Shooting the Bloomfield Carnegie Library

When Linda and I saw this building, we had to look again to see past the gingerbread look and recognize it was the library. We walked up to see if it was open; it was not. The community did a very nice job of making sure that the library was available to those unable to take the stairs. I'm guessing that some of the visitors, young or young at heart, choose to take the spin up the ramp from time to time as well.

Shooting the Davis County Courthouse

Bloomfield is the county seat of Davis County and this is their courthouse. Listed on the Register's list of 100 Places In Iowa, Linda and I had two reasons to visit this site. The design is interesting and different for Iowa; more European than most we've seen thus far.

The courthouse proved tempting but a bit too challenging to Henry D. Roland, the Human Fly, in 1924. On August 27, he tried to scale the building but fell, breaking his hip... and keeping him in town an added six weeks. Eight years later, he returned and successfully climbed the building.

The Wikipedia article on Bloomfield lists a surprising number of notable figures to have come out of the community: an olympic kayak athlete, an acadamy award winner, two U.S. Senators, seven U.S. Representatives, two Major Generals, an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, two Governors of the state of Iowa, editors of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, major league baseball players, and the founder of Sheafer pens. Must be somthing in the water.

Shooting the Centerville Public Library

Before leaving Centerville, Linda and I looked for their library. We knew that it wasn't a Carnegie funded library so we were curious what they had instead. We pulled up in front and were pleased to see the nice looking building in the image to the right. We were also surprised to see it called the Drake Public Library. Our curiosity piqued, we decided we had to step inside. When we did, we found even more surprises.

Above the library desk when you enter the library is a large circular opening through the floor of the second level allowing visibility of the stained glass dome above and pictured to the right. That was a surprise!

We talked with the librarian and learned that Francis M. Drake, former resident of Centerville, founder of Drake University, and former Governor of the state, had funded this library.

Shooting the Appanoose County Courthouse

Centerville is the county seat of Appanoose County and this is their courthouse. Located in the center of an uncommonly large square, this is a handsome courthouse in an impressive setting. Unlike most communities, Centerville centered their courthouse on an intersection. This positioning means that, as you approach, you see the bulk of the courthouse from several blocks away. The streets that surround the courthouse square are unusually wide. There are the normal lanes in each direction, angle parking on the outside, and a set of angle parking spaces going each direction between the two lanes of traffic flow. It's like stringing a parking lot around the square; probably nice for downtown visitors.

Shaking my head

As Linda and I were cruising south along Iowa State Highway 5, a few miles north of Centerville, we saw this church. Linda said I really should go back and get a photo for the blog so here it is: the Dale Church. I have no idea why it's the Dale church; I've not seen any community named Dale in the area. Hmmm...

If anyone wants to find it using GPS, I think it's around 40°46'8.40"N, 92°51'27.39"W.

Shooting the Albia Carnegie Library

This good looking structure is the library in Albia. Linda and I did our usual search one block outside the town square and found it to the east of the courthouse. The awning, decoration on the handrails, and sculpture along the right side of the broad walk to the doors tells me that this community continues to collect dividends on the investment of their community library.

Shooting the Monroe County Courthouse

Albia is the county seat of Monroe County and this is their courthouse. Located in the town square and along the main north-south highway through town, this courthouse was fairly easy to find. Linda and I took a walk around the square to check out various shooting angles; as we did, we noticed a series of plaques on selected buildings laying out a nice little walking tour with some of the community history. It gave us a little more information about the development of the community.

Trying to check off Camp David's

The Register's List of 100 Things You Must Eat listed the barbeque chicken at Camp David's in Iowa City. According to their signboard, they were supposed to be open; according to the hand written note taped to the door, they were going to be closed this evening. Another near miss I guess. Fortunately, we've already got plans to go back in warmer weather so we may try it then.

Shooting the Iowa Falls Carnegie Library

Okay, it's not my best shot. On our way back to Des Moines, we routed through Iowa Falls, in part to see their library. Of course, winter in Iowa makes for short days. Add to that the fact that Iowa Falls doesn't do much to illuminate their library after dark; I know, the picture looks well lit but let me assure you, it was not. Luckily, there was a nearly level flat-topped post across the street that I set the camera on to get the shot you see.

The library did appear to be well cared for and, I believe, is the first library I've seen with an eagle on top. It's located a few blocks north of the river, not far off the main north south road through town.

Updated photo.

Dropping in on some youth hockey

While travelling northern Iowa, Linda and I stopped in at a local youth hockey game to see stars of the future (and present, if you talk with their parents, grandparents, teammates, etc.)

When we arrived, a game of pretty young players was just wrapping up. We could see the next level up warming up, getting ready to take the ice. Soon, the game was underway and the improvement that comes with a year or two experience was very apparent. You could see the start of more team bases play, smoother skating, and better stick work. The score was fairly close and the players stayed pretty focused on the task at hand. It was good to see an aspect of growing up in northern Iowa that I'd not had back home in Illinois.

Shooting the Franklin County Courthouse

Hampton is the county seat of Franklin County and this is their courthouse. Unfortunately, the fog obscures the very nice statues at the top. Top to bottom, the detailed brick and stonework of this building is among the best I've seen yet. It's my understanding that there was a renovation in recent years; any work that was done on the exterior was blended in very nicely. I look forward to returning here some day to more clearly see the top.

Shooting the Hampton Carnegie Library

The library in Hampton is located just across the intersection southeast from the courthouse. Clearly well maintained on the outside, this library appears to remain a vibrant member of the community.

Visiting the Roundhouse

Having seen Hilton, it was time to stop by another noteworthy venue for a basketball game. The Railsplitters of Des Moines Lincoln play at the Bowden Roundhouse Arena and I'd never stopped by to see them play; Linda and I set out one evening to change that. The Roughriders of nearby Des Moines Roosevelt were visiting so we expected a spirited game.

When we entered the building, we were on the outer circuit of a walking / jogging track just inside the exterior wall. We followed the crowd and soon saw the startlingly impressive sight of a great domed basketball arena. Linda and I both paused and remarked that we were both pleasantly surprised at how bright and maintained the space appeared; we were glad to have made the trip.

The girls were wrapping up a Roosevelt blowout so we were mostly looking forward to the boys taking the court. Spirited cheers from both sides of the court and a trio of students in street clothes doing dances from the fifties and sixties in front of the Lincoln band playing a Credance Clearwater Revival song set the tone. This was going to be a fun evening out.

The first half started slowly but both teams found their respective range and rhythm and we had a game. Lincoln played with deliberate confidence most of the time punctuated from time to time by displays of athletic grace and power. Roosevelt was scrappy, rarely yielding an easy shot, challenging nearly every pass. With three and one half seconds left in the game, Lincoln went to the free throw line up by a point. The first shot fell through putting them up by two. The second fell off the rim to a Roughrider. They passed it to midcourt and put up a high arching shot. As the ball began it's descent toward the basket, the buzzer went off. The ball bounced off the rim harmlessly and Lincoln won a close one. We later learned they'd not lost a game yet this year. We had a good time and got to see another interesting part of Des Moines.

Experiencing a little Hilton Magic

Hilton Coliseum houses home court of the Iowa State University Cyclones and has a reputation for providing a little magic for the home team. This evening, the Cyclones were hosting the University of Albany from Albany, New York. Pregame festivities were entertaining and enthusiastic reminding me of our trip to see the football team play in the fall. Unlike the football game, there were fan participation games during long time outs.

One of the crowd pleasers was a race between two teams of two participants building a simulated hamburger with everything. The two team members wore big floppy outfits and were the buns. The bottom bun basically got aligned on the "plate" and helped pile the patty, bacon, lettuce, tomatoe, etc on top. When all was in place, the top bun made a leap to the top that a professional wrestler could have envied.

The Great Danes stayed with the Cyclones through halftime but, after a 15-0 run by the home team, fell too far behind to recover. In the end, the score was Iowa State 76, UAlbany 64.

Getting over a holiday cold

Isn't that the way it goes? You get some time off, get together with friends and family, and end up dealing with a little bug. Oh well... at least we have some handy over the counter helps to minimize the discomfort. Linda brought over a nice tin of little treatments for various symptoms. One had a nice effervescence effect that I tried to catch with my camera. I probably could have used a better setup but here's my reminder of my holiday cold.

Enjoying another Dutch baked treat

One of the nice things about living in central Iowa, there are some very nice Dutch bakeries turning out some very tasty items. One of Linda's co-workers lives near one and decided to bring in a couple of their offerings as a Christmas treat. Linda shared one with me and the first thing that struck me was the snowy look of those over sized sugar crystals. It was beautiful to see and tasty to eat.

Celebrating

During the Christmas holiday, Linda and I went north to celebrate with her siblings and families. As you can see in the upper left image, the night before had been treacherous for travel and several cars had found alternatively locations to weather the storm; we saw the Iowa Highway patrol overseeing their removal. We were happy to hear that none of those involved in the various winter accidents had suffered serious injury or loss of life.

As we were returning, the sun burning through the clouds over the harvested fields and highway made for an interesting image.

My cat incorrectly assumed that the holiday themed Pepsi sweatshirt I'd received in the gift exchange was for her... another interesting image, at least to me.

Catching up with the Iowa Stars

We'd not been to a Stars game yet this season and it seemed like a nice thing to do to break up the holiday swirl of activity. As an added treat, Linda's son was in town and joined us. Both the Houston Aeros and home town Stars had been on short losing streaks so both were looking forward to breaking that string. As it turned out, the visitors went home happier with their win.

Tubing!

I may be a little advanced in years for my first time tubing but, when it was suggested, I got on board. That's me in the top two images. On the left, I was getting ready to take a photo. In the right, I was finishing a run down the hill, rushing by at nearly forty miles per hour.

There were at least three cameras on site. One took video of a run down the hill!

The middle images show the much appreciated lift that towed us back to the top of the hill. Promotional materials listed the hill as fifteen stories tall! Talking with on of the operators on site, I learned that the descent is about six hundred feet in length with another six hundred feet of level run off to allow us to come to a stop. It was certainly handy to have the space by the time we got to the bottom, especially when going tandem!

Sending off a co-worker with Chicken Spiedini

As a pleasant surprise, the going away lunch was held at Tursi's Latin King on the east side of Des Moines. The Register listed the chicken spiedini as one of the things to eat in Iowa. I didn't really know what it was and, unfortunately, since the location was secret until we were there, I didn't think to bring my camera to show you. I ordered it and was pleased when it arrived. It's chicken white meat rolled into cylinder about eight inches long and an inch and a half in diameter, marinated and lightly rolled in bread crumbs before being cooked on the grill. It was served with a nice piece of broccoli in a nicely seasoned olive oil; tasty!

Enjoying a holiday treat

Linda was making caramels for Christmas giving and I got to serve as quality control ... at least for a couple. Of course, I had my camera nearby and took the opportunity to take a few shots of the candies as they were being cut and wrapped.

Enjoying a Chocolate Treat

While Christmas shopping, Linda and I stopped Chocolaterie Stam to try a few of their truffles. The Register's List of 100 Things You Must Eat pointed them out but I'd not seen their store before. A steady stream of shoppers lined up in front of the varieties of truffles. I was a little surprised to find that they offered nearly all in either milk or dark chocolate.

Watching the Bucs take on Green Bay

Linda and I stopped in at KGGO Arena to see how the young Bucaneers had developed. Unfortunately, the Green Bay Gamblers were a little further along and made it tough on the Bucs. Their goalie did a great job and fended off all twenty five shots the Bucs could muster. Unfortunately, our goalie allowed a couple in the second. The Gamblers scored a third in the closing minutes after the Bucs had pulled their goalie to put an added attacker on the ice.