Havin' A Cow...

 

This cow hangs out over the sidewalk, next to the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL.  This was Edwardsville Frozen Foods going back to 1947, then the Goshen Butcher Shop in 2017.  Sadly. it appears to be closed. But the cow remains, at least.  

Square Peg

So.... one of the photo challenegs I'm focusing on this year is the 52-week challenge, which presents a different theme for each week of the year.  We're nearing the end of week 3, and the theme is "Architecture".  So, I ran out at lunchtime yesterday and snagged the above photo.  Converted th black and white on the computer, that tweaked to give an "old timey" look.

I've taken a few photos of this site over the years, but I'm confident this is a new take (for me at least!).

In my posting, I noted  "Pretty sure it is (or was) a grain tower."    I decided to do some internet digging and found some more info:  The area was called Mont Station in the late 1989's through 1930's.  This "modern concrete fire-proof grain elevator" was built in 1913, replacing the previous wooden elevator.

Cool history to go with a funky old building.  Sort of surprising that it is over 100 years old!

Dewey's Pizza

Dewey's Pizza, in Edwardsville, IL, is one of my family's favorite pizza places.  Good food, super service, cool atmosphere.  Pretty much perfect in all regards, except it can be a little busy sometimes.  So we tend to go on the early side to beat the crowd.

On this day, I was struck by the early sunset, and the clouds, and the store sign.  So I stopped for a quick photo.  I like this enough to tweak it while waiting for our pizza, then decided to post it to the book-of-face as a "check in".   I was overly excited when I quickly received a "like" from Dewey's themselves, along with a nice comment.

Not that it means anything in the overall scheme of things, but I got a kick out of it.

Taken w/ my iPhone., tweaked using snapseed ap.

Stumped

There's a park in Edwardsville that is known as "Airplane Park".  Because it has an A17E Corsair plane at the entrance.

When my daughters were young, this was a great place to go.  It had a great play structure, and plenty of room for soccer practice. And, a small hiking train in the back.  Just a little loop, maybe 0.5 mile, but a great way to introduce the kiddies to woods.

Anyway, it had probably been at least 15 years since I'd been back there, and I wasn't even sure it was still there.  Until my wife suggested we check.

You can probably guess that it is, indeed, still there, based on the photo...

Just a little something from the iPhone.

Moon Dreams

Dusk at Schon Park, Glen Carbon.  There's a walking group at our church that has been walking Schon Pack / Greenspace North every week.  At least for 6 weeks or so.  We usually go about 1.5 miles or so.   It's a nice thing, we usually have 7-9 people.  But as the days are getting shorter, the sunsets are getting sooner....  Which did allow me this moonrise shot, at least!  (taken last Monday, 9/9)

The plan is to continue through the last Monday in September, the resart in the spring.

Title is from the Miles Davis song...

Too Many Sunsets? - Again

Yeah I know...  This one is from a week ago.  Not quite the "classic" sunset, but I rather like this one.  The sun is a little blown-out, but I really wanted to maintain the detail in thr foreground.  I suppose if I was really good I could've done a stacked exposure kind of thing (with multiple images).  Or if I had a graduated ND filter.  But I'm not that fancy.

Taken at Schon park in Glen Carbon.

 Title is in reference to yesterday's post.

SOOC - Schon Park

SOOC = Straight Of Of Camera...  meaning no post processing.  No crop, not burn and dodge, nothing.  And it is something that you will rarely see from me.  Really really rarely...

But here's an example, straightv from my iPhone.  Just something I shot to IM to my wife, to let her know where I was.  I rather liked it, so I posted to Facebook.  And now, here.

Of course, looking at it on my computer screen, I'm not sure I can resist tweaking.

Must....  resist....   must...  resist...

Ok, just a quick tweak (operative word = "quick")

Criterium

Yesterday (Saturday 8/20) was the Edwardsville Criterium Festival.  This was the 7th year they've held this series of high-speed bicycle races, free kids races, live bands, and an open containers perimeter, all on the streets of Downtown Edwardsville.  I had never been before, but dropped in for a bit yesterday to get a feel for it.  Pretty cool.

I managed a few photos:

 

Do Geese See God?

Made a short photo excursion to Schon Park this morning, think I managed a few workable images.  We;ll start with this one, a trio of geese leaving.  I think they were offended at my approach.I'm not a big goose fan, but I rather like how this one turned out, with each goose's wings in a different position...

The title is a just a silly palindrome, which happens to appear in the Weird Al Yankovic song Bob, which happened to be on the iPod on my drive home.  And that's how these things happen...

Click on image for larger version:

At Least I'm Not Bitter... UPDATED

Updated 5/30:  Looking back, this post comes off as a bit petty.  And while I can say I didn't mean it that way, I'm probably lying to myself.  Probably projecting back (30+ years) when I did some shooting for the Duke Chronicle.  When I didn't enjoy every assignment, and certainly "phoned it in" more than once.  That, and a bit of envy over the "real photographer", I suppose.

Meanwhile, the Intellegencer subsequently posted a series of Memorial Day photos that were fine in every respect.

-------------------------------------------------------

So...  back on 5/18, I posted an image from an early Memorial Day observance.  Quick side story from that event:  When I arrived, I took a few minutes to scout out the area, looking for good angles, and/or photo ops.  As I walked along the outside of the cemetary fence, I passed the photographer from the local newspaper, presumably doing the same thing.  Being a naturally cheerful sort, I said something like "Hi, How're ya doing?"....  He said: Nothing.  At least nothing verbal.  I perceived a bit of a glare, but that may be just a subjective perception.  How Rude!  So, I made a point to check out his photo in the paper, and was unimpressed (perhaps just jealous?)...

Flash forward a week, to to the "real" Memorial Day observance.  Again, I'm there (with my son's scout troop) and so is the local press' photographer.  We didn't cross paths that day.  But, I did make a point to check out the paper yeaterday.  And on the front page, his photo (click here for photo at Edwardsville Intellegencer site)...  Now, I took several similar photos, looking for the "right" composition.  This one was my favorite:

 

 

There's a couple more attempts at mpix.  And even one from the 2013 observance.

 

So now, I can't help thinking that the guy who couldn't be bothered to acknowledge my existance a week earlier, copied my composition.  Only not as well (IMHO).

 

Or am I crazy?

Fun with Fungi?

I found these funky fungi along the trail at Watershed Nature Center.  Yes, another post from last weekend's wandering. Deal with it. (please?)

Fail... And Fail Again.

Another image from Watershed Nature Center.  When I captured this, I thought it would be great.  But after the fact?  Meh.  Maybe it's the distracting background elements (darn duck).  Maybe the fact that the rotted stump doesn't stand out at all (darn weather)...  I dunno.

I tried a different crop, focusing on the stump.  But I don't like it even as much as the original. But I'll still share, just in case I'm being too harsh on myself.
       <>

Watershed On A Dreary Day

Another image from Sunday's excursion to Watershed Nature Center.    It wasn't a very nice day, the light was dull and flat.  It even rained a bit.  But I thought this turned out decent.  Except for the pesky people on the trail (right side background) that I didn't notice at the time.  Grrrrr.....

Layered

Last image from last Sunday's walk at Greenspace North.  This is actually the first shot of the series, but last up here.  A large tree trunk laying alongside a small creek. The whole circle of life thing, ya know?  I liked the layers effect...  Moss, wood, leaves twigs, mud, water.

Weathered

Another from last Sunday's walk through Greenspace North.  I guess you'd call this the trunk of a bush?  Whatever the technical term, I was intrigued by the thing.  A longer view is at Happenstance...  This is one of those times when I wish I knew more about botany.  Anybody know what this plant is??  I may have to go back and take some photos that shoe the whole plant.

Out In The Woods...

Local lawns were a LOT greener this weekend, compared to just a few days a go.  But it's still pretty bare in the woods.  Which is OK, especially for wandering around off the tails.  I took this image Sunday afternoon during a late afternoon excursion to Glen Carbon's "Greenspace North".  Just a few dozen feet off the trail, but enough to find some nice perspectives...    Locations was somewhere around here.

Post title is from the Leon Russell song:  "Can't tell the bad from the good, I'm out in the woods"

Red Shed, Cold March

I'm not sure this qualifies as a bran, a shed, a work-shop, or what.  But it's noy a farm, so I'll drop barn.  I'll go with shed, unless somebody complains.

Just a little something taken during my COLD walk yesterday...  Playing around with effects in Photoshop Elements.  Below is the cropped, but unfiltered version:

click to see bigger

In Like A Lion....

They say that March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.  Well, this year, I think they're at least 1/2 right...  We'll have to see about going out.

On the plus side, they were calling for significant freezing rain, followed by upwards of 6" of snow.  That hasn't (so far at least) materialized.  On the other hand, it's 12 degrees with 7 mph wind, and they're still saying it might snow more...  And the low tonight is expected to be 5 degrees, with wind chills nearing -20.

I'm officially tired of it, and ready for spring.  All in good time, I suppose.

Yawn?

What 'd'ya think?  BOOORING?   or Subtly sublime?

This small stand of trees is NOT in the deep woods, although that's kind of what I was hoping to imply.   There's an interstate about 0.1 mile deep into the photo, and a major thoroughfare about 0.1 mile to the right.  And suburbia all around.

Anyway, I've always liked this little burst of woods (which is not far from my home).  In fact, this image was taken when walking the dogs yesterday...

Hello February

Well, January is gone, and good riddance.  On the other hand, its not like February promised a whole lot better.  But the days are getting longer, the cold spells shouldn't be quite as cold, and we're inching closer to spring.

Image is from today's walking the dags.  34 degrees and light rain.  Not exactly a perfect day, but we still had a good walk.  This is on the east side of our neighborhood, where some folk still have corn fields in their back yard...