Enjoying the "Regular" Pizza at Mabe's

While Mabe's may call it regular, it's one of the best thin crust pizza's I can remember having enjoyed. Linda and I enjoy pizza from time to time and made sure we'd be ready to try this item from the 100 Things to Eat. It more than met our expectations. I can (and have) recommended this stop to friends heading up to the Decorah area.

This photo is of the storefront on Main Street. Unfortunately, there weren't great angles and I didn't get a shot of the pizza itself.

Fortunately, Linda DID get a shot of the pizza and has allowed me to post it for you.

Browsing Seed Savers Exchange

North of Decorah is an uncommon seed store dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. The Seed Savers Exchange has been around over thirty years, growing varieties not found in your typical garden and presenting information on how to do it yourself.

I believe the first time I heard of seed savers was at work when a friend of mine talked about getting seeds to build a little patch of prairie on his property.

It was nice for Linda and me to stop in and see some of how they work. The plots in front of the buildings in the upper left image had rows of several varieties of various vegetables. Many of the pepper plants had varieties my mom never planted. Before we left, we'd both picked up packets of seeds to try in the spring. There MAY be a follow up to this post... but don't hold your breath.

Checking out St. Wenceslaus Church

St. Wenceslaus Church, in Spillville, is one of the 100 Places in Iowa. Built in 1860, it is the oldest Czech Catholic church in the United States. Nearly 150 years old, it's a beautiful house of worship sitting on the crest of a hill in town.

Beside and behind the church is a graveyard with very old and distinctive markers. As you can see in the image, many are the more familiar carved stone headstones. As you can also see, many are metal upright crosses. I'm not sure you can see the markings on those markers but many are not in English. I've learned that there is a special exhibit about these crosses at the Bily Clocks Museum there in town.

Stopping at the Bily Clocks Museum

Spillville, Iowa, is the home of the Bily brothers known for their wonderful hand carved clocks. Carved during the first half of the twentieth century, many are now on display at the museum. Linda had taken her son and daughter through the museum years before but, unfortunately, we weren't able to take the tour this time.

Coincidentally, the building housing the Bily Clock Museum also served as the summer home for Antonín Dvořák while visiting his cousin; while there, he composed the String Quartet in F, a sonatina for violin and piano, and the String Quintet in E flat.

Pausing at St. Anthony of Padua Chapel

A few miles outside of Festina, Iowa, along a dusty gravel road sits what has been billed as the Smallest Church in the World," one of the 100 Places in Iowa to Visit. I've read that the interior measures twelve by sixteen feet and that that steeple is forty feet tall. Having stepped inside for a bit, I can vouch that the four pews are regular size but only seat one or two people making room for about eight people to worship. The alter area is attractive and well kept. You can see one of the four stained glass windows in the image. There is a Winneshiek County Historical Society sign out front that reads

On this site in 1849 the first Catholic Mission north of Dubuque was built of logs. In 1885 nearby landowners quarried stone and built the little chapel. Construction resulted from a vow by Johann Gaertner's mother to build a chapel should her sone, who was drafted into the French army and served under Napoleon, return safely from the Russian campaign. Relatives of Frank Huber maitain the chapel and grounds, which includes the grave of Johann Gaertner.

Taking a trip to the Mississippi River

Fall in Iowa can really be a very colorful, pretty time of year. Linda has made fairly regular trips to "The River" over the years and is now including me. I really have to say that 2008 was a very good year to make the trip. The colors were so bright and varied across the landscape that it looked more like a painting or quilt made to show what it could look like. It was beautiful. Check back and you'll be seeing more of the scenes and colors in the days to come.

Shooting the Fayette County Courthouse

West Union is the county seat of Fayette County and this is their courthouse. This is a nice looking courthouse and I like that people enjoy decorating the grounds, at least for the fall season. It felt like part of the community and really did look like a good part of the town.

Visiting the Little Brown Church in the Vale

Linda and I stopped by the Little Brown Church in the Vale and checked off another of the 100 Places in Iowa. As you can see, the church is set in a nice wooded little area. A mile or more outside of Nashua, it's a nice, quiet corner of Iowa. The church was open so we went inside to take a look around. It's a nicely maintained house of worship little changed over the years, I'm sure. After the seventy thousand weddings recorded since 1918, the wood floors and pews show a little wear as one would expect. It's a lovely spot to stop for a bit.

Come to the church in the wildwood,
Oh, come to the church in the dale,
No spot is so dear to my childhood,
As the little brown church in the vale.

Shooting the Butler County Courthouse

Allison is the county seat of Butler county and this is their courthouse. Located at the north end of the business district, it's very easy to find. The main thing that I know about Allison is that it's the home town of Linda's son-in-law so it was nice to get stop by.

Getting a first look at the Iowa Chops

At the end of last season, the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League chose not to renew their contract with the local Iowa Stars. Fortunately, the Annaheim Ducks picked up the contract and we get to have near NHL caliber hockey in town. To avoid having issues with memorabelia should the Ducks drop us, a new, independent name was sought. When the team was named the Iowa Chops, some people expressed disappointment with the name. I like it. The headgear shown in the photo isn't really me but it "looks good on him."

That said, Linda and I wanted to get a look at the new team. Fortunately, an exhibition game with the Quad City team was coming up. The two of us were a significant portion of the "crowd" that showed up for the game. The Chops played well and won the game. Their style looked faster than the Stars so it's likely that we'll be going again.

Visiting Albert the Bull... again.

Yes, Linda and I have been to see Albert before ... but we were in Audubon and we don't really know more to do in Audubon. Besides, he's on the list of 100 Places in Iowa; he can get a revisit. I like this photo better anyway.

Shooting the Audubon Carnegie Library

The library in Audubon has an uncommonly prominent location in the community. It sits in the square in the middle of town while the courthouse is across the street. In most communities, we've seen the courthouse in the square and the library a block or so away. I like the setting for this library but it is a little different than most.

Shooting the Audubon County Courthouse

Audubon is the county seat of Audubon County and this is their courthouse. Unfortunately, the only claim to fame that either I or Wikipedia know about Audubon is that it is home to Albert the Bull. Linda and I stopped by and saw Albert about a year ago ... before I realized that Audubon is a county seat.

Exploring a little of the Iowa-coffee connection

Stanton, Iowa, has a pair of water towers that beg the question: why? Shaped like a coffee pot and companion cup, these two remind you that Folgers Coffee's Mrs. Olson was born Virginia Christine Kraft in this neat, Swedish town. The towers are not close together and take a little looking to find (odd in an Iowa community) but, clearly, I found them.

Shooting the Adams County Courthouse

Corning is the county seat of Adams County and this is their courthouse. Birthplace of long time Tonight Show host, Johnny Carson, Corning is located on the slope of one of the rolling hills in the area. This relatively modern courthouse is located near the top of the hill and has a night park area on the slope below.

Shooting the Union County Courthouse

Creston is the county seat of Union County and this is their courthouse. It's also situated at a railroad crossroads with Amtrack passenger service and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. While we were there, we had to wait for at least one train at a multi-track crossing. My recollection is of several sidings or a switchyard near the center of town. It was clearly a railroad town.

Watching Centerville football visit Knoxville

Linda and I wandered through Knoxville a while back and saw their unique sunken football field. Where most fields we'd encountered were set at ground level with stands rising up from the sidelines, Knoxville had dug their field down into the ground and carved shelves along the sides where fans could bring blankets or lawnchairs to sit and watch the game. We decided that sometime soon, before they decided to abandon the great stadium in the ground, we'd come see a game. The first time we considered it, they got something like ten inches of rain (possible exaggeration)... enough that we decided not to attend. (Linda and I believe it was the night that we drove around and got the Shooting in the Rain post a while back.) This time, it was a beautiful night for football... other than the final score which I'll not publish here.

Watching Drake host San Diego

Linda invited her friend Linda to join us for the Drake Homecoming game against San Diego. San Diego has been a perennial power in the Pioneer Football League; the 2008 team carried on the tradition. The weather was more suited to baseball than football and the Drake really had difficulty moving the ball. The thing that "saved" the day was that the Drake Marching Band exceeded our expectations and did march... with a little style!

Head of the Des Moines

I've kind of made it one of my personal activities to see the annual Head of the Des Moines Regatta. I like to be along the river before the events really get started. As the events unfold, the variety of uniforms and shells makes for some nice visuals. Sometimes I can hear the people calling out orders to one another as they row up the river.

Checking out the 2008 Latino Festival

Linda and I have really enjoyed spending an afternoon at the Latino Festivals of late. The food is always unique and the entertainment interesting. We've seen quite a variety of singers and dancers performing in colorful regional costumes. No matter what the act, the audience responds well. It's a nice place to hang out for a while.

Visiting Blank Park Zoo

One of my favorite places to take my camera is the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. It's not a large zoo but the animals are accessible, appear to be well cared for, and in a reasonable setting. Here are some of my shots.

These shots of the cats at the zoo turned out pretty well in my book. Every one was through bars of some sort but, in the image, don't detract much from the scene. I really enjoyed learning how to get nice shots of these handsome cats.

These shots were unobstructed and just fun to take. I really enjoy seeing the animals.

Learning at Camera Day at Living History Farms

Ashley joined Linda and me at camera day at Living History Farms. Last year, Linda and I went and heard a lot of good ideas to try to work into our photography. Having made some progress, and with Ashley's interest in photography, it only made sense we go back to see what we could learn for this year. The setting is rich in opportunities to take a variety of interesting shots.
We ran into a photographer couple and got to discuss some of the challenges we're encountered. The man of the couple is in the lower right photo working a shot with Ashley. Both of his arms are COVERED with tattoos of cameras he's used and images produced with those cameras. While not big fans of tattoos, Linda and I both were impressed with the art.
As always, the various tools and equipment of the farm make for fun shots for me. Many of these pieces would be found on many farms today.

Of course, the livestock also provide some pretty fun shots. My favorite is the shot through the chicken wire. In the past, I'd have had a nice shot of chicken wire and a fuzzy shot of the chicken behind; I prefer this image.

Watching Drake host William Penn

Linda and I had a little different Drake football experience this week. Linda's affiliation with William Penn allowed us to attend their tailgate party before the game. It was pretty well attended and let me meet a number of her William Penn friends. They served a nice array of foods, had some games, and a general good time. Afterwards, we slipped away to sit among the hometown crowd.

Another interesting aspect of this evening at Drake Stadium was the unusual cloud formations. They were striking enough on their own but the light from the setting sun really did highlight them well. Someone in the stands noticed us shooting the sky and explained some of the structures and how uncommon it was to see them.

Shooting in the rain

One of the shots I'd really wanted to get was of a heavy rain, ideally with lightning. I grabbed the camera, picked up Linda, and we drove around looking for a good image that said "Rain." It was already late in the afternoon so light was soon a challenge. Finally, as we were passing through the Court Avenue district of Des Moines, I saw the opportunity to get my shot. We set up the tripod on the street level of a parking ramp and got this shot; I like it.

Geocaching at Gray's Lake

Linda and I went for a walk around Gray's Lake, hoping to find several of the geocaches hidden there. It does break the rhythm of the two mile walk around the lake but it's also a little different activity. As you can see in the upper left shot, one of the caches appears to be hidden on or around a tree that's had much of the earth eroded from around its base; that shot was through the tangle of roots. In the upper right, I shot one of the caches we did find.

The image in the lower left is of a wasp nest that I pulled out of a large pipe. No, that wasn't the plan, I was just VERY lucky. The cache appeared to be in this pipe sticking up out of the ground. At the top, the pipe turned from straight up to straight down, possibly as allow some kind of vent but not collect water and dirt. I reached up into the pipe to feel around for the cache. Instead, I felt something papery... so I pulled it out. When I saw what it was, I stepped back quickly and suggested that Linda do the same. When we were both a safe enough distance back, I took this shot... and was VERY thankful it had turned out so well. Lesson learned... I hope!

Taking a walk around Blue Heron Lake

Along the edge of town, Blue Heron Lake is a nice place to take a walk. There's a walking trail that loops the lake and passes through a nice variety of wooded and open, grassy areas allowing for some nice photo options. Generally, nothing spectacular but a nice variety of shots to practice. At around two and one half miles per lap, you get a decent little stroll out of it as well.

Hanging with Eric and Royalty

Eric, Linda, and I took a few hours and checked out the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. People in costumes, turkey legs, corny comedy skits, and jousting... what's not to like?!

The king and queen of the festival participated in the parade and oversaw the joust in their honor. One of the musical groups showed medieval surround sound by surrounding the audience... cute.

The center photo is a low-tech ride that looks like a hoot; there are several people inside the bucket, the two operators wind the thing up, and then they let it go.

The woman in the lower right is one of the Washing Wenches, a duo of women who had a VERY entertaining show. She's not had the best luck in her love life and is looking for a man. She's instructing the man in the photo on how he can help her... a job I did not envy him.

Hanging with Eric and The Royals

Eric, Linda, and I took advantage of a nice, late September evening and went out to Kauffman Stadium to see the Cleveland Indians take on the home town Royals. I'd never been to the stadium so that alone was a treat. As games go, I don't think it was all that close... but we had a good time. Eric hadn't seen my new camera yet so he got to try it out. I think it got favorable marks. Linda did a nice job of catching a couple of shots of Eric and me that evening as well.

Visiting Eric at Work

I'd never seen a Heidelburg Windmill in my forty-plus years and, within a few weeks, I saw my son operate one and another featured in a major motion picture, Seven Pounds. Eric twisted this and nudged that, coaxing the machine to produce the distinctive impressions of letterpress.

As Eric directed, the machine gyrated and pulsed with mechanical rhythm as it transformed a stack of blank printstock into handsome wedding invitations. The machine itself was fascinating to watch but seeing Eric drive it was the real treat. It's not a machine you turn on and let run unattended; it requires supervision and direction. Eric clearly knew the nuances of the machine and how to correct it when it drifted off the mark. We really enjoyed seeing him work and clearly enjoy the work he was doing.

Shooting the Boone County Courthouse

Boone is the county seat of Boone County and this is their courthouse. Located on the west side of Boone, it took us a few tries to locate this one. It's set amongst several mature trees so my photo options were somewhat limited; this is the best shot of the overall structure I could find. This is a classic, big block, stone stucture that clearly communicates stability and authority; we're here, we're stayin'.

Wikipedia states the claim that Boone has the 2nd most used bowling alley in the state. A more verifiable claim is that First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower was born in Boone.

Whoopin' it up at the Dayton Rodeo

A good friend of mine once said, "You ought to go up to the rodeo in Dayton." Linda and I went in 2007 and had such a good time we went back for the 2008 edition. It's hard to describe the event. It's part of the PRCA professional rodeo circuit event in a unique bluffside arena in a small Iowa community. It's a four day event with quality participants and yet small town... and the action is incredible!

This poor guy had a memorable, if brief, ride. He slid off to one side but his hand was caught in the strap so, rather than fall to the ground, he swung around in front of the bull... looks like he's got a sawed-off horn in the center of his back. Evidently, the bull didn't like not seeing where he was goin' and gave his former rider a big push, tossing him at the bullfighter. These guys all take some pretty good shots in the course of a "day at the office."

There's plenty of ouch to go around. The bronc riders take a beating too. We got to see some very big animals get high in the air... with big guys on their backs! When they do it right, it really is an amazing thing to watch; when they don't do it right, it can still be pretty entertaining too.

I don't know how the scoring of this event goes but the horse can certainly make a difference in the points you're awarded for a given ride. The more active the horse, the better the score can be... assuming you make the time. I think this guys form is a pretty good example of what the judges are looking for... but I could be way off base.

Of course, there are all the other normal rodeo events like calf roping and barrel racing, team roping and bulldoggin' too. And, if you've not had enough, more bull riding. There were two additional events: wild horse race and mutton busting.

The wild horse race is almost too crazy to describe. Six to eight teams of three men each are to get their respective horse out of the bull riding chutes, put a saddle on it, and ride it across the arena. They're all out on the arena floor at the same time and the chaos is frightening. The horses do NOT cooperate and sometimes are in active opposition to the whole idea.

Mutton busting is an event for little kids. They strap on a helmet with full face mask and climb on the back of a wooly sheep. They get a grip and hang on as long as they can. Most kids are good for maybe twelve feet before they roll off the side. One little guy went over the head of the sheep, still hanging on, flipping the whole thing. A couple went the full eight seconds and that got them most of the way across the arena floor. It's a hoot!

This shot had to make it just for the bullfighter right in the face of the bull. Those guys can also make a difference in a good ride but can be lifesavers when things go wrong.

What a show!

Shooting some backyard wildlife

I was playing with the telephoto lens, just shooting whatever I saw around the back yard and got these sparrows sitting on the fence. I like the way that the birds are in focus but the background blurred beyong recognition. Not really a great shot, I know, but part of the process of getting to where I might craft a more interesting shot.

Spending another evening with the Iowa Cubs

It was a beautiful night at Sec Taylor Field as the Iowa Cubs faced the Omaha Zephyrs. I upgraded my ticket to a box right along the field, right next to the mound in the bullpen as things turned out. As you can see, this location gave me excellent head-on shots of right-handed pitchers working from the stretch. It also let me get some of my best shots ever of the B-Bops hamburger and QT food races. The game was pretty entertaining as well... the I-Cubs won 10-4.

Returning to Lamoni for Civil War Days

I very much enjoyed going to Lamoni for their Civil War Days during Labor Day Weekend in 2007. When it came around in 2008, Linda said I should see if one of my guy friends would like to go; I think that was code for "I'd really rather not go this year." Fortunately, Bill was available and had expressed interest in seeing what it was all about.

It's not a re-enactment because no action to re-enact happened around Lamoni during the Civil War. Instead, cavalry, infantry, and artillery representing each side gather, camp, and conduct an unscripted, illustrative battle. While the battle is a draw, wandering through the respective camp, chatting with the people who are immersed in the event is interesting as well. Most are combatants but I also met family, reporters, recruiter, and a gentleman who bore a striking resemblance to photos of Abraham Lincoln. Each did a nice job of staying in character and explaining what life could have been like for someone in their role.

As the appointed hour of battle nears, activity all over the field picks up. There are a few discussions between the representatives of the participating generals before things get started. Soon, officers start gathering men into their units and start moving marching to their positions for battle. Horses saddled and cannon are checked and prepared. Scouts on horseback patrol the field and report back to their officers. Soon, something happens and shots are fired in anger. It's on!

From there on, what happens is largely up the commanders in the field. They're free to assess the situation and issue orders as likely would have been ordered in the situation at hand. Fortunately, the event provides an interpreter / narrator to point out and explain some of the things of interest that are happening so that we, the audience, have a better understanding of what we're seeing. Much of the action takes place as units move for position, pressure another unit until one withdraws to another location, and then do it again. From time to time, there is brief hand to hand combat.

The field is pretty large, has a little rolling terrain, and easily accommodates the two camps with room for the various units to maneuver. From time to time, a unit will disappear behind a little hill only to appear again at just the right moment. Cavalry gallop across the field to take advantage of a breech in the line or deliver messages to and from the front units. A couple of officers rode behind the lines of infrantry, calling out orders to their men. There's also room enough for several cannons to deploy. When they fire, it's always impressive... and sometimes startling! I could often feel that the guns had fired as well as hear it.


On this day, the Union gained the upper hand and received the Confederate surrender. Last year, I believe it went the other way. It's fun knowing that nobody really knows in advance how it will all happen. With the conflict resolved, the units revive their dead, form up, and parade past the audience. The officers then address their respective units, commenting on their performance, thanking them for their participation. It looks like they have a good time; I know I did!

Resuming Entries

For several months now, my browser has not allowed me to upload photos to this blog. Something in the file chooser would shut down the browser before I could select the image I wanted to use. I don't really know what changed or when but I now believe that I can put up the images that have become the heart of my blog. Given that, I've got a LOT of catching up to do. Some entries will be summary, some will likely be skipped; at least it will be going again.