Go Hawks!

 

Although my husband and I are avid Iowa Hawkeye sports fans, I rarely mention that fact; however, with football and basketball seasons in swing, I simply couldn't resist.  For the weekend we are pulling for the Hawks on the grid iron (vs. Michigan) as well as anticipating a Hawkeye hoops victory.  Since there are no professional NFL or NBA teams in the state, the universities have loyal followers who are a bit fanatic about their teams and any athletic competition.

 

 

GO HAWKS!

 

Duck, Duck, Swan!

 

Lots of "quackers" present in these photos plus feathers galore!  All of these feathered friends reside on the Cedar Memorial property in Cedar Rapids.  Since they have an annual photo contest for their yearly calendar, I was on the grounds taking shots of all sorts of things and being very careful about where I was walking as these characters know no boundaries when it comes to making messes.  But, as I finished and put away my equipment, fortunately I remembered to look at the bottom of my shoes and quickly changed into the reserve pair of sandals I brought just in case I needed them!  Anyway, their swans are beautiful and the one below was enjoying a little time in the water looking for something good to eat.

 

Brick Home on the Bluff

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant,

who finds peace in his home."

                                                      --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

This beautiful brick dwelling nestled in the bluff above the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, is not my home; however, I was commissioned to photograph it and thought it was a good reminder to encourage all of you to photograph your homes as they are brightly lit for the upcoming holidays as well as during other seasons.  Of course, summer is a wonderful time to capture your landscaping and all the gorgeous blooms adorning the outdoor space but you might find that a few shots after a January blizzard also are fun to hang on the refrigerator and recall throughout the year.

Direction

"Conscience is a man's compass."

                                                   --Vincent van Gogh

   

Got Junk?

According to these images, yes!  Take a look at all the 'stuff' in this junkyard.  Since I tend to discard 'stuff' rather than keep it, I was amazed at all the 'stuff' occupying a few acres.  While snapping photos and meandering through the mowed, grassy paths, I kept thinking about the effort it took to assemble it all and about what a laborious task it would be to get rid of all the 'stuff.' 

In Black & White

 

"There are always two people in every picture;

the photographer and the viewer."

                                                 --Ansel Adams

More Acrylic Art

A few weeks ago I featured an image of some pretty neat graffiti that I found painted on the back of a business in small-town Iowa.  As noted in that post, I have a few more to share, including the photo below.  Of course, I am not going to attempt to interpret the messages contained in the artwork -- I'll leave that to you!  And, when you have it deciphered, please leave a comment to enlighten me!