Tag Archives: featured

Elainie, Night, Sabas, State Fair, Street Photography

Iowa State Fair – Day 3 – Zeta

April 12, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

So this is the final collection of images from my third trip to the Iowa State Fair. This might be my favorite collection as while I love taking pictures at any part of the Iowa State Fair, taking pictures at night is maybe my favorite. Although taking pictures before dawn is also pretty great. Even though I went to the Iowa State Fair 4 times last year, this was the only time I was there after the sun went down. That seems like an oversight I should remedy this year. Maybe I’ll take in a concert at the State Fair this year. I do have my eye on one anyways.

I want one of these shirts really bad.

Sabas even asked if he could buy one, but that is strictly against company policy. Boo!!

And you know I only boo for important things! Like turning the lights on.

Never been a fan of poutine.

Although this is the end of the images from my third trip to the Fair, next Friday will begin the collection of images from my final trip to the Fair. Although that collection will be smaller. It was the final day of the Fair and the temperature was close to 100. It wasn’t pleasant, to say the least.

Flowers, Macro, State Fair

Through the Years

April 11, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

I can’t remember when you weren’t there
When I didn’t care for anyone but you
I swear, we’ve been through everything there is
Can’t imagine anything we’ve missed
Can’t imagine anything the two of us can’t do

Through the years, you’ve never let me down
You’ve turned my life around
The sweetest days I’ve found, I’ve found with you
Through the year, I’ve never been afraid
I’ve loved the life we’ve made
And I’m so glad I’ve stayed right here with you
Through the years

I can’t remember what I used to do
Who I trusted, whom I listened to before
I swear, you’ve taught me everything I know
Can’t imagine needing someone so
But through the years it seems to me
I need you more and more

Through the years, through all the good and bad
I knew how much we had
I’ve always been so glad to be with you
Through the years, it’s better every day
You’ve kissed my tears away
As long as it’s okay, I’ll stay with you
Through the years

Through the years, when everything went wrong
Together we were strong
I know that I belonged right here with you
Through the years, I never had a doubt
We’d always work things out
I’ve learned what love’s about, by loving you
Through the years

Through the years, you’ve never let me down
You’ve turned my life around
The sweetest days I’ve found, I’ve found with you
Through the years, it’s better every day
You’ve kissed my tears away
As long as it’s okay, I’ll stay with you
Through the years
-Written by Martin Panzer & Stephen Hartley Dorff
-Performed by Kenny Rogers

Just another great Kenny Rogers love song!

But Thursdays are for flowers and this flowertography session consists of pictures taken at the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair.

Next Thursday’s flowertography session will consist of flower pictures taken at the Iowa Arboretum.

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Deanna, Elizabeth, Jen, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Mary, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Sara, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Still Life, Suzie, Tamara, Teresa, Vest, Willy, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 447 – PASSION

April 9, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

PASSION! A great theme! But did enough people have enough PASSION about their PASSION to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, April 1, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Suzie Brannen – 1 week (IA)
2-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA)
3-Layla Gorshe – 1 week (IA)
4-Mary Green – 1 week (MI, IA, IN)
5-Monica Jennings – 1 week (IA)
6-Amy Peterson – 1 week (IA)
7-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks (IA)
8-Tim Panages – 2 weeks (IA)
9-Deanna McClain – 3 weeks (IA)
10-Johnathan Stensland – 3 weeks (IA)
11-Adam Gordon – 5 weeks (IA, MS, MO)
12-Becky Parmelee – 7 weeks (AR, IA, OK)
13-Sara Lockner – 11 weeks (IA)
14-Lowell Davis – 13 weeks (IA)
15-Michelle Haupt – 12 weeks (IA, MO, KS)
16-Alexis Stensland – 13 weeks (IA)
17-Brandon Kahler – 14 weeks (IA, MN)
18-Scott Degeneffe – 32 weeks (IA, FL)
19-Sabas Hernandez – 33 weeks (IA)
20-Mike Vest – 37 weeks (IA, MO)
21-Sheri Fakhouri – 42 weeks (IA)
22-Logan Kahler – 43 weeks (IA, MN)
23-Nathanial Brown – 44 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN)
24-Jesse Howard – 44 weeks (IA, MO, NE)
25-Tamara Peterson – 56 weeks (IA, MN)
26-Mindi Terrell – 59 weeks (IA)
27-Linda Bennett – 88 weeks (KS)
28-Sarah Toot – 89 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV)
29-Angie DeWaard – 93 weeks (IA)
30-Dawn Krause – 97 weeks (IA)
31-Kim Barker – 103 weeks (IA, CO)
32-Joe Duff – 104 weeks (TX)
33-Teresa Kahler – 115 weeks (IA)
34-Carla Stensland – 115 weeks (IA, MO)
35-Micky Augustin – 117 weeks (IA, IL)
36-Andy Sharp – 118 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA)
37-Bill Wentworth – 119 weeks (NE)
38-Cathie Morton – 122 weeks (IA, FL, BHS)
39-Elizabeth Nordeen – 124 weeks (IA)
40-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 126 weeks (IA)
41-Kio Dettman – 128 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

1. The picture must be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
3. Sometimes, for special people, for special circumstances, we can negotiate something.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Adam Gordon (Iowa) – 6 weeks

Adam Gordon (Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 14 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Mason City, Iowa) – 119 weeks

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa)

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 94 weeks

Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 8 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 120 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 15 weeks

Carla Stensland (Iowa) – 116 weeks

Cathie Morton (Saint Louis, Missouri) – 123 weeks

Cathie Morton (Saint Louis, Missouri)

Christopher D. Bennett (Spoon River Rest Area – Illinois)

Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 98 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 4 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 125 weeks

Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Spoon River Rest Stop – Illinois) – 2 weeks

Jesse Howard (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) – 45 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 105 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas)

Johnathan Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 4 weeks

Kim Barker (Des Moines, Iowa) – 104 weeks

Kim Barker (Des Moines, Iowa)

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 129 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 89 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 44 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 14 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa)

Mary Green (Iowa) – 2 weeks

Mary Green (Iowa)

Michelle Haupt (Ankeny, Iowa) – 13 weeks

Micky Augustin (Japser County, Iowa) – 118 weeks

Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 38 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Ankeny, Iowa) – 60 weeks

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa)

Nathanial Brown (Des Moines, Iowa) – 45 weeks

Sara Lockner (Des Moines, Iowa) – 12 weeks

Sarah Toot (New York City, New York) – 90 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Gilbert, Iowa) – 33 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Sacramento, California) – 127 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Summerset, Iowa)

Sheri Fakhouri (Gretna, Nebraska) – 43 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Gretna, Nebraska)

Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 2 weeks

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 97 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Papillon, Nebraska) – 116 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Papillon, Nebraska)

Willy McAlpine (Goeppinger Field – Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

38 participants! A pretty great week! But a 4 participant drop from the previous week.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ California (1)
+ Florida (1)
+ Illinois (2)
+ Iowa (35)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Missouri (2)
+ Nebraska (5)
+ New York (1)
+ Texas (2)

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Arkansas (7.5)
+ Bahamas (1)
+ California (2)
+ Colorado (4)
+ Florida (4)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (3)
+ Indiana (2)
+ Iowa (479)
+ Kansas (21)
+ Louisiana (2)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (6)
+ Mississippi (1.5)
+ Missouri (10.5)
+ Nebraska (23)
+ Nevada (1)
+ New York (10)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (12)
+ South Dakota (3)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (22)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)

25 states so far! 1 foreign country! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA) – 7
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL) – 7
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA) – 4
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV) – 4
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL) – 4
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL) – 4
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BS, MO) – 4
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN) – 3
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL) – 2
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL) – 2
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Sara Lockner (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO) -2
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO) – 2
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 3

Jen and Andy are now tied to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!”

Shannon, Teresa, and Sheri joined the list of people that have submitted from multiple places this week!

The major milestone this wee was Kim hitting the 2 Year Streak Club! WooHoo! However, there was a bloodbath of streaks coming to an end. Layla and Amy couldn’t build on last week’s submission and their streaks are over before they began. Tim’s streak is over at 2. Worst of all, Sabas’ streak comes crashing to an end at 33! The Humanity!

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

NECESSITY – SUGGESTED BY JOE DUFF

NECESSITY! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! Thank you Joe for suggesting it!

You might be scoffing at the fact that I think VitaCoco Coconut Water is a NECESSITY. Maybe you don’t understand. Their coconuts are carefully handpicked on thousands of small farms throughout the topics. These aren’t blood coconuts picked by child slave labor. It is a necessity cause it replenishes electrolytes, provides vital nutrients, hydrates with coconut goodness, AND makes taste buds happy! It is perfect for post-workouts, hangovers, afternoon boosts (we can all use those), smoothies, and the general human tendency to get thirsty. I like to crush a box of VitaCoco after crushing a workout at Planet Fitness because it provides me with 50% of my daily intake of Vitamin C and 15% of my potassium! And the carton is even recyclable! If that isn’t a NECESSITY, I don’t know what the word means!

But I will be interested to find out what you consider to be a NECESSITY.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of NECESSITY in this place that I hope some of you find to be one next Monday.

Art, Basketball, Iowa State, Jesse, Night, Road Trip, Self-Portrait, Street Photography

Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship

April 9, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

The Saturday after the Iowa State Women played for the Big 12 Championship, the Men did the same thing. The played the #1 team in the country, the Houston Cougars. The two teams had split the regular season games. Each team winning on their home floor. Both schools went undefeated at home this year. The only two schools to do that. I was expecting a very tight and hotly contested game, but the rubber match ended up being not much of a game. Iowa State blasted the #1 team in the country by 28 points. The first victory for Iowa State since all the way back in 2022. It was one of the largest margins of victory over the #1 team in history.

It was a completely unexpected result. A conference championship was a little unexpected for the Cyclones at the beginning of the season. They didn’t get a single vote in the AP Preseason Poll. However, they were expected to be at least decent. That lost some pieces from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, but they brought back almost all the key pieces. Plus they brought in some scoring punch for the backcourt in the transfer portal ad they brought in 2 freshman that are expected to play in the NBA. But, Iowa State ended up being much better than expected, thanks mostly to the vast improvement of Tamin Lipsey from his freshman year to his sophomore year.

Here are some pictures from the trip I made to the game with Jesse:

Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament Road Trip

Missouri Rest Area

Garth Brooks played the Boone County Fair, we didn’t hang a banner for it.

Pretty much every Houston fan at the game in one picture.

The best point guard in the country, hope he is healthy next year.

This guy made his hat.

MVP!

Best coach in Iowa State history?

BRE!

This picture was for a project I’ve already decided to abandon.

Charlie Hustle had a pop up store. All the clothing in there was super cool!

It was a great day! But it wasn’t the last road trip I took to watch Iowa State play in the postseason!

Alexis, Basketball, Iowa State, Still Life, Street Photography, Tenderloining, Teresa

I Scream: Hilton Field Work

April 7, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Today’s food adventure took me to Ames. To the cathedral known as James H. Hilton Coliseum. A storied basketball (and other sports like volleyball and gymnastics) venue where the Iowa State men went undefeated and the women went 13-2. I had this adventure at the final home game of the season. March 2. It was the first time I had ice cream since November. I went to the game with Alexis (who went in Carla’s place) and Teresa.

The opponent was the Cincinnati Bearcats. On the menu was the Clone Cone.

Here are some pictures:

You can barely make out the Clone Cone stand from the end of the line.

It appears to be 2 different flavors, but it is all vanilla.

The Clone Cone also enjoys watch Audi Crooks cook!

Big fan of Emily, Addy, Kelsey, Hannah… well really all of them!

Last bites

You know my policy on ice cream. It is the same as Ted Lasso’s:

“Ice cream is the best. It’s kinda like seeing Billy Joel perform live. Never disappoints.”

I have to confess… maybe it was the environment. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had ice cream in over 3 months, but this was about the best tasting ice cream of my life! It tasted like victory. Like a 16 point win over the Bearcats.

But it was also a little bittersweet as it was the last game in Hilton ever for Hannah and Nyamer. And as it turned out, for Shantavia and Jalynn.

You can your own Clone Cone at virtually any Iowa State sporting event at Hilton. You will only have to wait until November. But it will be worth the wait. Both the Iowa State men and women’s basketball teams should be pre-season Top 10 teams. Top 15 at the worst.

How is my efforting to live a healthy lifestyle going?

This week my weight went down 1.8 pounds. I am now down 26.5 pounds since starting Noom. I am 3.1 pounds away from reaching my May 1 goal weight. 28.1 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight*.

Weight obviously fluctuates quite a bit based on a ton of factors. From what you ate the day before to when you ate your last meal to when you went to bed the night before to when you last went to the bathroom to when you weigh yourself. I try not to get too high if the scale ticks down or too low if the scale ticks up. The important thing is that the general trend is going in the right direction.

But weight isn’t the only measure (or even the most important measure) of positive results. This week I did achieve a new badge on FitBit:

I achieved walking 250 miles since starting using Fitbit in February on April 4.

That is all to report for now.

Next Sunday’s food adventure will be back on the Catholic Fish Fry Circuit!

*Ultimate goal weight subject to change.

Art, Boone Art Center, Railroad, Street Photography

Boone Art Center Gallery Five

April 6, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Time to share a fifth collection of found art from Boone or near Boone that I’m calling THE BOONE ART CENTER PROJECT. Most of these pictures were taken east of Boone or in Boone.

Pretty sure I have enough of these built up for a 6th gallery. I just need to get on editing them!

Animals, Art, Elainie, Sabas, State Fair, Street Photography

Iowa State Fair – Day 3 – Epsilon

April 5, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time for yet another collection of images from the my 3rd trip to the Iowa State Fair in 2023.

Still one more collection of images from this day left to share!

Flowers, Macro, State Fair

You Decorated My Life

April 4, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

All my life was a paper
Once plain, pure and white
Till you moved with your pen, changin’ moods now and then
Till the balance was right
Then you added some music
Every note was in place
And anybody could see all the changes in me by the look on my face

And you decorated my life
Created a world
Where dreams are a part
And you decorated my life
By paintin’ your love all over my heart
You decorated my life

Like a rhyme with no reason
In an unfinished song
There was no harmony, life meant nothin’ to me until you came along
And you brought out the colors
What a gentle surprise
Now I’m able to see all the things life can be, shinin’ soft in your eyes

And you decorated my life
Created a world
Where dreams are a part
And you decorated my life
By paintin’ your love
All over my heart
You decorated my life

Written by Bob Morrison/Debbie Hupp
Performed by Kenny Rogers

Just another great song from Kenny Rogers!

Thursdays are for flowers. This flowertography session took place in the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fair.

Still plenty more flower pictures from the Iowa State Fair left to share!

Nature, Self-Portrait

Backbone

April 3, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Last summer I made a road trip to Backbone State Park cause it had been a long time since I had been there. I chose a poor day to go there as it was crazy hot. I still toughed it out and took a few pictures:

Backbone is a Top 5 Iowa State Park for me. Mostly just for the Backbone Trail. I should try and hit it again this year.

Art, Basketball, Carla, Iowa State, Jason, Road Trip, Still Life, Street Photography, Teresa

Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship

April 2, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

A few week’s back Carla, Jason, Teresa, and I loaded up into Teresa’s new car and drove down to Kansas City to watch Iowa State play in the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Game. It was the second year in a row for Iowa State to make the Championship Game. This year was quite a surprise after everything Iowa State lost last year to graduation, the NCAA hating Iowa State, and the transfer portal. Iowa State lost the best player in school history. They lost the #4 pick in the WNBA draft. They lost their starting center. They lost the two players that would have been considered the best two returning players to the transfer portal. Then to make matters worse, they lost their leader, the best returning player, and the best point guard in Iowa State history for over half the season to injury. Their rotation to start the season consisted of 5 true freshman, a Division 2 transfer, and a transfer from the Big Sky Conference.

Despite all of the strikes against this team, they were one of the most fun teams to watch and they battled and they persevered and they somehow made it to the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game. It was definitely worth the trip down to Kansas City to watch.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Hilton South

I wasn’t that guy.

I’m so excited for the future of this team. The transfer portal is already open for college basketball. They’ve already lost 4 players to the transfer portal, but I think only one of them is a potentially major loss. It will be interesting to see what Iowa State pulls in through the transfer portal, but I’ll get into all that in the future.