Category Archives: Youth Group

But I Don’t Think That’s True

Another chance to clean up the backlog. These pictures were taken in October of last year but never really fit into any “An Artist’s Notebook” entries. Some were alternate images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. Some, I just took when I was out and about.


But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

But I Don't Think That's True

Always feels good to get a bit of backlog out of the system.

Methodist Women’s Rummage Sale

Although there isn’t really a youth group at the church right now, Andy was able to rustle a bunch of kids to help the Methodist Women collect items for their annual rummage sale and help tear things down after it was over. Other than an unfortunate run-in with a douchey member of the Boone Fire Department, every day went really well. I think a few of the kids were happy to be back in the church. Even if it was only a few of them.

Here are some pictures from the day:


2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

2021 Methodist Women Rummage Sale

It was good to see some life back in the church again.

A Little Here, A Little There

This post is mostly a catch-all of cleaning up some image collections taken back in August, that were either going to part of bigger journal entries that I have abandoned or just a few rando pictures taken here and there that I just want to clean up and get out of the way.

The first little collection is pictures taken from church when they presented scholarships to Autumn, Summer, and Jentry:


2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

2020 Scholarship Presentation

Church went back to the building in October. They opened all the windows in the sanctuary to increase air circulation. It gets pretty cold in there. Makes me miss warm weather all the more.

The second collection of pictures is of the creamed honey I purchased from Honey Hollow, AKA Shannon and her husband’s business. I got the straight honey, raspberry, and mango. I was going to do a little review and endorsement deal on them, and I still might some day. But I think it is sufficient to say, that it is honey. It is delicious. It doesn’t crystallize because it is creamed.


Honey Hollow Honey

Honey Hollow Honey

Honey Hollow Honey

Honey Hollow Honey

At one point I was going to do an entry on a remote control I bought for the A7 II. I think it is sufficient to say that I bought a remote control and I use it now and again. Usually with long exposures.


A7 II Remote Control

A7 II Remote Control

A7 II Remote Control

A7 II Remote Control

A7 II Remote Control

A7 II Remote Control

Speaking of photo equipment entries I planned and never made. I bought an infrared filter to play with. I have since misplaced this filter. It is one of 3 things in my house that I’m currently keeping an eye out for.


Infrared Filter

Infrared Filter
Test shot.

There there were some night sky photo I took when playing with a new fisheye lens.


Night Sky

Night Sky

Night Sky

Night Sky

I need to do some night photography again before it gets too cold.

Then finally, just a couple rando photos:


Radiation of Happiness - 2020

Beetle

Feels good to get these pictures out there. Real good.

#63

I only have one image to share today. It might not seem like much of an image at first glance. It is just a wet gazania. But this is a focus stacked image. It took 63 pictures just to combine all of them into this one image.


Gazania - Focus Stacked

I repeat, it isn’t that I took 63 images and this is the one I like the best, I took 63 images and combined them into one image.

I’m sure I’ll be doing more focus stacking in the future. The photo rail makes it way easier to focus stack. In addition to making it way easier to do super macro.

Now I have yet to do a super-macro photo stacked image, but that is coming. Very soon.

+++++++

Thought I would reveal the latest collection of images that have been added to the CANVAS WALL PROJECT.


Canvas No. 61
12X16

Canvas No. 62
12X16

Canvas No. 63
12X16

Canvas No. 64
12X16

Canvas No. 65
12X16

Canvas No. 66
12X16

Canvas No. 67
12X8

Canvas No. 68
12X8

Canvas No. 69
12X8

Canvas No. 70
12X8

Canvas No. 71
12X8

Canvas No. 72
8X10

There is one more order of canvases that are their way to my front stoop. Once those are up, the CANVAS WALL PROJECT will be finished!

At that time, I’ll publish a picture of it.

An Artist’s Notebook Post #3751

We have hit another milestone in the history of “An Artist’s Notebook”. Post #3751. I would normally make these statistical look back at the past type posts on even numbers, but I felt you guys were probably chomping at the bit to see the entries for RULE OF THIRDS.

This blog/online journal burst onto the world on August 9, 2006. Nearly 14 years later, it is somehow still around. That is success of some kind. At least it is perseverance.

As you know, I like meaningless statistics. That is what these posts are usually about. That and to take stock as to how I’m doing with my original mission to:

#1. Write in it.
#2. To be truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings.
#3. Produce something that makes me worthy of having a pretentious sounding journal title like: “An Artist’s Notebook”.

I’m going to say that I continue to manage all 3. You probably wouldn’t know if I was being honest with you on my thoughts and feelings anyways. You’ll just have to take my work for it.

The last time we looked at these stats in Post #3500 on October 4, 2019 these were the 10 most popular categories on “An Artist’s Notebook”:

10. Photography – 311 Posts
9. Teresa – 312 Posts
8. Carla – 314 Posts
7. Shannon -351 Posts
6. Black & White – 390 Posts
5. Weekly Photo Challenge – 394 Posts
4. Jesse – 404 Posts
3. Animals – 477 Posts
2. Portrait – 516 Posts
1. Flowers – 537 Posts

Here are the current “standings”:

MOST POPULAR CATEGORIES

10. Mom – 332 Posts
9. Teresa – 338 Posts
8. WPC – Submissions – 342 Posts
7. Carla – 354 Posts
6. Shannon – 384 Posts
5. Jesse – 455 Posts
4. Portrait – 491 Posts
3. Animals – 554 Posts
2. Black & White – 568 Posts
1. Flowers – 594 Posts

Back in October, these were the 10 Most Popular Not People Categories:

10. Art – 243 Posts
9. Nature – 260 Posts
8. Personal Photo Project – 261 Posts
7. Road Trip – 288 Posts
6. Photography – 311 Posts
5. Black & White – 390 Posts
4. Weekly Photo Challenge – 390 Posts
3. Animals – 477 Posts
2. Portrait – 516 Posts
1. Flowers – 537 Posts

Here are the current “standings”:

MOST POPULAR NOT PEOPLE CATEGORIES

10. Naima – 263 Posts
9. Photoshop – 285 Posts
8. Art – 287 Posts
7. Nature – 303 Posts
6. Road Trip – 308 Posts
5. WPC – Submissions – 342 Posts
4. Portrait – 491 Posts
3. Animals – 559 Posts
2. Black & White – 568 Posts
1. Flowers – 594 Posts

I anticipate by the time we get to post 4,000 Black & White will surpass Flowers. Especially considering I’m giving some consideration into breaking Flowers down by flower type. All that would be one beast of a job.

Back in October, these were the 10 Most Tagged Humans:

10. Jen – 222 Posts
9. Vest – 234 Posts
8. Willy – 238 Posts
7. Derrick – 267 Posts
6. Jay – 294 Posts
5. Mom – 300 Posts
4. Teresa – 312 Posts
3. Carla – 314 Posts
2. Shannon – 351 Posts
1. Jesse – 403 Posts

These are the current standings:

10 MOST TAGGED HUMANS:

10. Jen – 243 Posts
9. Vest – 247 Posts
8. Willy – 258 Posts
7. Derrick – 284 Posts
6. Jay – 312 Posts
5. Mom – 332 Posts
4. Teresa – 338 Posts
3. Carla – 353 Posts
2. Shannon – 384 Posts
1. Jesse – 455 Posts

It is strange that the Top 10 Humans is almost identical. Except Carla has passed Teresa.

You may be wondering, what does it take to improve my Photography 139 Score? How do I get on the big board by the time Post 3750 comes around next August-ish?

1. Submit pictures for the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.
2. Assist or pose for photo projects.
3. Be related to me.

If you are wondering who is just outside of the top ten? The 3 people just outside of the Top Ten are Kim, Sara, and Logan.

But what are the most popular pictures and galleries of this website?

Currently, there 74,942 files in the Photography 139 Gallery. That takes up 450.88 GB of storage space on the SmugMug servers.

Over time, it is historically difficult to determine what is the most popular photos and galleries. I can only track statistics for the last 365 days. But for the last 365 days, these are the most popular albums:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 ALBUMS (POPULARITY BY VIEWS)


Baby Tri-Force 1st Birthday Party

#10 Miller Triplet 1st Birthday Party – 13751 Views

Miller-Peterson Christmas - 2019

#9 Family Happenings – 14222 Views

Iowa State vs. Iowa

#8 Iowa State Cyclones Football – 2019 – 15711 Views

#7Naima– 16108 Views

Taylan Howard

#6 Taylan Howard -2020– 21320 Views

Autumn Sharp

#5 Autumn Sharp – 2020– 21852 Views

WEEK 158 - BOREDOM - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

#4 Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 6– 29218 Views

July 14, 2019

#3 Selfie Project – 2019 – 40726 Views

9 Emotions - Bill

#2 9 Emotions Project – 43867 Views

WEEK 222 - SPORTS/GAMES - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT

#1 Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 7 – 48433 Views

These are the 10 Most Popular Images (by Views):

10. 973 Views

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

9. 1056 Views

Minnesota State Fair - 2019

8. 1063 Views

Rapid City Mission Trip - 2019

7.1082 Views

Thanksgiving - 2019

6. 1116 Views

Howards - 2019

5. 1141 Views

Autumn Sharp

4. 1635 Views

Garrett Larson

3. 1261 Views

Stenslands- 2019

1283 Views

July 15, 2017

1. 2283 Views

January 14, 2019

I’m surprised that THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT is still so popular, since I haven’t touched it in over a year. But I do hope to get back to it. In fact, I have purchased a few things to make it possible to get back to THE 9 EMOTIONS PROJECT while safely physically distancing. So if you are interesting in being a victim… err… a subject. You know where to find me.

Senior Sunday – Taylan – Volume 2

I should start with wishing everybody a Happy Easter!


Happy Easter - 2020
Happy Easter!

It is definitely one of the weirdest Easters that most of us have ever experienced. I didn’t go to church on Easter Sunday since I don’t know when. Instead, I drove around and took a few pictures of church signs while listening to KWBG.

From 8-9 they played the Palm Sunday worship service of the local Baptist service. The Pastor of that church now helps with our Youth Group and she truly has been a godsend.

From 9-10 they played our worship service. Which was a live Easter service. I just want to share a couple of my favorite signs I saw this morning:


Easter 2020

Easter 2020

I would like to share an Easter Devotional from the Bishop of the Iowa Conference of the Methodist Church:

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.”

With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.”

—Matthew 28:1-10 (CEB)

Billy Sunday was the first great traveling evangelist of the twentieth century. He traveled the country with his flamboyant revival showmanship, which attracted enormous crowds. A consummate showman, Sunday he would invite his listeners at the end of the sermon to come forward by walking down the sawdust trail of the temporary wooden structure to give their lives to Christ. “Hitting the sawdust trail” became a synonym for repentance and conversion.

The first people to ever hit the sawdust trail, however, were the women, weren’t they? Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb, where they encountered an angel sitting on a stone who said, “Don’t be afraid. Jesus has been raised from the dead. Now, hurry and go, tell his disciples.”

The phrase, “hitting the sawdust trail,” actually predates Billy Sunday, originating in the forests of Oregon, where lumber jacks would get lost deep in the woods. Needing find their way out, they would lay a trail of sawdust along the way so they could follow it out to a place where they could get their bearings.

Like the lumberjacks, we, too, are totally lost and have to rely on God’s grace to lead us to and then along the sawdust trail. We cannot control resurrection because resurrection is God’s work of grace. Do you, too, want to hit the sawdust trail? Then practice resurrection by welcoming and walking beside all kinds of people traveling the way of spiritual formation.

In his poem, Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front, Wendell Berry captures the unpredictability of resurrection. He says, “So, friends, every day do something that won’t compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing. Take all that you have and be poor. Love someone who does not deserve it…. Practice resurrection.”

Prayer:

God of new birth, this is the day of resurrection, and we are ready to hit the sawdust trail, a trail that leads right back into everyday life where we commit ourselves to practice resurrection. With your grace leading the way, we will welcome all people to journey with us, so that one day the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Amen.

By: Bishop Laurie Haller, Resident Bishop, Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

+++++++

Here is a second collection of pictures from Taylan’s Senior Picture Photo shoot:


Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

Taylan Howard

More senior pictures next Sunday!

Mish Mash

Happy Maundy Thursday! Traditionally I would have been a the Computer Mine for a full hour by the time this was publishing. However, my mind would be thinking about tonight’s worship service at the Boone First United Methodist Church.

Maundy Thursday is traditionally one of my favorite worship services of the year because you never know what you are going to see. This was going to be Pastor Dave’s first Maundy Thursday Service at our church and I really wonder he would have had in store for us.

But there won’t be a worship service at our church tonight. But I still think it would be apropos to include a picture of the Youth Group to start your morning.

After all, my co-worker that likes to call this my “Jesus blog” would be disappointed if there wasn’t a little bit of Jesus’ disciples included on Maundy Thursday.

This is a small entry with a small collection of pictures that stretched across 3 consecutive days back in October. The Youth Group pictures are from the annual Hayrack Ride. The other pictures are from the Computer Mine. One is a Computer Mine company photo. The other is from the Computer Mine Halloween festivities.


Mish Mash

Mish Mash

Mish Mash

Mish Mash

Mish Mash

I swear I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel with this backlog. When it is done, I’m going to bore you with an extensive history of my cameras.

Piebald

Another post hitting up the 2019 backlog. This post is a collection of a few different photo outings, but perhaps none of them had enough pictures to have their own post.

Some pictures are flowers from my Grandma’s house. Then there are some pictures from the Youth Group Pool Party. Plus, there are also pictures from the dog pool party, where Naima gave her worst performance yet.


Piebald

Piebald

Piebald

Piebald

Piebald

Piebald

Piebald

Piebald

Pool Party

Pool Party

Pool Party

Pool Party

Naima hates the dog pool party held at McHose Park every year. I thought that as she has grown to love going into the pond at Dickcissel Park, she would begin to enjoy the dog pool party more. The opposite has occurred. She hates it more and more every year. Last year, she literally last maybe 5 minutes. Then she turned and walked out of the pool and back to the car.

It happened to be the same time that my Mom was showing up to watch the dogs. She took Naima home in my car and I stayed to talk to Logan while he took pictures for the newspaper.

The Youth Group Pool Party is the kickoff of the Youth Group year. If you look closely, you can see that Taylan is one of the lifeguards.

Youth Group Christmas Concert

5 days of work from home in the book. Here is my strange positive from the day. I get to do a lot more self care. Let me explain.

I have to be at work at 7 AM. Which means if I shower in the morning I have to hit the shower, brush my teeth, hit the pits and be out the door as fast as possible.

After I get off work I usually don’t have that much free time. I burn the candles at both ends a little bit. Most of us probably do.

Now I have more time and I’m mostly stuck at home. I can take as long of a shower as I want. When I get out of the shower, I have time to take care of other business at my leisure. I’m not rushing out the door.

Now I don’t know how many times I wash my hands these days. But I’m guessing it is definitely in double digits. I wash them when I get up in the morning. I wash them every time I go to the bathroom (that isn’t new for the record). I wash my hands every time I eat. I wash them every time I get back from leaving the house. I think I even wash my hands before I go to bed. My hands are definitely starting to look and feel like the hands of a guy who washes his hands, a lot.

So now, I’m using a lot more lotion. Including, after I take my extra long shower, I lotion up. Including, my feet. I’m not ashamed to say that my feet are becoming very soft. If it wasn’t for the fact that feet are gross and disgusting, you would probably enjoy touching my feet.

Soft feet. A surprising bonus of working from home.

+++++++

Hitting up that 2019 backlog. With the unification of our youth group with the Baptist Church and the Central Christian Church we moved the Christmas Concert from it traditional Sunday night to a Wednesday night.

I took a few pictures of the concert.


Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019

Christmas Concert - 2019


You can tell the the Sr. High Students were really pumped to be in the Christmas Concert.

The last Youth Group we had, I had the Senior High watch DOUBT. I don’t know that we will have a Youth Group for the rest of the year, so I guess those kids will never know if Phillip Seymour Hoffman did it!

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

A big thank you to all the people that showed up and supported the Youth Group on Ash Wednesday! This year, it was a huge success! We raised more than double the money that we raised on last year’s Spaghetti Fundraiser!

Here are some pictures from the event:


Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday Spaghetti Fundraiser

Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it on Wednesday. There will be at least one more, possibly 2 more fundraisers for the mission trip to Indianapolis in the next couple of months!

+++++++

This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is FASHION:


WEEK 233 - FASHION
FASHION

Remember a FASHION photo is any photo where you get an look at the clothing that the people are wearing.

Happy photo harvesting!