 28 x 1.5 in. tires, wooden rims, a leading-link front suspension fork, a Garford spring saddle, a Duck Brake Company front roller brake, and a 1902-patent Atherton rear coaster brake. A leather belt-drive with a spring-loaded idler pulley directly connected the engine output shaft to the rear wheel.Using a standard steel bicycle frame, the California weighed approximately 70–80 pounds (32–36 kg) without rider, and was capable of approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) using the 30-octane gasoline of the day, with a range of 75 to 100 miles (121 to 161 km). Throttle control was not yet perfected, and engine revolutions were mainly controlled by means of a spark timing mechanism. The wick-type carburetor was crude, consisting of a metal box with internal baffles stuffed with cotton batting. With no float chamber, the rider had to open the gasoline tap periodically to admit fuel into the carburetor.

For such a long trip, Wyman carried a remarkably small amount of gear. A set of warm clothing, money, water bottle, cans for spare oil and gasoline, a Kodak Vest Pocket camera, a cyclometer, various bicycle tools and spare parts, and a long-barreled .38 Smith & Wesson revolver constituted his total luggage.

Wyman departed from Lotta’s Fountain at the corner of Market and Kearny streets in San Francisco at 2:30 P.M on May 16, 1903.[4] He had previously agreed to keep a diary of his journey for later publication in The Motorcycle magazine, a periodical of the time. The first part of his trip took him across the Sierra Nevada, through the Nevada desert into Wyoming, then on through Nebraska to Illinois.

As the dirt trails and wagon tracks of the day were often impassable, Wyman rode the railroad tracks for over half of his journey. During the first part of his trip, he frequently slept in railroad company housing or at rooming houses located in division settlements (small municipalities founded by the railroad). His motorbike suffered several breakdowns along the way, requiring him to make improvised repairs until he could get to a larger town to obtain new parts. As he neared Aurora, Illinois, his engine’s crankshaft snapped, and after pedaling his way to Chicago, Wyman was forced to wait there five days for a new crank to arrive by railway express.

After leaving Illinois, Wyman traversed the states of Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before entering New York state. Outside of Albany his engine lost all power, and he was required to pedal his heavy motorbike the remaining 150 miles (240 km) to New York City using a cycle path reserved for licensed cyclists.

On July 6, 1903, Wyman arrived in New York City, completing his transcontinental crossing and becoming the first person to cross the North American continent aboard a motor vehicle. His journey took a total of 51 days to cover some 3,800 miles (6,100 km). Afterwards, Wyman’s motorbike was placed on display at the New York Motorcycle Club while Wyman recovered from his grueling journey. While in New York, Wyman was present for the inauguration of the very first nationwide motorcycle organization, the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM)[14] at the Kings County Wheelmens’ Club in Brooklyn; it was reported at the time that his hands were still in bandages from the trip. Wyman later returned to San Francisco by train. His California motorbike was put on display in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park for a special exhibition commemorating the trip.

This is actually something Jesse and I have talked about doing as well. Not on a motorcycle, but driving across the country. We’ve never done anything about it, but maybe will someday.

Here is more information on the route he took:



From: https://wymanmemorialproject.blogspot.com/

It is hard to read, but the towns we care about in the Cyclone State are:

Council Bluffs
Woodbine
Denison
Ogden
Boone
Ames
Marhalltown
Tama Reservation
Cedar Rapids
Clinton

He stayed the night in Ogden. I hope he ate at Zeno’s when he was in Marshalltown!*

*That is a joke, don’t email me telling me that Zeno’s didn’t exist back then, because I will only reply back that Zeno’s has always will always exist.

An Artist’s Notebook Post #4757

It has been 6,052 days since August 9, 2006. 16 years. 6 months. 24 days. Since I first posted something in this little experiment known as “An Artist’s Notebook”. 145,2485 hours. 8,714,800 minutes. 522,892,800 seconds. Which is to say, it has been a minute.

There are some very important people in my life that I didn’t even know 16 years, 6 months, 24 days ago. There are people that I thought were important in my life that have come and gone in that 864 weeks and 4 days. It has been a journey. Some good. Some bad. Some of it ugly, I’m sure.

6,052 days ago I started this journal with the following words:

So here is the first journal entry. I felt like having as pretentious sounding name as possible for my journal. I have a few goals about this journal. My main goal is just to actually write in it. My second goal is to be as truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings. I have another journal on another website, but it is really just a collection of sarcastic statements and cheap jabs at open faced sandwiches. This journal is meant to be about what my achievements and failures are in the world of art. What projects I am working on and what I have accomplished and what I have failed to accomplish. What I am photographing and what I am thinking about entering in photo contests. What I am thinking about. It might not always make sense. It might just be things I need to write down because they strike me as poignant or inspirational. This is in a small way an online “idea box”.

Since those words, I have posted 4,756 journal entries. (Normally I would do this little exercise on post #4,750, but I was in Vegas at that time.) This website is still something of an “idea box”. Sometimes I’m just working stuff out here. I don’t know why, sometimes I need to work stuff out in public. But this website is definitely more than just an “idea box”. It is a place where I post a few thoughts and a ton of pictures. I’ve gone through a few photo projects on these pages. From THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT to the 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT to THE SELFIE PROJECT to the POSTCARD RECREATION PROJECT to name just a few. This website has also created a community with THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Which is one of my proudest achievements. Even if it sputtered and spit and barely survived in its first few years.

4,757 posts. We’ve been through some stuff. I hope to keep going through some stuff for many, many, many more posts. 4,757 posts and I feel like I’m just getting warmed up.

On these reflective posts, I like to publish a bunch of statistics that me and Joe Duff find interesting. So I might as well get to it.

Every post in “An Artist’s Notebook” is tagged with at least one Category. It is one of the easiest ways to navigate around the website. They are listed at the top of each post. Here are some statistics about Categories:

THE TOP 10 MOST USED CATEGORIES (RANK IN POST #4500 & INCREASE SINCE THEN)
10. Macro – 495 (NR)
9. Teresa – 525 (#9 – +70)
8. Carla – 530 (#8 – +54)
7. Shannon – 539 (#6 – +39)
6. Road Trip – 569 (#7 – +92)
5. Art – 622 (#5 – +116)
4. Jesse – 630 (#4 – +51)
3. Animals – 735 (#3 – +37)
2. Flowers – 881 (#2 – +62)
1. Black and White – 992 (#1 – +74)

Dropped from the rankings was WPC – Submissions

THE TOP 10 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Photoshop – 389 (NR)
9. Nature – 437 (#9 – +41)
8. Formal Portrait – 447 (#10 – +66)
7. WPC – Submissions – 493 (#6 – +38)
6. Macro – 495 (#7 – +54)
5. Road Trip – 569 (#5 – +92)
4. Art – 622 (#4 – +116)
3. Animals – 735 (#3 – +37)
2. Flowers – 881 (#2 – +62)
1. Black & White – 992 (#1 – +74)

Dropped from the rankings is PORTRAIT. I’m trying to eliminate it as a category, so it should eventually drop to zero.

NAIMA and CANDID PORTRAIT have a shot at cracking the Top 10 in Post #5,000.

THE TOP 10 HUMAN CATEGORIES
10. Willy – 318 (NR)
9. Logan – 329 (NR)
8. Derrick – 330 (#7 – +10)
7. Kim – 342 (#8 – +45)
6. Jay – 348 (#6 – +11)
5. Mom – 458 – (#5 – +5)
4. Teresa – 525 (#4 – +70)
3. Carla – 530 (#3 – +54)
2. Shannon – 539 (#2 – +39)
1. Jesse – 630 (#1 – +51)

Dropping from the rankings was Jen and Vest.

Micky, Vest, and Jen have the best shot at cracking the Top 10 in Post #5,000.

If you are wondering what is your best way to improve your Photography 139 Score and crack the Top 10, it is simply to be active in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE or go on trips with me or participate in various other photo projects or be related to me. Now these aren’t necessarily the 10 people that have influenced my photography the most, but these are the 10 people that have made the largest imprint on this website.

I can tell you the people that have influenced my photography the most, but that is a tale for another time. But I’m pretty sure you can guess who.

If you have spent any time on the Photography 139 website, you know that on the left sidebar, the “Top 100 Categories” are listed. I thought I would give a little bit of coverage to the Bottom 10 of the Top 100. There are currently 200 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but they are mostly people that either very recently came into the life of this website by birth (Jonah Kahler) or another way (Nathanial, Mindi, Fran). Or people that I thought would be a bigger part of my life and then weren’t. No need to cover those people. The Category that is #200 probably needs to be purged.

THE BOTTOM 10 OF THE TOP 100

#100. Kelly – 71 (NR)
#99. Commercial – 72 (#97 – +1)
#98. Self-Portrait Project – 73 (NR)
#97. Andree – 75 (#94 – 0)
#96. Flat Earth Joe – 75 (NR)
#95. Lowell – 79 (#93 – +2)
#94. Photo Journal – 79 (#92 – 0)
#93. Suzie – 80 (NR)
#92. Pastor Sarah – 86 (#95 – +12)
#91. Becca – 87 (NR)

The following categories have either fallen out of the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 or climbed out of it:

Jaycees, Vacation, Mark, Life, and Birthdays.

Now something I should explain is that I used to put Flat Earth Joe and Joe Duff under the same Category of simply “Joe” out of laziness, but in the last 250 posts, I split them.

Of these categories, I think Pastor Sarah and Suzie have the best chance to climb out of this list. Since I’m not doing the Self-Portrait Project his year, it could fall out of the Top 100. And I’m not sure what part of my life Flat Earth Joe will have in the future. He has taken a hard turn down the path of terrible decision making and has been in jail for over a month now. I hope he gets sorted at some point in the future. But quite frankly, I can’t make a prediction on his future. I can barely make a prediction on my future. So it is hard to say what will happen to that category. As for the category of Andree, I talk to Andree regularly, but he rarely makes an appearance on this website.

The categories that are closest to falling into the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 are Faust, Birthdays, and Joe Duff. But I think at least Birthdays and Joe Duff are pretty safe. I talk to Faust now and again, but he rarely makes an appearance on the website. I still someday need to go visit the Godzilla statue in his town. But I also need to visit Nate and Bethany and Becca and Bill and Sarah and well it is quite a list. When I think about it, I have to sit down on the couch and watch another episode of THE LAST OF US.

That categories that are closest to cracking into the Top 100 are Mark, Layla, and Vacation. But since Mark isn’t really part of my life anymore, I don’t see that busting through. I also can’t see a vacation on my horizon any time soon. But I like Layla’s odds. A lot of spunk in that one.

“An Artist’s Notebook” is part of Photography 139. The 139 comes from Psalm 139:1-12. The Photography part comes from the fact this website is supposed to be filled with photography. So, what are the most popular photo galleries on the Photography 139 website? Glad you asked:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERIES (LAST 365 DAYS)

To View the Gallery, Click on its Representative Image
Computer Mine Convention - 2023
10. Las Vegas – 2023 – 42,941 Views

Alexis Pregnant with Anela
9. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020 – 47,269 Views

Jayton Poole
8. Jayton Poole – 2022 – 47,464 Views

9  Emotions Project - Bethany
7. 9 Emotions Project – 51,763 Views

Miami Beach Work Trip - Day 5 - May 2022
6. Miami Beach – 2022 – 53,087

Party - Alternate
5. Christopher D. Bennett – 112,907 Views

Day 240 - August 28, 2022
4. Selfie Project -2022 – 162,595 Views

Kossuth County - Lone Rock
3. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 184,949 Views

Ackley, Iowa
2. Town Sign Project – 201,352 Views

WEEK 357 - WORK - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
1. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 9 – 223,723 Views

At post 4,500 these were the 10 Most Popular Galleries:

10. Iowa
9. 9 Emotions Project
8. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 8
7. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 9
6. Selfie Project – 2022
5. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020
4. Christopher D. Bennett
3. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images
2. Selfie Project – 2021
1. Town Sign Project

The galleries that are right outside the Top 10 that have a shot at cracking the Top 10 in Post 5,000 are:
+ Drone
+ Daisies
+ FatMumSlim 2022

But considering I’m done with the FatMumSlim project, I don’t know that its gallery will maintain any popularity. I only know one person that definitely loves my daisy pictures, but I don’t think they poke around my website much these days. However, perhaps the Era of Rodan139 is nearly upon us. I could live with that.

But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.

Top 10 Photography 139 Images

Dexter, Iowa
10. Dexter, Iowa – 1,964 views

Badger, Iowa
9. Badger, Iowa – 1,967 views

Day 73 - March 13, 2021
8. Selfie with Mom – 1,993 views

Coon Rapids, Iowa
7. Coon Rapids, Iowa – 2,146 views

Moingona, Iowa
6. Moingona, Iowa – 2,190 views

Alexis Pregnant with Anela
5. Prego Alexis – 2,415

Howards - 2022
4. Saydie and Kyle – 3,231 views

Baby Got Rack - 2022 - Boone County Fair
3. Baby Got Rack at Boone County Fair – 4,423 views

Miami Beach Work Trip - May 2022
2. Miami – 6,039 views

Day 30 - January 30, 2022
1. Selfie at Bellevue – 6,864 views

That selfie at Bellevue was the most popular picture on my website at Post 4,500 as well.

The final statistic I want to share with everybody before riding off into the sunset and not boring you with these statistics for another 250 posts is the 5 people with the highest Photography Subscriber Loyalty Scores.

1. Kio Dettman – 100%
2. Aaron Barnett – 99.7%
2. Angie DeWaard – 99.7%
2. Mary Green – 99.7%
5. Joe Duff – 99.5%

There are a lot of people in the 90% range that could break into this list next time. Jeanette, Jesse, Sarah, Logan, Tamara, Frank, Michelle, and Andy.

To be honest, I don’t know how this number is figured. I believe it is the percentage of emails from the subscriber list that you open within the first 24 hours of getting an email from me, but I really don’t know if we are being honest. But thanks for doing what it is you are doing!

If you are interested in checking out some of the milestone posts of the past, I got you. Click on any of the links below to check them out:

Post 1
Post 750
Post 850
Post 1,000
Post 1,101
Post 1,200
Post 1,447
Post 1,718
Post 2,500
Post 3,000
Post 3,252
Post 3,751
Post 4,000
Post 4,250
Post 4,500

I think that is enough for now. We’ll check in again in another 243 posts.

Marble Beach

Today is Lowell’s birthday… so… happy birthday Lowell!


Day 138 - May 18, 2022

Ironic that this picture was taken on my birthday? Either way, I hope your birthday has adequate amounts of happiness!

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I count this trip a bit as auxiliary images for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT. In fact I went camping with Carla and Jason at the Marble Beach State Recreation Area. While I was there I harvested one town sign. It was a town sign that I had harvested before, but I wanted to get a picture of it at night. So I revisited the town sign of Terril, Iowa.


Terril, Iowa
Terril, Iowa – The only town sign in Iowa that is neon.

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Marble Beach State Recreation Area

Dickinson County - Terril

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

Emmet County - Estherville

The swinging bridge is located in Estherville. Made a special trip just to walk across it. It is hard to put into words how incredibly dark it was on that bridge on that night. The pictures make it look much brighter than it actually was. In fact, crossing a swinging bridge, suspended over a swift Des Moines River, in pitch black conditions was a bit of a rush.

I still have more pictures from this camping trip to share.

Iowa Worst Courthouse Power Rankings

I learned something over the weekend. The architect that build the courthouse in Delaware County, the courthouse I proclaimed to be the most beautiful courthouse in Iowa, was the same architect that built the Boone First United Methodist Church. No wonder I love it!

Pastor Dave dropped that knowledge bomb on me.

But now I’m going to rank the 10 ugliest courthouse in Iowa.

IOWA UGLIEST COURTHOUSE POWER RANKINGS


Allamakee County Courthouse
#10. Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon

Floyd County Courthouse
#9. Floyd County Courthouse in Charles City

Emmet County Courthouse
#8. Emmet County Courthouse located in Estherville

Butler County Courthouse
#7. Butler County Courthouse located in Allison

Clarke County Courthouse
#6. Clarke County Courthouse located in Osceola

Guthrie County Courthouse
#5. Guthrie County Courthouse in Guthrie Center

Cerro Gordo County Courthouse
#4. Cerro Gordo County Courthouse located in Mason City

Cedar County Courthouse
#3. Cedar County Courthouse located in Tipton

Pottawattamie County Courthouse
#2. Pottawattamie County Courthouse located in Council Bluffs

Story County Courthouse
#1. Story County Courthouse located in Nevada

If you would like to peruse all 100 Iowa courthouses, click on the link below:

Iowa Courthouses

If you are wondering if I’m going to rank the Freedom Rocks next week, the answer is that I am not. I would really struggle on that one. For reasons I best not disclose.

I don’t know what will be here next Tuesday. An update on the book? Possible. Very possible that next Tuesday this post will just be one word. “None.”

Iowa Courthouse Power Rankings

I stated last week that I would give some details about the book this week. Truth is I don’t have a lot of details worked out. In fact, I have virtually no details worked out.

For example I don’t know:
+ The dimensions of the book.
+ How much information will accompany the sign pictures.
+ What information will accompany the sign pictures.
+ I know virtually nothing about self-publishing, but I have a resource.
+ Will there be a forward?
+ Who would write it?
+ The name of the book.
+ I don’t know what I don’t know.

So here is what I do know. This will probably be the part that disappoints many people and drop my pre-orders from 12 to zero. I am going to pick out the 100 (number not set in stone). It is not going to include every town. It isn’t going to include every town sign. If you were to go to the THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT album by clicking on the link below:

The Town Sign Project

You would see that there currently are 1390 town sign pictures in there. 1390 pictures are not going into the book. For a wide variety of reasons.

In a way, the inspiration is “Twentysix Gasoline Stations” by Ed Ruscha. Which probably isn’t a great photo book judged against modern standards, but was heavily influential. It is simply a book of twenty-six pictures of gas station Ed Ruscha photographed between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.

If you ever see a copy of it in the wild for the cheap, pick it up. I’ve seen it for sale online for anywhere between $1,250 to $36,000 depending on the edition of the book. There are only 3 editions of the book and there are less than 4,000 total.

Don’t be tricked into buying “Twenty-Six Abandoned Gasoline Stations”. Different book. Different photographer.

But that is neither here, nor there. The point is I’m not sure what the book will be, outside of it being only 100 towns signs or so.

As one of the cappers to THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, I wanted to rank the 10 best courthouse in Iowa, by looks. There are 100 courthouses in 99 Iowa counties.

IOWA PRETTIEST COURTHOUSE POWER RANKINGS


Polk County Courthouse
#10. Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines

Johnson County Courthouse
#9. Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City

Montgomery County Courthouse
#8. Montgomery County Courthouse in Red Oak

Mahaska County Courthouse
#7. Mahaska County Courthouse in Oskaloosa

Dubuque County Courthouse
#6. Dubuque County Courthouse in Dubuque

Benton County Courthouse
#5. Benton County Courthouse in Vinton

Davis County Courthouse
#4. Davis County Courthouse in Bloomfield

Hardin County Courthouse
#3. Hardin County Courthouse in Eldora

Taylor County Courthouse
#2. Taylor County Courthouse in Bedford

Delaware County Courthouse
#1. Delaware County Courthouse in Manchester

Next week, I’m going to rank the 10 worst courthouses in Iowa.