Playing with my camera: Ice Storm

We've had a bit of ice this year. I don't really see the need for ice when we get the cold and snow but I liked the way that it clung to the some twigs so I took a few shots.

Watching the Drake Men win their Regency Classic Tourney

Linda and I stopped by the Knapp Center to see the Drake Men's basketball team in the championship game of the Drake Regency Classic. Coming into the game at 8-1 with a win over Iowa State, the Bulldogs were on a roll. Texas-Pan American, 6-5, had won their opening round game and would meet the 'dogs.

The game was fairly balanced but Drake did manage to pull away on a few turnovers converted to three point shots. Over the course of the game, Drake maintained an advantage in every statistic and, predictably finished leading in the most important stat, score, 83-55.

I expect that Linda and I will be stopping in to see these 'dogs again.

Checking out the Seventh Annual Big Wheel Rally

Neither Linda nor I had ever heard of the first six Big Wheel Rallies but, when we heard about the seventh, we thought it could be an interesting outing. The promo said to be there by eleven; when we called, they said the rally would roll out around two. We learned that, if you want to be sure to get a parking place and table in the bar, be there at eleven.

We arrived around noon and were impressed when we saw the number and variety of wheeled contraptions apparently entered in the rally. Most had the three wheel, low slung look that reminded me of the namesake vehicles of my youth; few, if any, were unmodified. Lucky for us, there were still a couple of parking places left. By the time we got out of the car, the last spots were gone.

We roamed around the staging area admiring the varied themes and modifications. The A-Team had a four seater complete with stereo. Several big wheels had cardboard box bodies attached; a group of those had paint jobs that looked like NASCAR. As we approached the door, a group of Tele-tubbies arrived. Costumes were part of this gig...

It was when we stepped inside the bar that we really got immersed in the party that is the Big Wheel Rally. In the corner, a band was blasting out unfamiliar tunes. We saw several varieties of costume: elves, corrections officers and inmates, the A-Team, and a half dozen penguins to name only a few. We pulled up a couple of stools at a hightop table near the tee shirt table. The next couple hours were going to be interesting...

As the appointed hour approached awards were given and the real reason for the event was disclosed. The organizers presented a check for five thousand dollars to a children's medical program. Very nice. Formalities dispensed with, we headed outside.

The A-Team hit the play button on their stereo and blasted their theme song as they went through some pretty cheesy poses for their "adoring fans" to snap a few photos. Others moved to their rides and got in position to descend the icy driveway down to Ingersol Avenue. I looked for police to block the normally busy street but none were in sight; instead, members of the party, some in costume, took up position in the near lane and routed traffic to the center lane. The word was given and down they went! It was quite a show as they rolled / slid down the hill, onto Ingersol, and down the block. When they got to the next bar, they made their left hand turn across oncoming traffic and safely into the new parking lot. It was entertaining (and a little scary) to watch.

Geocaching with Linda!

Through a couple of co-workers, I've become a bit involved in a sport called geocaching. Because of the technology involved, it's been called hide and seek for nerds. The following is the definition on the geocaching website.

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache.

My co-workers and I looked on the website and found a downtown site, close enough that we could try it over our lunch hour. We found the first site had a clue to the next site... and another. Finally, we found a tupperware container with the log of those who'd also found their way to the site. Also, we found the little jeep in the picture; that tag attached to it has a number on the other side and, when entered into the website, you find that it's been a few places around town. A couple weeks later, we went out and found another site that had ornaments for the taking. Fun!

Since I'd had a little success and talked about it with Linda, it was just a matter of time before I'd have to take her out to try one. Recent snow made it a little more challenging but we gave it a shot. In the image, she's looking for a tag that she did find. When we looked at the back, we found the GPS coordinates to another site. We moved on to the next site and Linda had her first find. I'm guessing we'll be doing some more of this in days to come.

Enjoying Christmas by Candlelight

Linda and I visited the Living History Farms Christmas by Candlelight event this year. Many of the village businesses and homes were open and the citizens provided a cheery welcome and Christmas wishes. While the evening was cold, lantern light warmed the view of the street. Inside the church was a choir that included one of Linda's friends. They were singing a nice variety of period appropriate arrangements of songs of the season. It was a very nice evening.

Shooting the Hamilton County Courthouse

Webster City is the county seat of Hamilton County and this is their courthouse. Located on the south edge of town, this courthouse was actually startlingly easy to find. We'd just pulled off the US 20 bypass of Webster City and, there on the right, was the clearly labelled courthouse! Piece of cake!

Shooting the Webster County Courthouse

Fort Dodge is the county seat of Webster County and this is their courthouse. Located among several large buildings downtown, it wasn't the easiest thing to find. Fort Dodge is big enough and has a downtown big enough that the courthouse more or less fits in with the rest.

Shooting the Fort Dodge Carnegie Library

The Carnegie library in Fort Dodge is currently listed as privately owned. This building has the look of municipal service and establishment, solid. This is the first library I've encountered with the C above the entrance.

Shooting the Humbolt Carnegie Library

The Carnegie Library appears to be in fine condition and actively used. It was nice to find it between the main business district and a park. I have to imagine that many downtown business people and kids from the park have stopped by the library on their way to or from their activity of the day.

Shooting the Humboldt County Courthouse

Dakota City is the county seat of Humboldt County and this is their courthouse. This courthouse was a little tricky to find due to the somewhat challenging access to the community. Dakota City is listed as the smallest county seat in the state and shares a border with the relatively large community of Humboldt. After exploring a little of the area, I'm only aware of one way into Dakota City and one way out... and they're separated by nearly a mile. It was tricky navigating. Located on a bluff overlooking the Des Moines River, this courthouse holds a place of prominence in the community.

I've learned that journalist Harry Reasoner was born and buried in Dakota City. In between, he helped shape the landscape of modern journalism as one of the network anchors of his day. He then moved on to even larger pursuit.

Reasoner's greatest contribution to television news reporting came in 1968, when he teamed up with Mike Wallace to begin the 60 Minutes newsmagazine series. -- Wikipedia

The aggressive investigative reporting style at the center of that program often created a sense of fear in when the reporters showed up... which made for the following:

An editorial cartoon the day after his death showed Reasoner arriving at the Pearly Gates, with a startled St. Peter crying, "Oh, no! It's 60 Minutes!" -- Wikipedia

Shooting the Algona Carnegie Library

Algona has built a new library so finding their Carnegie library was a little challenging. Fortunately, we saw one of the community elders sprinkling salt on his icy sidewalk and asked where the old library could be found. He made sure we knew about the new library and that we really meant the old library. Assured we knew what we were looking for, he gave us directions that brought us to the building in the photo. Not seeing any of the usual indicators of a Carnegie library, we were a bit skeptical and took a drive around the block. Finally, above a basement entrance on the right side of the building, we found a sign indicating we had the right place.

Trying to see the Nativity built by German Prisoners of War

The main reason Linda and I swung by Algona the day after a dangerous winter storm swept through the area was to see a nativity built by German prisoners of war during World War II. Unfortunately, we found it locked. The hours posted indicated that it should have been open but, as we assumed at the time, the weather kept those responsible for opening the site home. We did learn a little about the story at their website.

Finding another Sullivan Jewel Box

When we saw it, we recognized the style and had reason to believe that it had, at some point in its life, served as a bank. I'd seen it listed among Sullivan's Jewel Box Banks on the Grinnell website. I've since come to understand that the Henry Adams Building has never actually been a bank. That said, it's still considered one of the Jewel Box buildings, generally banks, Louis Sullivan designed in the early 1900s.

The Prairie School style planters at the entrance are missing in the photo on the Grinnell website. I don't know if these are reproductions or the original pieces but they are interesting accents. I'm glad they're back.

Another design aspect that appears to have carried over from the Peoples Savings Bank in Cedar Rapids is the use of multicolored bricks. We didn't stop to count the distinct colors but did recognize and appreciate the effect.

Shooting the Kossuth County Courthouse

Algona is the county seat of Kossuth County and this is their courthouse. Located at the west end of the old main drag through town, this courthouse was not easy to find. We came into town from the northeast and had a tough time even finding the downtown area. When we did, it still wasn't clear just where to go for the courthouse. Once we found it, the name on the side made it clear we were in the right place.

Shooting the Winnebago County Courthouse

Forest City is the county seat of Winnebago County and this is their courthouse. Located atop a hill overlooking the main north-south road through town, it was easy to find. For the first time we've seen, the war memorial on the courthouse grounds is in color; most are stone or metal but this appears to have been painted at some point. Interesting. Another first is that Forest City is a city in both Hancock and Winnebago Counties; unlike many county seats, rather than being near the center of the county, Forest City straddles the county line.

Shooting the Hancock County Courthouse

Garner is the county seat of Hancock County and this is their courthouse. Located on the main north-south street through town, it was easy to find.

As we were passing through town, we got to see a few interesting sights. One of the more entertaining was a pair of boys and their dogs on the ice crusted snow. The boys were sliding around and stomping on the ice. One of the dogs would take a cautious step or two, slip a bit, regain his balance, and pause before moving again. The other dog just kept his feet in place, watching the others slip and slide, tail wagging to match the energy of the boys. It was a nice after-storm scene.

The other scene was also aftermath of the storm: the cleanup. Apparently, Garner policy is to move all the snow downtown to the middle of the street where it can be loaded onto trucks to be hauled to the snow pile. As we waited for the loading process to finish, I took this shot. As the truck pulled away, another just like it pulled up just outside my window; time to go!

Puttin' on the camo'

The main reason we braved the elements was to come help celebrate Linda's brother's fiftieth birthday. Hunting is a major pasttime for him (and many of his friends) so we were instructed to wear whatever camoflage we could. Between us, we had nothing so we went out and picked up a couple of sweatshirts for the gig. We fit right in and it was a good time.

One of the fun aspects of this party was the variety of garments that people showed up in. Many jackets, pants, gloves, and sweatshirts were seen. Several caps had camoflage themes, one with the "G" of the Green Bay Packers. (Evidently deer aren't frightened by the Packers either.)

We also learned that a number of the hunters had been successful earlier in the day and the deer that would normally be hanging in the garage, our party location, were hanging in the shed instead.

Linda had alerted me to not assume that any meat served had come from the corner grocery story. More likely, it had be harvested by someone at the party. It was all good to me! Quite a good time was had by all.

Shooting the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse

Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County and this is their courthouse. Linda was driving and I never really got oriented well enough to have much idea where this courthouse is found. I believe it's located on a main street through town but would only be guessing if I tried to tell you now. As you can see, this building is more modern than many that we've encountered.

Enjoying the MacNider Art Gallery

Another of the 100 Places in Iowa, the MacNider Art Gallery in Mason City is a real treat. Located just around the corner from the library and on the edge of the Rock Glen neighborhood, the setting is really quite nice. The building itself is interesting but the contents are also interesting viewing.

One of the surprises I found inside was a large number of Bil Baird puppets. Several were familiar from television and movies like The Lonely Goatherd in The Sound of Music. Bil grew up in Mason City.

Visiting the Rock Glen Neighborhood

Another of the Register's 100 Places, the Rock Glen neighborhood of Mason City is the largest concentration of Prairie School architecture in one location outside of Oak Park, Illinois. Set along the sides of this creek are several great examples that I didn't photograph. Hey, it was still raining freezing rain, sleet, and snow! I'll go back for a better shot some day.

Shooting the Mason City Carnegie Library

Mason City's Carnegie Library has gone on to a new career housing an engineering firm and an architectural office. No wonder it's so well maintained!

In 1939, the city built a new library that has continued serving the community well. Linda showed me around the new building and shared fond memories of visites in years past with her then young children. Set on a bluff overlooking a river, the new library felt warm and inviting.

Visiting Music Man Square

According to Wikipedia, Meredith Willson is Mason City's "Favorite Son." As such, he's been honored by the city with a streetscape and shopping center that made the list of 100 Places in Iowa. Located just up the street from his boyhood home, Music Man Square is a nice tribute. Unfortunately, at the time we were there, it wasn't open for us to fully experience. Fortunately, Linda had been there and, as we peered in through the large glass doors, she was able to fill in information about what was behind the storefronts. It's my understanding that it's a popular place for various receptions and gatherings.

Travelling to Mason City

In one of those classic examples of "Do as I say, not as I do," Linda and I set out on a cross country trip at the onset of what was predicted to be a potentially extremely dangerous ice storm. As you can see in the pictures, we did run into ice. We stopped about every fifteen miles to scrape the windshield and windows to be able to proceed. At the time, it didn't seem so bad. We didn't see anyone off the highway until we were exiting and that was the only one we saw. Traffic was lighter than normal but there were people out moving around, several faster than us.

Christmas with Wartburg

Linda and I opened the Christmas season with an evening at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines to enjoy the Christmas with Wartburg show. Linda has connections with Wartburg College and has made the Christmas concert part of her tradition. Of course, my connections with Linda now make it part of my tradition as well.

The choir and orchestra were both on stage and performed in various combinations throughout the evening. On two occasions, the audience was invited to join in with a couple of familiar carols; I think we did alright.

One particular treat was when Simon Estes was featured. For many years now, Des Moines has had an amphitheatre named for the Centerville native. While there have been occasions to have heard him before, I hadn't before this show.

Enjoying the Iowa Energy Home Opener

A few months ago, Linda and I heard about the new National Basketball Association Developmental League team coming to Iowa and mentioned that it could be fun to see them some time. When the home opener for the Iowa Energy came up on an open night, it was automatic; we were going!

We stepped inside and quickly picked up on the energy of the place. The floor looked great and there was a good crowd building. Before heading for our seats, we took a lap around the arena to people watch and check out the various vendors. Curiosity satisfied, we headed for our seats. They were third row up from the floor alongside the tunnel to and from the locker rooms; nice!

Pregame activities started and various dignitaries were introduced. Our mascot, Surge, was officially introduced; I'm not sure I'm a fan of his look but they didn't ask me; for what it's worth, he does have a decent jump shot and can dribble with those big, gloved hands. League president, Dan Reed, shared a few words and announced that we'd set a new record for franchise opening night with 8,800 tickets sold. One face that was a little more surprising was Jerry Krause, former General Manager of the Chicago Bulls.

The game was entertaining and the Energy built and maintained a decent lead through the first half. In the second half, Albequerque took and maintained the lead into the closing minutes. The Energy had been gaining ground and remained a threat. A couple of turnovers and easy baskets closed the gap to five. The crowd was on their feet as the energy force a couple of poor shots and worked their offense to take the lead. In the end, the Energy won 101-98. Pretty fun!

Checking out Semmel

The list of 100 Things You Must Eat made Linda and me aware of the Görtz Haus Gallery in Grimes. Linda and a girl friend went up to see their art display and try the German bread roll from the list called semmel. Linda was good enough to bring me a roll AND a sample of her friend's mother's raspberry jam. I tried the combination and it was GREAT! The bread was slightly sweet with a soft, fluffy texture with a slighly chewy, crispy crust. I had to put forth a little effort to get a bite but, when I did, it was delicious.

I looked up what made semmel semmel and found that the name is simply based on Bavaria word for bread roll. It's my understanding that there are a few distinctive aspects in how it should be prepared like it was in Germany. I looked on the web and found a couple of recipes; one by those folks from the Upper Pennisula of Michigan, UPers, Yoopers. Given our experience with the pastie maker in Madison, I have to caution that the Yoopers are not universally considered to have the corner on authentic recipes for food from the Old Country.

That said, I found that some say that semmel are usually produced as conjoined pairs of rolls, some appear to connect them with a strand of dough. I don't remember the one that I got having any sign of connection to another... but I did get mine through an intervening party.

Shooting the Jasper County Courthouse

Newton is the county seat of Jasper County and this is their courthouse. Decorated for the holidays and located in the town square, it was easy to locate.

The relationship between Newton and Jasper County may be coincidental but, as I read a bit about William Jasper, namesake for the county, there may be a connection.

Evidently, Mason Locke Weems, also known as Parson Weems, wrote a somewhat fictional history of various characters from our revolutionary war. Jasper, real life sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, was recorded alongside mythical character John Newton at the failed Seige of Savannah in 1779. There appears to be some difference of opinion about Newton's contribution but, thanks to the popular account presented by Weems, his star rose and a number of states have adjacent counties named Newton and Jasper.

Giving Thanks

This year, the kids arrived Wednesday evening with their friends to spend Thanksgiving. Linda was over to spend time with everyone as they arrived before heading north to spend time with her family. The weather was a chilly and snowy so I prepared a pot of soup that was well received. I'd also used my bread maker to prepare a loaf of herb bread that was also a tasty hit. We settled in to chat and enjoy a variety of snack items.

Thursday morning, I awoke to the smell of fresh baked cinnamon raisin bread that had baked overnight; nice. I heated up the tea kettle and got started on the turkey. One by one, the kids wandered out to have a cup, pitch in from time to time, and generally just be.

Everything went surprisingly well ... until I got to the point where I needed to get the turkey out of the roaster; when I lifted the bird, the legs fell off. So much for presentation! Oh well, it still tasted good. Everyone had a good meal with good company and had a moment to appreciate the opportunity.

Soon all were headed off to other family opportunities or to be sure to get home safely. It was a good Thanksgiving.

Reporting the Homestead Results

#1 Bear Down Racing 401 vs. 256 #2 Overdue
#3 Desert Denny 360 vs. 405 #6 Red Neck Racing Academy
#5 Blue Bayou 327 vs. 503 #4 halffastracing

#6 Red Neck Racing Academy was 22-13; won; finishes 23-13
#5 Blue Bayou was 20-15; lost; finishes 20-16
#1 Bear Down Racing was 18-17; won; finishes 19-17
#4 halffastracing was 18-17; won; finishes 19-17
#2 Overdue was 18-17; lost; finishes 18-18
#3 Desert Denny was 9-26; lost; finishes 9-27

It's over and I took third! My string of wins and Overdue's string of losses made for the unlikely order of finish.

Jimmie Johnson didn't win the race but did successfully defend his championship.

Stopping off at That Place Restaurant

On our way home from the UNI game, Linda and I stopped at the That Place Restaurant near Conrad, Iowa. Their Black Dirt Cake had made the Register's 100 Things In Iowa You Must Eat and, since we were going right past the place, it made sense to stop and try a piece. When we arrived, it was very nearly closing time so we ordered a piece to go. The hostess was more than happy to package up a piece for us to try. As we waited, a couple of patrons in the bar area noticed Linda's UNI sweatshirt and asked how the Panthers had done. They were pleased when we shared the news of another Panther mauling. Our cake arrived and we headed home to enjoy our cake.

Shooting the Grundy County Courthouse

Grundy Center is the county seat for Grundy County and this is their courthouse. Located along the main highway through town, it was easy to find, even at night. Again, there's a small Statue of Liberty on the grounds, far left in the photo.

Checking out UNI Women's Volleyball

Next door to the UNI-Dome sits the McLeod Center, home court for the UNI Panther Women's Volleyball team. Having never seen either before and being in the neighborhood, Linda and I stopped over to see a couple of games after watching the football game. A couple of Linda's long-time friends were there so Linda got to chat while I took a few photos of the very nice facility and some of the action on the court. It really was a nice venue for the sport and the teams appeared to be playing pretty well. Of course, having not followed the sport, my opinion may not be the best to go by.

Returning to the UNI-Dome

The University of Northern Iowa Panther football team went into their last game with their national #1 ranking intact and Linda and I wanted to see them finish their season undefeated. It was also a decent excuse to get back up to the Dome. We'd seen the Panthers win at Drake and Iowa State so seeing them at the Dome would complete the trifecta.

The game went pretty well in line with our expectations. I'd heard that Southern Utah, while winless, had played teams tough against higher quality teams. They started out moving the ball and keeping the Panthers in check early. As time went on, they were unable to keep UNI in check and the final score was 48-10, UNI. It was a nice way to wrap up the season and send the team into their playoffs.