Spending an evening at Pricipal Park

It's been said before but I'll say it again, it's hard to beat a night at the old ball park. Principal Park is set in such a great location that it really makes for a special night; I really like to bring my camera to capture some of the great images as well as the play on the field. The view of the capitol that the batter sees stepping into the box near sunset is great. Sunset from the right field bleachers is also a great one. Friday night fireworks makes for just one more opportunity to pull out the camera. The ICubs put seven on the board to Omaha's two so it was a fine night all the way around.

Playing with my camera: Catching a window peeper

As I was taking my shower, I looked out the window. On the window sill was this little guy. I finished my shower and grabbed my camera. I was a little surprised that the shot was still there but, as you can see, I got a nice shot of my little visitor.

Going to the Drake-Upper Iowa Football Game

It's time for football! Linda and I opened our 2008 football experience at one of our favorite venues: Drake Stadium. The Upper Iowa University Peacocks came to town to test the new Bulldogs... and did a fine job of it! The home team got off to a slow start and was quickly trailing 0-10. The defense tightened up and the offense got back on track by the end of the first half. An Upper Iowa fumble was recovered and run in by the Bulldogs to put Drake ahead 14-10 at the half.

The second half opened with the Peacocks scoring a field goal; Drake answered with a field goal of their own a few minutes later. The game was a great defensive battle into the fourth quarter. With only a few minutes remaining, Drake was forced to punt. Upper Iowa took over possession on their own 24 with 1:47 left to play. Ten quick plays later, the had first and ten on the Drake 32 with 0:35 on the clock; plenty of time and closing in on field goal range. The Peacocks passed over the middle to the Drake 13 where Bulldog Andy Green was covering his man. Green dove in front of the pass, tipped the ball into the air, and fell to his back; the ball followed him, practically landing on his chest. Andy clutched the ball before it hit the ground halting the Peacocks drive. Drake ran out the closing seconds for the win. An excellent home opener!

Playing with my camera: Saylorville Reservior

After the flooding this year, Linda and I went out to Saylorville Reservoir to see the lake. Along the way, we ran across these three images that I thought I'd try to capture. In the top frame, I was going for the the caterpillar; I don't think that I did him justice but, when I looked at the photo, the ant running along the bottom of the stem redeemed the shot. The numerous little yellow bugs on the leaf looked interesting as did the bleached remains of a fish, lying along the beach. They're not very cheery images but they struck me as interesting.

Returning to the Rolling Relics Car Show

One of the summertime events that Linda and I have stumbled onto the last couple of years is the Rolling Relics Car Show. It's a nice, family friendly event set in Union Park, home of a wonderful carousel. The Rolling Relics Car Cub is the largest annual contributor to the carousel and this event is a significant fund raiser. Along with the car show, the carousel is running so it's a fun opportunity.

Neither Linda nor I are really big time car people but we do like to see the cars and enjoy being out and about. Of course there are some pretty great images when you get this many cars together. While I was taking some shots of the car in the image, a voice called out "Linda!" We looked over and saw one of Linda's friends heading our way. We soon learned that the car I was shooting belonged to the woman and her husband. I took a few more photos as the ladies had a nice chat. One more little surprise along the way.

Checking out Knoxville Raceway

Linda and I spent an interesting evening at the Knoxville Raceway. Having never been there but hearing all the accolades over the years, it seemed time to get down to see what the buzz was all about. It was a great night for racing and we had a good time. I'd heard that the front row experience wasn't really the best so we went a little higher in the towering stands... where most of the other people were settling in. Hmmm... The hot laps finished and the heat races spun by quickly. As the sun set, the lineups for the features filled in. We decided to move down closer to the front. It took only a lap or two to understand why people down front were wearing those wrap-around sunglasses. There was a LOT of dirt in the air; not dust, dirt! After one heat race, we moved on down the track but well up the stands. The features wound down and our evening at the dirt track was one for the books... rather, blog.

Going for a walk with my camera at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge

This is a great time of year to be out and about and the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to be. Given a free afternoon and a new camera to experiment with, it was a natural fit. You may be able to see in the photo that I wasn't the only one who though it a nice day for a walk in the tall grass prairie. Off in the distance, in the very center of the picture, you can see some of the buffalo herd resting and grazing quietly near the fence. Yes, gratefully, there's a fence.
As I made my way around the trail, there were several nice images. Here are a few that I actually captured. Of course, shots of bees on flowers caught my eye and, with the long telephoto lens, I could get a very close up image without getting all that close to the pointy end.

Checking out the Iowa State Fair

State fair time is an interesting time in Des Moines. Linda's commented about how it's the fifth season. Having lived elsewhere for much of her life, coming to experience life in central Iowa during the fair makes her chuckle at us. Of course, when we finally go to the fair, we do have a good time. We take a peek at the largest pig, bull, horse, and ram. When at the fair, we try some of the varied food items you can only get at the fair. This year, when we went to see the butter sculpture, we saw the likeness of local Olympic medal winner Shawn Johnson.
We checked out some of the live shows but the photos didn't turn out. We took a ride across the fair on the sky glider. As we were getting ready to leave, we looked back at the setting sun and this is what we saw.

Shooting the Dragon Boats at Grey's Lake

Another annual event that really lends itself to photography is the dragon boat races at Grey's Lake. With the new camera and a beautiful day, Linda and I went down to the lake to see what could be done. It was my first time out with the telephoto lens so it was kind of on the job training. It was fun to see the new shots. This is probably one of the best that I got.

Playing with my new Camera

Well... I took a big step with my photography and upgraded my camera. My old camera served me well and taught me a lot but it became apparent that it was time to consider my next camera. I'd looked at cameras mostly in passing until recently. Linda's daughter brought her new single lens reflex with her on a visit one day and I got to try it. It reinforced the idea that I could do more interesting things with the options that it offered. I looked around, read reviews, made my decision, and it arrived. Of course, the first shots are going to be pretty sketchy. This is the light fixture across the room from my sofa; it's not much of a subject but it surely is a shot I couldn't get with the old camera. I'm looking forward to where this may go. Let's see...

Spending an evening at Principal Park

Linda and I had tickets to go see the our Iowa Cubs play again. As a bonus, we had an extra ticket and invited Joel to go with us. The weather was great and the Cubs played well against the visitors from New Orleans. In the end, the home town boys prevailed five to one.

Returning to the Adel Sweet Corn Festival

One of the annual events that Linda and I enjoy is the Adel Sweet Corn Festival. Live music, fire fighter water fights, and, of course, sweet corn make this festival a great way to spend a summer afternoon. This year, as you may have noticed in the upper right image, we were there for the women's water fight. The ladies splash it around every bit as much as the gents, to the thrill of the kids lining the street in the shower zone.

Shooting the Osceola Carnegie Library

The library in Osceola is a block or two south of the square and, like the courthouse, is set amongst mature trees. This library has an unusually tall entryway facade but, otherwise, looks pretty normal. As usual, the front door has postings for various events in the community it serves.

Shooting the Clarke County Courthouse

Osceola is the county seat of Clarke County and this is their courthouse. Located in the middle of a somewhat wooded square, it sits somewhat shielded from view. It's a good looking building but seems to have fewer windows than most; probably a security or energy conservation consideration but it does give a little different appearance.

Shooting the Lucas County Courthouse

Chariton is the county seat of Lucas County and this is their courthouse. The tower on this courthouse is certainly an imposing sight. Solid as a rock and well attended, this massive courthouse is featured on the square within their handsome and active business district.

Shooting the Chariton Carnegie Library

Atop a small hill a block off the town square, this is the Carnegie library in Chariton. It was closed by the time we got there but it was clear by the care afforded the building that the community values their library. The notices on the front door showed me that they offer a variety of services to the community.

Finding another Jesse James Robbery Site

As Linda and I roam around Iowa, we sometimes stumble onto something unexpected. This time we found the site of the Ocobock Bank Robbery. Clearly, the building is gone but the community commemorated the site. This robbery apparently broke the camels back as it was after this robbery that the Pinkerton Detective Agency was first hired to bring the gang to justice.

Shooting the Corydon Carnegie Library

This Carnegie library was gradually surrounded by the high school you can see in the background. Now, it houses the school offices. It looks like it may have been one of the smaller libraries. It's good to see that it's still serving the community.

Shooting the Wayne County Courthouse

Corydon is the county seat of Wayne County and this is their courthouse. Clearly one of the newer courthouses, this building is prominent on a classic square. Just to the north on the square is a nice bandshell with several park benches with family names "monogrammed" into the backs; they're pretty typical weatherproofed pierced steel benches but they were manufactured with holes that spell out names, assumably of contributors. Some of them are clearly in better locations: closer to the stage or located under a nice shade tree. One of the benches had a great location under a nice big tree until recently; the tree is now gone and the large, grass level stump that remains doesn't give much shade.

Shooting the Leon Carnegie Library

This nice library has very little grass to mow; it's set about as tight to the intersection as you can get and practically all ground not taken up by the library is gravelled for parking... and they need it! Linda and I stepped inside about five minutes before closing and there were people upstairs and down. As is so often the case, this library is an excellent community resource.

Shooting the Decatur County Courthouse

Leon is the county seat of Decatur County and this is their courthouse. Located north of the highway but in the middle of the business district, it wasn't hard to find this classic courthouse. I like the airy tower on this building.

Stopping by The Ramsey Farm at Lesanville

As Linda and I were cruising across the southern tier of counties on route 2, we passed by an unusual farmstead. I slowed down and, when I caught sight of the sign, recognized that we'd stumbled on another of the Registers 100 Places in Iowa, The Ramsey Farm at Lesanville.

The Ramsey Farm at Lesanville is an historic working farm and village depicting the life and culture of rural America between the late 1800s and the early 1950s.

Operating more as a bed and breakfast, we only browsed around from the road but it looks like a nice retreat and opportunity to get a feel for farming in another time. There are several more buildings and a little train depot that could easily provide interesting activities and sights during a stay.

Shooting the Mount Ayr Carnegie Library

This is a nice looking building still serving the community. We were too late to get to step inside this library but we can see the split foyer type design we've often seen in these libraries. Linda and I often like to check out the twin staircases down to the lower level; they're often nicely carved and the lower level is often quite attractive as well.

Shooting the Ringgold County Courthouse

Mount Ayr is the county seat of Ringgold County and this is their courthouse. As you can see, it's a substantial block of bricks and has that government office building look about it. I'm sure it serves it's citizens well; I just prefer the older, more distinctive structures.

Shooting the Bedford Carnegie Library

Just down the hill and brick paved street from the Taylor County courthouse is the Bedford Carnegie library. Built a little closer to the courthouse than most, this library is an excellent compliment. There was clearly a good job in laying bricks back when this town was going up... and they did an excellent job. Fortunately, the community has been able to maintain the appearance even when modifying the entryway to be more accommodating for those hindered by the handsome stairway.

Shooting the Taylor County Courthouse

Bedford is the county seat of Taylor County. This is one of the more attractive courthouses I've seen. It's located on a slight hill in a nice square with mature trees and classic brick paved streets surrounding the grounds. To the east, on the same grounds is the sheriff's office; a very nice brick building probably built about the same time. Very nice.

Pausing at Glenn Miller's Birthplace

Glenn Miller, best selling big band leader, was born in Clarinda and this was his home. Well maintained, it sits along the highway south from the courthouse and business districts. Mr. Miller didn't live here long as the family moved to Nebraska (don't as me why they'd do that) but this is where he started.

Linda and I had a little surprise and chuckle as we were leaving this stop. The ghost hunters we'd seen at the library were turning onto the street as we were turning off. They waved and smiled when they recognized us and we returned the wave.

Shooting the Page County Courthouse

Clarinda is the county seat of Page County and this is their courthouse. Located a little south of the Carnegie library, it wasn't too hard to find. I like the look of this courthouse but don't know the name of the style. It's substantial and stately but also seems somewhat welcoming with the little details. The top portion reminds me of the Davis County courthouse in Bloomfield.

Shooting the Clarinda Carnegie Library

This is the Carnegie library building in Clarinda. The library has moved on but the building remains in service housing a nice collection of small businesses. An unusual feature of this building is the stained glass along both sides of the entry door. We've seen a little stained glass along the tops of windows but I don't recall large windows like these before Clarinda. We did get to step inside this building. A couple of ghost hunters were inside chatting with the salesperson about the history of the building, whether there was any history of unusual events, and then about their plans to spend the night at the somewhat famous haunted house up the road in Villisca; we didn't linger.

Returning to the Sidney Rodeo

Last year, Linda and I took the long drive down to the southwest corner of Iowa to see one of the 100 Places in Iowa, the Sidney Rodeo. We had such a good time that we decided to return for this year's celebration. Like last year, it was an excellent show; unlike last year, we went to an evening show making for cooler temperatures but more challenging to get good photos. This session was titled Tough Enough to Wear Pink and, between two competitions, people passed through the crowd taking up a collection for breast cancer awareness. Once again, I'd have to recommend this event to anyone with an interest in a high quality outdoor rodeo experience.

Shooting the Red Oak Carnegie Library

The library in Red Oak has a very different look than those we've seen around the state. One of the very distinctive aspects is the surface of the brick exterior. In the small image in the lower right corner, you can see that there are chunks of brick fused to the "normal" bricks that make up the wall; these chunks are scattered all over the wall. You can see something of the effect in the image in the upper right. Even the smooth faced bricks often have unusual colors and minor irregularities making for a very interesting appearance.

Shooting the Montgomery County Courthouse

Red Oak is the county seat of Montgomery County and this is their courthouse. The courthouse is between the main north-south highway and the main business district and a block from either one. That reads confusing to me but I'm not sure how else to say it. How about Highway - block - Courthouse - block - Square? Anyway, I think it's an attractive building well maintained by the community.

Shooting the Cass County Courthouse

Atlantic is the county seat for Cass County and this is their courthouse. Built in the 1930 after a fire destroyed their prior courthouse, this building looks massive. Located a few blocks south of what I'd call the main business district, it took a while for Linda and me to find this one.

Shooting the Atlantic Carnegie Library

This is the Atlantic Public Library. Originally built with the aid of Andrew Carnegie, the library is still a vibrant participant in the community. Linda and I had a little trouble finding this one; we didn't have an address and we didn't know where the courthouse was yet so it took a little looking. Once we saw it, we were pretty sure what we were looking at; the carving above the door confirmed it.

Shooting the Greenfield Carnegie Library

This was the Greenfield library. Sponsored in part by a grant from Andrew Carnegie, this building was built to provide the public a free library. This structure is no longer serving as the community library; rather, it's the home of a local business. Fortunate for me, they value the structure and continue to perform needed maintenance to keep it in service for years to come.

Shooting the Adair County Courthouse

Greenfield is the county seat of Adair County and this is their courthouse. If you've never been to Greenfield but think the courthouse looks familiar, it's possible. Greenfield was the actual location used in the 1971 comedy, Cold Turkey. My first thought was that certain elements reminded me of the Monona County courthouse that I posted last November. In any event, the building is an impressive structure located in the center of a handsome, historic business district.

Shooting the Winterset Carnegie Library

Linda and I both thought the general look and location of this building made it a possible Carnegie library but, when we read the "City Hall" carved above the door, we had our doubts. Fortunately, one of the plaques beside the door identified it as having been a carnegie library. It clearly continues to serve the community and remains a good looking building.

Shooting the Madison County Courthouse

Winterset is the county seat of Madison County and this is their courthouse. Located on the square in the middle of town, this good looking building is an attractive feature. Tours of the building are part of the very popular Madison County Covered Bridge Festival each October.

Witnessing Perfection

Wow! The 2008 Johnston High School Dragons baseball team won the Iowa State High School Baseball Tournament and became the first undefeated class 4A champions. Forty wins, no losses. That's better than the Cubs! See the pitcher in the image? I know his dad!

The game started pretty rocky but the Dragons didn't allow a run until they'd taken a commanding lead. In the end, Johnston won 6-2 and had their perfect season.

It's amazing that a team could string together forty straight wins. I'd have thought that somewhere along the way, they'd have had a game where everyone did everything wrong while their opponents did everything right... but it didn't happen. Congrats Johnston!

Signing up for another 48 Hours

Linda's film maker friend Scott asked if she / we would be available to help him out again this year. Being one of the things we've enjoyed in recent years, she said yes. The 48 Hour Film Project gives a group of film makers forty-eight hours to make a film with a specified character, line, and prop; all of the films must have those same elements. The film makers draw their personal genre out of a hat to make it a little more interesting. None of the film makers know their elements until the just before the end of the meeting. Because Scott lives a couple of hours away, he asks Linda to do the drawing and call him with the information; that saves him a lot of time... when time is precious. This year, Linda drew romance. Scott was pretty happy with that draw. If you'd like to see some of the videos out of Des Moines over the years, go here and pick one. To see the international contributions, go to http://www.48hourfilm.com/.

Shooting the Iowa Falls Carnegie Library,,, again

Last time we were here, it was too dark to get a decent shot of the building. As you can see, this time, it was a nice sunny day without a cloud in the sky. (Linda and I actually prefer a few white, fluffy clouds but you don't always get that.)

Shooting the Franklin County Courthouse... again

Last time we were here, it was so foggy that the top of the courthouse wasn't very clear. Since we were in the area, I talked Linda into stopping by to get a better shot. It really is an attractive courthouse and, while it did capture the day, that early photo didn't do justice to the top of the building.

Stretching my legs at Beed's Lake

This spillway is a striking feature of Beed's Lake State Park. Linda and I stopped by on the way home from her neice's wedding. Linda remembered having spent time at the park when she was younger and knew I'd like this view. The stones that make up this dam are set like a stairway; as the water spills over, the water splashes from step to step making for quite an attractive (and noisy) display. Can you see the person below the spillway? I have to look at the larger image to see them fishing, ankle deep in the water.

Visiting Music Man Square... again!

Back in December, I posted having seen Music Man Square. Unfortunately, at the time we were there, it wasn't open for us to fully experience. This time, we did get to go inside and take a look around.

They've done a nice job of reconstructing a street scene reminiscent of The Music Man. In my earlier post, I mentioned that the hall was popular for receptions; we saw it set up for a reception that evening. It looked like fun!

Enjoying the party!

One of Linda's nieces was getting married so Linda and I did what you do on such a day: hang out with family, shuttle people and things around, and generally get ready for the festivities. One of our contributions to the event was getting the flowers to the reception and set up on the tables. While we were there, I took this quick shot. The wedding and reception went off beautifully.

Rehearsing by association

One of Linda's nieces was getting married and asked son and daughter to take part in a her wedding ceremony. Linda's niece very thoughtfully invited Linda and me to the rehearsal dinner the night before. It was a very nice evening at a great little clubhouse along the water. Linda hit it off very well with the mother and aunt of the groom and I got to spend some more time getting to know Linda's extended family. Though we'd been a little concerned about the weather, it turned out to be a beautiful evening.

This water tower was just behind the building and this is a shot that I've seen so often that I had to try.

Admiring the view from I-35

Linda and I set out for points north and, along the way, saw some very striking views as the clouds rolled across the Iowa landscape. When we go out, Linda often comments about the how the sky would look in a picture. Usually, we're thinking about how it would look as background; this time, even I could see that the sky would be the shot. That said, I'm not sure I got or even posted the shot but it was quite a nice view along the drive.