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.

Checking out Jazz in July at Salisbury House

Every July, the Metro Arts Alliance puts together the Jazz In July program. Every day in July, somewhere around Des Moines, you can find a free jazz performance. This year, Linda and I made it up to the Salisbury House to see Susie Miget and Janey Hooper perform. We'd seen Janey Hooper at the Des Moines Botanical Center and enjoyed her music so we expected a nice evening at a nice venue. We weren't disappointed.

Shooting the Guthrie County Courthouse

Guthrie Center is the county seat of Guthrie County and this is their courthouse. Clearly a more modern design, this courthouse settles nicely into the rolling hills of Guthrie Center. It's located a block north of the east-west main business street through town and was easy to find.

Shooting the Shelby County Courthouse

Harlan is the county seat of Shelby County and this is their courthouse. Built over a century ago, this building looks as sharp and well maintained as any that I recall. The stone is not apparently chipped, cracked, or moldy. The roof and flashing look sharp and new. Clearly, the grounds have been updated / paved, but done is a way that I don't find distracting. This is quite a nice courthouse... especially considering its age!

Shooting the Harrison County Courthouse

Logan is the county seat of Harrison County and this is their courthouse. This massive block clearly communicates that it's been here for a while and plans to remain. Decorated with a little red, white and blue bunting, it shows a slightly festive side. Also, a little landscaping near the foundation shows some of the care the community has for their courthouse, a fine example.

Shooting the Logan Carnegie Library

This is the uncommonly modern looking Carnegie library in Logan, Iowa. I'm sure that the windows and roof have been updated giving it a more modern look but it's still serving the community well. Located just to the north of the town square, it was an easy find.

Enjoying Saturday In The Park

In 1972, the band Chicago released a song titled Saturday In The Park. I found a video on YouTube that may be from 1972 that opens with the following lyric:

Saturday in the park
I think it was the fourth of july
Saturday in the park
I think it was the fourth of july
People talking, people laughing
A man selling ice cream
Singing italian songs
(fake italian lyric)
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And I've been waiting such a long time
For saturday

That song apparently had an impact. Each year, on a saturday around the Fourth of July, Sioux City puts those words to action with their free all day festival named for the song, Saturday In The Park, in their Grandview Park.

This shot was pretty late but does show the setting and a sense of the crowd. It was a sunny afternoon of an interestingly varied collection of performers that moved smoothly from one to the next. During the breaks, people visited the vendors, got hydrated, and back to their seats for the next band. It really was an excellent afternoon in a classic park.

Stopping by the Blue Bunny Visitor Center

LeMars, Iowa, claims to be the "Ice Cream Capitol of the World" and these are some of the ice cream themed docorations you can find at their visitor center. Having been on the road for a while, Linda and I thought that a nice ice cream treat would really hit the spot. Unfortunately, so did several other people and we opted to continue on our way. Before we left, I got this shot.

Stopping in Orange City

Last November, I blogged about stopping at Woudstra's Butcher Shop for one of their brats, one of the 100 Things to Eat. While we were there, the butcher offered a sample of dried beef. Since we wer in the neighborhood, Linda and I stopped back to pick up a legitimate order and a few more brats. The dried beef looked so good, I had to take this shot. It tasted even better than it looks! I don't know how to make dried beef or what the keys are to making it taste so good but I can tell you where to find someone who does! If you're ever up in Orange City, stop by Woudstra's!

Shooting the O'Brien County Courthouse

Primghar is the county seat of O'Brien County and this is their courthouse. It has the look of a standard government building.

Shooting the Clay County Courthouse

Spencer is the county seat of Clay County and this is their courthouse. Located off the main street commercial area, this interesting courthouse is a handsome structure. I don't know the name for the style but I like it; the box lined by columns on top of the main structure is fairly distinctive and a look I like.

Another thing that Spencer and Clay County are known for is their fair. Attracting over three hundred thousand visitors each year, it can claim to be the largest county fair in the Midwest. Wikipedia credits it as the second largest agricultural exposition in North America. As one of the 100 Places to go in Iowa, I'm expecting to see it sometime.

Checking out the Real Three Sons

A few posts back, I showed the Three Sons store along the lake. The real Three Sons store, another of the 100 Places to go in Iowa. Alright, the store by the lake is a true Three Sons store but it's an outlet store. This main store is found a few miles south of the lake in Milford, Iowa. The store is the offical University of Okoboji sportswear headquarters for the mythical University of Okoboji. I didn't take one but I understand that the entrance exam to the university is available at the front counter. Outside, the store looks a little rustic and worn; inside, it's even more so! Some of the thresholds between portions of the store are well worn by years of shoppers. It's packed with quality merchandise and an interesting stop.

Tasting some of the flavor of Okoboji

One of the entries on the list of 100 Things to Eat is found at the Nutty Bar Stand along the shore of West Lake Okoboji. It's exactly what it looks like in the photo: a block of vanilla ice cream (Wells' Blue Bunny) on a stick, dipped in chocolate, rolled in nuts. I was a little surprised by the blocky shape of the treat but, once I got started, it ate just fine. I can understand the tradition that has grown up around stopping by the stand to pick up one of these after an Iowa summer day on the water. Add to the the location and it's very easy to see why this Iowa item made the list.