State Fair Flower

One of my favorite things to do at the State Fair - take pictures of the award winning flowers.
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So Much Food...So Little Time

The Iowa State Fair...A Great State Fair...

Yellow Flower

Excuse the early post for Sunday and the use of a prior picture - we're in Ankeny staying with my daughter getting ready to go to the Iowa State Fair tomorrow - so no time to post. Plenty of pictures next week!!

The Sun Came Out

The rain quit and the sun came out - it hit the neighbors flag just right...
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Wet, Wet, Wet

The picture says it all...wet...
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Lilly

A Lilly in the flower garden in front of the credit union.
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Hello

An exhibit at the Phelps Youth Pavillion, Waterloo, Iowa.

Tree or What's Left

Trinity Tree in 2005


2009


2009 At Night

2009 taken with a 100-400mm Canon Lens

I've been photographing this tree behind Trinity Episcopal Parish for years.

(Click on a photograph for a larger view).

The Backside of a Wasp

I swear - my new lens can one so close I believe you could count the hairs on a wasps butt!! Try it... clock on the photo for a larger image and see how many hairs you can count.

Gas Prices

I went to fill up my vehicle with gas yesterday. I pulled in, had the hose in the tank and was patiently waiting for the pump to reset when one of the employees came out and said, "Sir, please turn the pump off while we lower the gas price."

No problem for me - after I finished pumping and paying I snapped a quick photo as she changed the sign... I love it when gas prices go down!!

How many places would have waited until after I had filled my tank to lower the price? I appreciate honesty and integrity and will continue to do business at this particular gas station.

Plenty of People Taking Pictures

A photographer from the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier.


A Videographer from The Grout Museum.

As part of the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival the artists performed live for Iowa Public Radio. There were plenty of people taking pictures - I decided to take a picture of people taking pictures.
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Hunter Capoccioni

Unter Capoccioni, founder and artistic director of the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Feststival, plays his double bass.
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Wet Orange Flower

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Yet Another Yellow Flower

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The Rain Continues

The rain continues... it may be wet, but makes for some good photo opportunities.
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Natures Framing

I was struck at how nature seemed to frame this image.

Vardanyan Duo

The artists for the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival gave a brief performance last evening at the Elks Club in Waterloo as a kickoff to this weeks festival events. The festival is a week long with events happening in several venues - including children's concerts at the Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries. The Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival exists to show case local and regional musicians performing a diverse repertoire in intimate settings. The above photo is the Vardanyan Duo - Emily and Tigran Vardanyan.


One of their violins.
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Lunch

One must always remember to stop for proper nourishment...

...no matter how small..
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2 Lenses

Taken with a Canon 17-85mm Lens


Taken with the Canon 100-400mm Lens...
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Sturdy Fellow

This little tree has been coming in through a crack in the cement - I noticed it one day last week and every day I expect to see it "squished" - but it is there every morning.


A close up....
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1st Picture With New Lens

Here is the 1st picture I took with my new Canon 100-400mm Zoom Lens. I love it - so - standby there will be more pictures!!
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Wall

An interesting stone wall...
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Standing Guard

This concrete lion stands guard in a flower garden.
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Old Cameras

So, we know what I was doing last night at 8:12 - taking a photo for today... A few of my older cameras2 Brownies, an AE1 Canon and a small Pentax. The phtograph on the was is an Ansel Adams print (reproduction).
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Cool Cloud

An interesting cloud.
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Football Berries

We were at a church softball game last night and as always I was looking for photo ops. I was looking up into a crab apple tree and was going to take a macro shot of a crab apple and I noticed something very odd... I zoomed in on what I that was an odd looking crab apple and this is what I saw...
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Parking

Is it me, or shouldn't the car be pointed in the same direction as the arrow?

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Quiet Day

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Flowers (again)

We went to Cedar Rapids yesterday afternoon to help celebrate our daughter-in-law's 40th birthday. They have some gorgeous flowers growing around their driveway - so, with camera in hand, here are a couple as seen through my eyes.
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Fat Cat

There are 2 cats, a dog, and several birds at my mother's nursing home. It is apparent that at least one of the cats is getting a few "exra" snacks. I don't know if the cat and the bird are friends and are just visiting, or if the cat is contemplating lunch... I suspect lunch.

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Black and White

I took some photos yesterday using the monochrome setting in my camera.
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Hair Trimming Accident

Before trim...

After trim (take off a little here, a little there, no...a little more here...and, a little more there) - end result - no hair!!

(Click on photo to view a larger image [don't know why you'd want to but..])

Touchdown

Coming in for a landing...feet down...


Down...


What?
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Birthday Girl

My Mother celebrated her 94th birthday. She is in a nursing home and is "pleasantly confused" . She always recognizes my wife and almost always thinks I'm her brother. Once reminded, however, she seems to recognize that I am her son. She got that one candle out and my sister had to help with the rest.
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Grass

Nothing special here - I just like the photograph.
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