Reporting the Dover Results

#1 Bear Down Racing 427 vs. 342 #3 Desert Denny
#4 halffastracing 186 vs. 482 #2 Overdue
#5 Blue Bayou 350 vs. 362 #6 Red Neck Racing Academy


#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 19-9
#5 Blue Bayou 16-12
#4 halffastracing 16-12
#2 Overdue 14-14
#1 Bear Down Racing 13-15
#3 Desert Denny 6-22

Playing with my camera

After talking with one of the pros at Photography Day at Living History Farms, I felt I might have a better understanding of how to do some macro photography, some very close up photography. Okay, it's probably the craft of taking a very close up picture at the moment; the art of very close up photography may come with experience. Anyway, I just tried taking shots of just about anything that was near me at the moment over the rest of the afternoon / evening. I started with the hem of my jeans. Lucky for me (and you I guess), Linda had a big jar of marbles nearby and I got to move them around to see how to focus on one or to see how the light played through them. As you can see, I thought they were more interesting that the denim.

I like the way that these photos turned out so I'm feeling pretty confident with this new skill. It seems likely that there will be more examples of this kind of shot over time now.

Checking out the 2007 Bulldogs

Linda and I opened our Drake football season like last year, at the UNI game. Both teams came into the game undefeated, with the mythical state championship on the line. Pregame analysis had Drake needing a flawless game and a little luck to really have a shot against the UNI Panthers, ranked fourth in The Sports Network's FCS Football Rankings.

We were pleased to see the Drake band putting on a pre-game show; being on television makes a difference, I guess. The game started with Drake on offense and they were able to get a first down or two before having to punt. The Panthers used their size and speed well to move the ball and were soon on top. By the half, it was 28-7, UNI's favor. It ended 45-7 and could have been worse. Fortunately, with the game clearly decided, UNI played more to run out the clock than pile on the Bulldogs.

Drake mascot, Spike, did an excellent job of entertaining and engaging the fans. One of the fun dimensions from last year missing this year was the interaction between Spike and the UNI mascot, TC. Last year, TC had a nice big rawhide bone to tempt and torment the big dawg; not this year.

Drake will have a good year. I think they got away without injuries so the experience of playing a team this good may pay dividends later in the season. Linda and I will likely be stopping in again from time to time.

Learning some tricks at Living History Farms' Photography Day

Saturday afternoon, Linda and I visited one of the 100 Places we'd each been to before, Living History Farms. Professional photographers were going to be present to answer questions.

We arrived and visited several of the various locations in the historic village. Along they way we, we saw the blacksmith, banker, and a choral group singing period appropriate versions of several songs. The mansion was full of photo opportunities and one of the pros located out front helped me with macro or close-up photos.

We visited the 1900s farm and exercised found a couple of opportunities to try out my new macro skill. When I looked at a lot of the photos (yes, there were a lot,) I saw a corn theme. The planter plates hanging on the wall and the wire to drive the check planter were located in the out buildings of the farmstead. Not far down the lane, we saw two men shocking stalks in preparation for final harvest in a couple of week. Back on the farm, we saw the bucket of harvested ears and the hogs snuffling through husks looking for cobs not yet stripped of corn.

The check wire photo took advantage of the new macro skill. There will be more in the days to come.

It was nice to rattle around through the farms, recognizing things I'd watched my dad use, a few I'd used, and a few I only know through dad talking about them.

Watching the launch of the 2030 Road Rally

Saturday morning, Linda and I got together downtown for a walk and to see what was we could of the launch of the 2030 Road Rally. I'd seen excerpts of various types of road rallies on television over the years. To have one here in town an opportunity not to be missed. The weather was great and we could peek in from time to time while taking our walk.

I should share my understanding of this type of rally. Participants were given directions, speeds, and timings for a course around central Iowa. The idea isn't to complete the course as quickly as possible, rather to follow the directions accurately.

When we arrived at the start, we were treated to examples of some of the more exotic cars I could think of. While high speed wouldn't be a major benefit in this road rally, there were some very sporty specimens. We saw a Ferrari Testarosa, Dodge Viper, some sort of Maserati, and several variants of Corvette. There were several less sporty entries as well. One of the more notable was a Land Rover made for the Dutch military. One of the distinctive details about this British product was the steering wheel on the left side. We got to walk around among the cars for a while and then see them "launched" at thirty second intervals to start the rally.

While we watched, it wasn't long and the first cars passed by us again. Evidently the course was laid out to show off the started cars. Soon, the leaders passed once more!

After we'd watched for a bit, we went back to the car and headed for my house so I could shower and change out of my walking clothes into something more appropriate. As we drove down the street, we soon found ourselves trailing a short string of rally cars. Fun! Since it was on our way, we turned where they turned. The string stopped at a light after one block so, of course, we stopped. A corvette with it's hood removed pulled up behind us and revved it's motor a time or two; it was time to get out of this line. They turned and we went on straight. While it was fun, we didn't really want to interfere.

After stopping by my house, we headed over to Linda's. Along they way, we saw a string of rally cars going the other way. About a minute later, another string! We kept our eyes open but didn't see them again the rest of the day.

It could be fun to participate in this event some time. Who knows, next year... could be on the blog!

Watching East turn out the lights at Hutchens Field

Friday afternoon, a brief thunderstorm swept through and spoiled plans Linda and I had had to go for a walk. Instead, we decided a high school football game might fill the bill.

The Abraham Lincoln High School Railsplitters (3-0) were going to be hosting the Scarlets of Des Moines East (1-2). We'd talked about going to games off and on but this would be an interesting introduction. As we waited in line to get our ticket, Linda and a woman in a Rails sweatshirt spoke briefly about what might be ahead. "We should win this one."

Everything was a little damp and most of the bleachers had faint footprints of mud from people climbing higher in the stands. We found a couple drier, cleaner seats and watched the teams warm up. The Lincoln fans were pretty chatty and looking forward to the game. East had a small but vocal cheering section.

The public address speakers crackled as the announcer informed us that, as a result of the storm, the scoreboard was not functional. Time would be kept on the field. Interesting.

Midway through the first period, the lights on the right side of the far side of the field suddenly went out. With only four towers around the field, this was a significant loss. After several minutes, play was resumed while the maintenance crew worked to get the tower back on line. Soon we were fully illuminated again but East was in control on both sides of the ball. With a little over four minutes to play in the first half, both towers on the far side dropped. After several minutes, the officials sent the teams to half time. The band took the field and did a nice job in the half light. By the time they were done, the lights were back on line.

The teams retook the field to play out the remaining minutes of the second quarter. East scored their fourth touchdown in the final seconds. The teams took three minute break and then started the third quarter. The light towers remained lit but the Rails never did catch fire and lost 35-0.

Friday Construction Photo #23

The steel keeps rising. Since last week, the framework on the right of the image has reached full height and advanced on the remaining corner of gravel. It can't be long before the crane will have to get out of the way of the growing building.

There's also an interesting temporary elevator going up the left side of the image. I think it might be pretty interesting to take a ride in that little birdcage.

Reporting the New Hampshire Results

#1 Bear Down Racing 424 vs. 398 #4 halffastracing
#3 Desert Denny 433 vs. 437 #5 Blue Bayou
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 324 vs. 462 #2 Overdue


#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 18-9
#5 Blue Bayou 16-11
#4 halffastracing 16-11
#2 Overdue 13-14
#1 Bear Down Racing 12-15
#3 Desert Denny 6-21

Going back to the Renaissance Faire

This year, the weather was more accommodating of visitors to the renaissance faire. It was dry, clear, and warm... nice.

The first thing we stopped at was a faux Shakespearean theatre group. While the story was very loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, the characters had fun with the sword play and poking fun at the red bearded guy playing Juliet; when Romeo objected, the director pointed out that it was historically accurate. After a few duels and a couple chases through the audience, the play reached its tragic conclusion and all took their bows.

Just behind us, the aerialist act was drumming up interest in their show. The energy and humor (and proximity) of this act made it an easy choice. The ongoing interplay between the woman in the air and the man on the ground made for a very entertaining show... along with her nicely polished maneuvers on a high hoop and the teal fabric streamers.

We roamed the shops and jousting grounds enjoying various groups singing, acting out skits, and demonstrating various arts of the period. Leather working, rope making, and cooking were interesting in their own way. One of the favorites is always the blacksmith. It was pretty interesting to see how a chunk of wood provided a firm but flexible "anvil" to make a spoon; the fire added a little something.

As we took another loop around the circuit, we were treated to a royal procession. As I moved to try to get another photo, we were surrounded by three gruff talking vikings humorously harassing us to buy a pickle. Not really looking for a pickle, we politely declined their generous offer. Unfortunately, polite apparently didn't really convey the intent when dealing with vikings. They were persistent... like telemarketers... in helmets... with horns. We held firm and they laid siege. Finally, they demonstrated familiarity with ransom; if we wouldn't buy a pickle, we needed to find someone who would for us. It wasn't long before our ransom was paid and we were freed, no worse for the wear.

It was an interesting and entertaining way to spend a few hours.

Spending the evening with Three Tall Women

Linda and I went to the Theater ... for a change production of Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Three Tall Women. The two acts of this play are quite different but, in conjunction, explore a great deal about life and living. The story is centered on the elder woman but does a nice job of looking through the eyes of the others.

I'm very pleased to have a company in town that can put on such an interesting play with a high level of skill ... for about the price of going to a movie.

Trying a Twin Bing

While browsing the 1001 Things to Eat before you Diet, I ran across section written about regional candy bars. Reading a little more, I found that one of those listed was from right here in Iowa. I mentioned to Linda that I'd never tried one. Well, a couple days ago, Linda showed up with two of them.

This bar is pretty distinctive for a number of reasons. The first thing that struck me was the wrapper: striking, bold, and simple in design. Once inside, the bar itself is more like two mounds that got too close to one another than one candy bar. The outer layer is thick with crushed peanuts held together by a layer of chocolaty goodness. Inside that is a nugget of cherry nougat. It's a tasty bit.

One of the interesting side notes about this treat has to do with the Palmer Candy Company who makes the Twin Bing.

Established in 1878, the Palmer Company is one of the country's oldest candy companies and the candy company of its size with the longest span of family ownership in the United States!

Who knew? I may be heading up to Sioux City some time to take a peek.

Friday Construction Photo #22

The skeleton keeps growing. As cold and more challenging weather approaches, I'm guessing they'd like to get things in place and closed up. They're making good progress! Clear days like this one can't hurt.

Reporting the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway Results

#2 Overdue 247 vs. 422 #1 Bear Down Racing
#3 Desert Denny 302 vs. 330 #6 Red Neck Racing Academy
#5 Blue Bayou 460 vs. 376 #4 halffastracing


#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 17-8; won; now 18-8
#4 halffastracing was 16-9; lost; now 16-10
#5 Blue Bayou was 14-11; won; now 15-11
#2 Overdue was 12-13; lost; now 12-14
#1 Bear Down Racing was 10-15; won; now 11-15
#3 Desert Denny was 6-19; lost; now 6-20

Visiting Jack Trice Stadium

Greg and Ern, a couple of friends of mine, went to Louisiana to see the LSU game. This freed up their Iowa State University tickets for the weekend so they offered them to Linda and me. ISU was playing the University of Northern Iowa, one of Linda's favored teams, so it was particularly attractive. Dave, another friend and the third member of the season ticket triad, was still going so we hitched a ride with him. Dave went to ISU and has been going to games for a while now so he knew a less used way in and what proved to be a GREAT way out.

We arrived early enough to get parked, walk to the stadium, chat with a few of Linda's UNI fan friends, and get to our seats in time for all pre-game festivities. The crowd was clearly looking forward to the game. The stands were filled with a sea of cardinal with flecks of gold. This was going to be fun!

The Cyclones started with a touchdown but missed the extra point. UNI answered with a field goal and two touchdowns to go into half up seventeen to six. The collective shoulders drooped as low as the expectations that had been so high only an hour or so before. This had been a game ISU fans expected to be challenging but one they would win. Not so much now.

After last year's experiences where Drake had no halftime show, it was nice to see the excellent shows that UNI and ISU put on for us. ISU had a Star Trek theme that was very entertaining.

The UNI Panthers added another touchdown in the third and ISU added one in the fourth. UNI won 24-13. Body English of those in red said "we're not gonna win a game all year." Time will tell...

Setting aside the final score, it was a nice experience. Thanks Ern. Thanks Greg.

Soaking up the flavor of the Latino Heritage Festival

As you have no doubt noticed, Linda and I look enjoy tasty food, live music, and photo opportunities. The Latino Heritage Festival is made to order! Tie in free admission to the Blank Park Zoo and it's hard to skip.

We arrived within the first hour they were admitting people, about an hour before lunch time. A familiar dance group from Chicago was just starting their last number for the set. They were followed by another excellent musical group we'd seen last year. You can see them in the upper right image, over the sombrero.

After I took that shot, I looked to my right and got the bottom center shot of the boy at the crafts tent. They were doing some kind of spin art and, further down, working on pinatas. When I turned my back to the stage, I saw the two women in Panamanian costumes dancing to the music. This is a fun festival! We made our way along the various tents with information about each cultural group represented ... and the corporate sponsors.

Ready for lunch, we hit the food vendors. I had a very tasty rice and chicken dish from Ecuador. The guy at the booth suggested adding ketchup; I was skeptical but put a little on one portion. I thought it was tasty enough without but when I did try some with, it really did compliment the flavor very nicely. It added a sweetness that fit right in.

We took a spin around the zoo. As we approached the lions and tigers, something was hooting and howling from a little further up the path. When we rounded the bushes, we found that at least one of the white handed gibbons was really in a talkative mood. He didn't seem upset about anything, just airing whatever was on his mind whether he was perched on a limb or swinging around the enclosure. It was very entertaining. It was also fun to see the faces of people seeing him make his rounds, howling away. We moved on to check the giraffes.

Satisfied with our look at the zoo, we were feeling like we could try another food item. This time we settled on elotes.

Elotes, Mexican Corn on the Cob, was something new. Grill or boil an ear of corn, slather it with mayonnaise and butter, sprinkle with cheese, salt, and chili powder, and you get the idea. If you're thinking that doesn't sound tasty, you just have to try it some time; it's yummy! A recipe can be found by clicking here.

Our hunger satisfied for the time being, we took another swing by the stage and saw the little boys in masks apparently depicting little old men as they played out some old story. As we left, there were twenty more coming in to fill the void.

Friday Construction Photo #21

The crane keeps moving around but I'm not seeing a lot of new steel. There does appear to be work being done on the existing floors. There used to be open spaces in the steel framework that is now filled in with what appears to be a heavy corrugated metal.

Trying Spicy Yam Pate

Linda and I stopped by the Red Avocado in Iowa City to have dinner with Valerie and Patrick and to knock off another item on the list of 100 Things to Eat. Located in a former home near downtown Iowa City, the Red Avocado had a line of people streaming onto the porch and back again; there was a culinary walk going on when we arrived. We were lead to our table in the lower level and reviewed the menu. There were a lot more items with coconut milk than I see in a typical year or five. No hot sausage sandwich. No butter burger. No meat at all that I recall. We found the spicy yam pate:

roasted yams blended with coconut milk, citrus fruits, toasted seeds, sunflower oil and our special spice blend

Not very specific, is it? We ordered one to share among the four of us and Linda and I shared a Jupiter's Gnocchi. The pate was served with pita wedges and was tasty. The gnocchi was also pretty good. We had a nice visit and headed for home with one more food off the list.

Fulfilling the prophesy

Ray Kinsella heard a voice that said "If you build it, he will come." Okay, Ray was a fictional character and I'm not the "he" who would come. Still, the ball field from the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams" is drawing people nearly twenty years later. The site is listed on the register's list of 100 places and was only a few miles out of our way so we took the time to stop by and remember. Of course, we walked out of the corn, walked the bases, and answered the question "Is this heaven?" I even plunked down a few dollars for a bit of memorabilia. Terence Mann pretty well right on...

Terence Mann: Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

Taking the elevator

We crossed the river back into Dubuque, Iowa, and wound our way among the brick buildings along the river. Soon we were at the base of the Fenelon Place Elevator. It was a steep and sometimes unnerving ride to the top but, once there, the view over the river valley was a nice treat. It started to rain while we were at the top so we stayed under cover and heard about a good deal of the history of the elevator. We also got a nice view of the golden domed Dubuque courthouse below. The shower soon passed and we rode back down to head on home.

Exploring a "Cornish Miner's Community that Time Forgot"

Mineral Point, Wisconsin, has a long history and has, for one reason or another, been able to preserve a great deal of it. In the early 1830s, immigrants from Cornwall founded a community and started mining the readily available lead and zinc. Featured today are some of the restored homes they built with the readily available stone. The first and probably best known is Pendarvis. Saved by a couple of fellows in 1935, Pendarvis anchors the efforts.

Today, Mineral Point is an artistic community with what appears to be a nice tourist trade. Linda had been there before and remembered a particular pottery shop so we stopped in to see if the potter was in. Unfortuntely, he wasn't but we did get to talk with a woman tending the shop. She'd lived all her life in the area and spoke fondly of the community.

We'd also hoped to get some excellent quality cheese curds but, again, found our timing was bad. The cheese is made on Mondays and the curd goes quickly. We moved on.

Pausing in Madison

On our way home, Linda and I passed through Madison. Having never been there before, I wanted to take a few minutes to see something. The state capitol building seemed like a good idea... after all, Scotty and Fiddy had made it a point to visit them all!

Shaped like a big X, the building is hard to truly get a good handle on visually. Often, all we could see was the end of one wing or the corner between two wings. Inside, it's easy to become confused as each wing looks about the same.

The dome over the rotunda is quite handsome. Unlike when we visited our capitol building, this one was not under renovation. Another difference was the group of protesters walking in a circle under the dome. About a dozen men and women carrying signs were quietly circling. We found our way up to the Governor's Office and saw the badger that used to be aboard the USS Wisconsin.

On our way back to the car, Linda noticed a sign in the window of a sandwich shop, Teddy Wedgers, and asked if I'd ever had a pasty (pass-tee.) I'd never heard of such a thing but was game to learn more. We stepped inside and met a compact man with great woolly mutton chops. Linda commented that she'd only been aware of them in Michigan.

"Oh! Those Upers think they invented the pasty. Well, they didn't; it's Cornish." Evidently, someone in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan hasn't been giving credit where credit is due. "They put rutabaga in 'em too. That's not right." We ordered half of a regular pasty and listened. As he prepared our food, he explained how his father had cooked pasties in Mineral Point, a mining community settled by people who came from Cornwall, England, people who know how to make a pasty. Set straight, we went on our way and enjoyed this miner's meal.

Enjoying Milwaukee and a little Miller Time

Wow! The painting on the side of the tall building in the picture that makes up the left side of this image had me questioning what was real and what was illusion. The technique is called Trompe-l'œil, French for "fool the eye," and has been around for centuries. Linda and I had to get close enough to be in line with the wall to be sure that there weren't pieces attached to the wall to help with the illusion. Nicely done!

We walked around downtown Milwaukee and the Historic Third Ward between downtown and the river. One of Linda's co-workers had recommended the Milwaukee Ale House and it had an entrance on the riverwalk so we stopped in and enjoyed a very tasty lunch. The bottle rimmed plate in the picture was really quite fun to see at yet another microbrewery. My Reuben sandwich was quite tasty but Linda's blue cheese potato salad side was disappointingly mild.

Properly fed, we headed out to Miller Park to take a tour of their fine facility. We arrived with little time to spare and were fortunate enough to be in a group of three couples. The others in the group were clearly long time fans of the home town team, often commenting on where someone had recently made some great play or pointing out where County Stadium once stood. We got to visit the visitor's dugout, walk the warning track, see the views from the home team bullpen, Bob Euker's broadcast booth, and the press box.

Just up the street from Miller Park is Miller Valley, home of the Miller Brewery. This place produces a lot of beer. While beer isn't my beverage of choice, it was interesting to see one of the larger breweries in America. Like the tour at the ballpark, there were some true fans in our group that added color and content to the experience. I was a little surprised to find that a number of non-Miller beers actually contract with this brewery to produce and distribute their product.

We headed back toward downtown to see if we could fit in a stop at the Pabst Mansion. Built in the last 1800s for Captain Frederick Pabst, this beautiful home is in need of (and getting) some needed maintenance. Built with features well ahead of it's time, this home is still a valued piece of Milwaukee. We were too late to go inside but the care given to the exterior shows that this property will be around for a while.

We returned to Miller Park to see the Brewers host the Houston Astros. As a Cub fan, I was hoping to see the Astros win. The walk through our parking lot was filled with the aroma of various meats being grilled. We stopped at the statues outside the stadium honoring two of the greats who played in Milwaukee: Henry Aaron and Robin Yount. Once we were inside and near our seats, we scored a couple of ball park polish sausages with onions, I added saurkraut to mine... mmmm.

By the end of the first inning, we'd seen Bernie the Brewer mascot take his slide down from his chalet to celebrate Prince Fielder's three run homer. In the second, we saw him again when Ryan Braun hit his three run homer. After the sixth inning, we enjoyed a very close race between the Klement Sausages; Guido, the Italian Sausage, edged out Frankie Furter at the tape. In the end, the Brewers won too, fourteen to two.

Exploring Milwaukee

Tuesday, we started with a walk around Marquette University. Students were moving between classes so the hustle and bustle of college life was all around us. It was a beautiful day so, as classes started, students were scattered at various benches and tables, enjoying one of the great remaining days of summer.

In the upper left image, you see the Gesu Church, spiritual center of the university. A little deeper into the campus, we found Dali's The Madonna of Port Lligat at the Haggerty Museum of Art. There we also saw the bronze copy of Michelangelo's sculpture Pieta among a number of fine paintings in their permanent collection. We moved west across the heart of the campus to a nice statue of Marquette and beyond, the Joan of Arc Chapel. We stepped inside the chapel and found a young woman sitting in apparent prayer. It was a nice setting for silent contemplation and communion.

Our lunch plan meant a drive of a few miles north and east to Solly's Grille. Click here to see the video that sparked my curiosity in this butter burger. As we worked our way toward Solly's, we passed through some very beautiful old stone homes along the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan.

Soon we were seated at one of Solly's twin horseshoe counters, chatting with other diners, waiting for our butter burgers. They arrived as advertised, butter running over the side of the meat, soaking into the bottom bun. It was tasty... and a wee bit messy. It's a sandwich that can get a bit slippery if you don't tend to the business of eating. After lunch, we headed a few blocks north to Kopp's Frozen Custard... mmmm, creamy.

After our tasty, filling lunch, we made our way back down the streets along the lake shore. They didn't always afford us a view of the lake but we did get to see this great old water tower. A switchback street winds it's way down to the lake from the base of the tower. A short drive along the beaches brought us to the McKinley Marina where we paused to get a couple pictures and a quick drink of water.

Another mile or so down the shore brought us to the Milwaukee Art Museum. We parked in the small parking garge beneath the museum and were impressed with the natural light that illuminated the space very nicely. Once inside, we were treated to wonderful works of architecture and art.

The large image that makes up the right side of this image is the entry hall. Overlooking the lake, and beneath the great white wings we'd watched open and close the day before, this is a striking space. Along the right side of the hall, a colorful Dale Chihuly glass sculpture stands, practically challenging us to find an angle where the photo does justice to the delicate explosion of color. As we moved down the long hall to the north of the entry hall, the triangular dividers along the long wall of windows overlooking the lake invited more photos. Finally we were in the display halls and enjoyed the varied displays.

After the museum, we drive a mile or so further down the shoreline to the Red Candle lighthouse at the mouth of the Milwaukee River.

On our way to dinner, we took the riverwalk and strolled Old World Third Avenue. Usinger's Sausage shop and the Wisconsin Cheese Mart were two nice landmark buildings in this well preserved portion of the city.

Along this stretch, we ran across a marker commemorating the formation of the American League and the Chicago White Stockings baseball team that later became the Chicago White Sox.

Arriving in Milwaukee

Linda and I drove into Milwaukee Labor Day afternoon. The drive had been nice and there was still plenty of time to see a few things.

The first thing along the route was the Milwaukee Mile at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. As we drove by, we saw cars on the track, something was going on. We pulled in and made our way to the stands just as people were coming down. Since the event was actually over, nobody was there to ask for a ticket so we climbed the stands and got a nice view of the facility.

I'd heard of the track as part of the Indy Racing League and NASCAR Truck and Busch racing. I read the following on Wikipedia.

The Milwaukee Mile’s premier distinction is as the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, hosting at least one auto race every year since 1903.

We left the Mile and went on to the lake shore. The breeze was nice as we walked. One of the attractions in Milwaukee is their art museum and part of that is due to the building itself. As you can see in the images to the right, it's a striking white building with wings. We paused to take photos and again found our timing was again very fortunate. As we watched, the "wings" began to fold; it was five o'clock and the museum was closing. It was a pretty nice thing to have been present to see actually happen. We later learned that the wings open each morning with the museum, close and reopen at noon, and then close at five (or wind speed reaches twenty three miles per hour) nightly.

We got checked in to the hotel and took a stroll to see the city. German immigrants were attracted to the city in the mid 1800s and continued to arrive for many years. Many of the buildings have features that show european influences. One of the newer attractions downtown in the riverwalk. We took it on our way to a restaurant one of Linda's friends had recommended, the Water Street Brewery. In a town known as Brew City, it makes sense that you'd find a lot of breweries.

On our walk back to the hotel, we were crossed the Wisconsin Avenue bridge and learned about Gertie the Duck, Symbol of Hope.

A war-ravaged world in 1945 took time out from the stress of dealing with the death and destruction of World War II to watch as a duck hatched her young on a bridge piling in Milwaukee.

It's a nice story and there's a monument to Gertie and her ducklings on that bridge.

Shakin' up the I-80 Truckstop

Linda and I stopped by the I-80 Kitchen at the I-80 Truckstop near Walcott, Iowa to try their apple dumpling. We took our seats at the far end of the horseshoe counter and listened to the truckers talk about various loads and destinations. When our waitress carried our dumplings, complete with two scoops of cinnamon ice cream, through the chatting drivers, each in turn paused, speechless, watching it pass by.

"What was that?!"

"That ain't right."

When I took the photo, one of the truckers said "You gotta take a picture of that!" and chuckled. We smiled and enjoyed another one of the 100 Things You Must Eat in Iowa.

Visiting the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Herber Hoover, thirty-first president of the United States of America, was also the first President to be born west of the Mississippi River. Today, the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch, Iowa, is a handsome site that includes his birthplace, presidential library, and final resting place. The setting has been very well preserved and truly is quite attractive. While we were there, we saw several people in period appropriate attire. When we asked, they explained that this was one of several living history days at the site. While we didn't get to stay long, it was apparent why this would be one of the 100 Places to Visit in Iowa.

Reporting the California Results

#2 Overdue 436 vs. 315 #3 Desert Denny
#5 Blue Bayou 361 vs. 530! #1 Bear Down Racing
#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 382 vs. 253 #4 halffastracing

Well... my team produced a LOT of points. Jimmie finished first, Kyle finished third, and Jeff finished fourth. Each got their five bonus points for leading a lap. Kyle got five more for leading the most laps. At one point in the race, they were one, two, three and had produced the maximum of 540. Wow! It's still just one win...

#6 Red Neck Racing Academy 17-8
#4 halffastracing 16-9
#5 Blue Bayou 14-11
#2 Overdue 12-13
#1 Bear Down Racing 10-15
#3 Desert Denny 6-19

Wrapping up the season at Principal Park

As my brother says, it's hard to beat fun at the old ballpark. Opportunities were running out to see the ICubs this season so Linda and I headed out to see them one last time.

The game was a close pitcher's duel and went to extra innings tied at one. In the top of the tenth, Omaha scored and the Cubs couldn't match it.

Throughout the game, we visited several of the general admission areas including a fairly new area over the scoreboard. Kids were having a good time keeping cool in the fountain area down the first base foul line. It's a nice park and was a pretty good game. Hopefully, the ICubs that were called up can help the big Cubs in their stretch drive and the playoffs.

Learning at a Civil War Demonstration

Last weekend, Linda and I headed south for Lamoni's 5th Annual Civil War Days. Neither Linda nor I are great Civil War buffs but the day was beautiful and it looked like an interesting event.

When we arrived, we wandered through the neutral camp site. Medical services, food preparation, musicians, tonic salemen, and other period appropriate non-combatants were conveniently located between the battlefield and the parking area.

We walked along a tree line to the near camp, the Confederate camp. While the cannons were quiet, we looked over the field, wandered among the tents, and watched as the bugler issued a call to prepare. The cannons were primed and prepared and cavalry scouts got their order to search for the enemy. Soldiers and their families prepared for the coming fight with hugs, kisses, and "be careful out there." Infantrymen gathered near their weapons in the shade... just in case.

As it was becoming apparent that something would be happening soon and not really wanting to be quite that close to it, we returned to the spectator area. One of the very interesting aspects of this display was the announcer explaining what we were seeing on the field. While the action was not scripted, there were certain very recognizable activities and tactics that were being shown and he was able clue us in to how the battle was flowing.

From our vantage point, we could see the Union pickets set out to provide the alarm should confederate troops get near their camp. They looked pretty bored until the opposing cavalry came within sight. Then it was a shot, a shout, and they were skedaddling for camp. The confederate cavalry pressed the issue ... right up to the point where they came within range of the Union cannons. Alerted by the shouts and gunfire, the cannons were prepared and opened fire with a startling salvo that caused the rebs to check up and reconsider. The Confederate cannons joined the battle as the cavalry probed the Union right flank. When they found the Union had moved a mountain howitzer into that position, the call "rally at the guns" was made and they headed back to their own cannon battery.

While the cavalry had been feeling their way along the Union line, the Confederate infantry had been moving under the cover of their cannons and claimed the rail fence for cover. From that position, they'd halted the Union cavalry's pursuit of the Confederates and put pressure on the Union front. With that position secure, they rolled up troops on their right side to pressure and contain the Union. With the rest of the front secured, they sent infantry to deal with that mountain howitzer. Creeping forward and flattening to the ground when the howitzer fired, they got into position to rush the gun. Luckily the Union soldiers "spiked" or disabled the gun so the rebs couldn't turn in on the Union camp.

The Union cannons kept the boys in gray at bay for a while. It wasn't long before the Union commanders saw they were in a bad spot and finally surrendered their camp. Both armies marched past our location on the way to their prison camp. An impressive volley of musket fire was shot off to assure that the weapons were no longer a danger. Commanders debriefed their troops, congratulating them on their victory, commending them for following orders, and finally releasing them to chat with the audience.

When Linda and I spoke with a few of the participants, we learned that the numbers this year were double that of last year. Last year, there weren't enough mounted cavalry to demonstrate a real action but there are six more horses and riders preparing to join in next year. Having the narrator was also very uncommon but truly a huge benefit for those who don't know how these battles were run.

Linda and I agreed that the event was excellent and looks to continue to improve in the coming years.

Trying the tacos at Henry J's

I can't count the number of times I'd driven down Southwest Ninth past Henry J's and wondered if they did any business; I now know they do. Recently, Linda ran across an article that described the author taking a friend to Henry J's for tacos and enchiladas. The article sounded favorable so Linda asked me if I'd ever been. When I had her drive past, she understood how I could have passed all these years. It doesn't have the polished look that most restaurants have today.

We stopped in and enjoyed a couple of tasty, crispy flour tacos. The decor included four black velvet bullfighter themed paintings on the wall and a large oscolating fan on the wall behind the counter. A steady stream of customers stopped in while we ate; I'm guessing regulars because they didn't pause to consider the menu before stepping to the counter. It was a nice introduction to a southside landmark.

Whoopin' it up at the Dayton Rodeo, 70th Edition

After having had such a good time at the rodeo in Sidney, Linda and I were game to head up to see the Dayton version. Having read the directions and checked Google Earth, we found our way easily to the town but were startled when we saw the tiers of bleachers that overlooked the arena floor. The rodeo took place on the flat at the bottom of a steep bluff; at wide intervals up the bluff were three rows of bleachers. At the top, the lights of the carnival were already twinkling and twirling, adding to the festive mood. We bought our tickets and made our way down the steps to the lowest tier.

They had all the normal events and the livestock won their fair share. The people running the affair did a fine job but it was all just a half step below what we'd seen in Sidney. Don't get me wrong, they know how it's done and the bulls and broncs hit hard, the calves were fast, and I'm sure the arena floor was no softer. It just wasn't as polished as Sidney.

There were at least four things that really did catch our attention. First, the setting. That's a unique and well suited place for an event like rodeo.

Second, the littlest rodeo queen and her pony. This girl was probably no more than junior high age and her pony was pretty feisty. When they were introduced and paraded at the beginning of the show, it was almost a saddle bronc event. That girl got things under control but probably turned one of the fastest laps of the parade! Throughout the steer wrestling and roping events, she and the two older queens would ride out to herd the calves and steers off the floor. Every once in a while, that pony would test her again and they'd go for some pretty interesting turns; each time, she regained control but it was often cause for a chuckle or a smile.

The third thing was an impressive display of man and beast. Shotgun Rodney, featured clown, rode Doc Holliday, a fine example of Brahma Bull, into the arena and onto the platform you see in the photo. He then had Doc lay down, get back up and weave back and forth through a line of flaming torches so close that they knocked on over. Doc then carried Shotgun through an arch of fire, up a ramp to the top of their semi-tractor where he knelt in a beefy bow. Rodney rode Doc back down that ramp and through the arch of fire one more before they took their bows. I was impressed that the bull would get as close to fire as he did and that he'd go down an incline as steep as the one on the truck. Shotgun's done a nice job training that bull.

Fourth and finally, they had the Wild Horse Race. I'd never seen an event like this one. It's not for the timid! I think there were eight teams made of up three burly men. Each team had a saddle, a rope, and a horse at the end of that rope. The horses started inside the chutes where the bulls and broncs start. There was a chalk line about fifteen feet from the chutes and another chalk line three quarters of the way across the arena. The idea is to get your horse across the first line, saddle him up, and ride him across the second line.

We saw that the horses are none too keen on the idea. Just having one team do it would be exciting / dangerous enough; putting several in the arena at the same time makes it really dicey. Three men versus one horse is a probably about as balanced as you could make it and have anyone accomplish the goal. As it was, there were teams that didn't finish in the allotted time and had pretty well written it off.

One of the more subtle equalizers was that the man that got on the saddle had no reigns to direct the horse and was climbing into a saddle that may not have been put on the horse under the best conditions... okay, it was really rushed and from time to time was kinda loose... not a good thing for a saddle. They tend to turn around to the side of the horse. That's not how you want to be riding a horse. For those who did get the saddle on properly, it became a saddle bronc event... without the rope... it's amazing that anyone makes it to the finish line. Some did.

Rodeo is quite a thing for the somewhat familiar. Rooted in what people did, often because it just needed to be done, it's quite a show today.

Friday Construction Photo #20

The steel keeps rising. Done on the left, it's going up on the right. Not much else visible is going on. It won't be many more weeks before the skeleton will be in place.

Checking out the Lunar Eclipse

Monday night, Linda and I talked about the upcoming lunar eclipse. It was due to begin at about four a.m., earlier than either of us were really interested in getting up but... if either of us were to find ourselves awake at that hour, we could call the other and catch a peek. If we were really ambitious, we might go to one of the nearby parks with a lake and see if we could get a shot across the water.

At three o'clock, I woke up and looked outside. It was a crystal clear morning and the moon looked huge and full. I took a few practice photos and figured out how to get a decent looking shot. Wide awake, I took off for the park to see if there was a shot. At four o'clock, there was a smudge in the upper left corner. The park was gated and locked so tromping around the lake to get the right view was not gonna happen. Maffitt reservoir could work though... I called Linda and said "Look outside." She could see it and wondered what I was thinking. "I'm thinking Maffitt... and I'm not very far from your place. Wanna go?" She was in. I picked her up as the moon was about half covered.

We arrived at Maffitt and walked through the tall grass to get down near the water. There wasn't going to be much of a shot with the water but getting away from city lights had helped with the moon. I took several photos, adjusting to the changing lighting as the earth's shadow crept across the face of the moon. We'd heard that the moon would likely turn red as it went completely into shadow; we saw it happen. It was pretty impressive to see.

A couple minutes after the moon was pretty well covered, we heard the howl of a coyote far down our side of the lake. Linda and I looked at one another with raised eyebrows. That was interesting. Then came an answer from about a third of the way closer to where we were. Even more interesting! Then the third howl came from somewhere half way between us and the second howl. They were all talking and Linda and I were wondering if we'd be hearing another close to our location. We didn't need to hear one to decide it was probably not a bad time to head back to town.

The image above is actually several individual photos layered over one another show the progression as I saw it. The interval between shots varied from a few seconds to several minutes. Camera settings and locations also changed greatly between shots. All in all, it's fun to have put this together.

Going for a spin with some classic cars

The spin wasn't IN a classic car. Rather, the spin was on the Heritage Carousel at Union Park. The Heritage Carousel of Des Moines project was initiated by J. C. "Buz" Brenton, retired president of Brenton Banks, supported by The Des Moines Carousel Foundation. The carousel is now in it's tenth season at the park and has a lively events calendar. The "Cruise to the Carousel," 7th Annual Rollin’ Relics Annual Car Show, was what we were actually there to see but the carousel proved irresistable. There was a pretty steady stream of people visiting the carousel.

We went up to take a closer look and found that the art work and music were really quite nice. There are a variety of animals to ride including a cat who learned the hard way that a pirate's life is not an easy one. We also both noticed that each of the horses has a very nice, realistic horsehair tail. Around the top of the carousel are scenes of central Iowa, some historic, most you can still see today. For those who're wondering, yes, Linda and I took a ride. I took this video from atop my horse.



A lot of care went into the production of what has become a featured piece of this park and, apparently, a focal point for the neighborhood.

Yes, there actually were cars at this car show. While I'm not a real car guy, I do enjoy seeing the work that people have poured into some of the classic cars of days gone by. Many of these cars didn't look this good when they were new but now they're real beauties.

Checking out the Glendale Mausoleum, Des Moines Landmark

After our loop around the lake, Linda and I felt like having breakfast at the Waveland. Parking is often a challenge at the Waveland. Seeing no place to park in our first pass, we rolled up on the block and paused so that I could get this shot of the Glendale Mausoleum. Personally, the Waveland Golf Course or Cafe would make more sense as a landmark along this stretch of University but I'm not the one with the offical seal.