A Statuary Challenge For YOU!

Ok, yesterday the empty fridge and cupboards were crying for a new supply of groceries, so I ventured away from the farm for a few hours. See what photo-blogging is doing to me.......I actually took my camera along! On a grocery run......looney-bin here I come!

I drove carefully on the icy, snowy roads, scanning the horizon for something worth photographing in the scenery-challenged environs of my home area. Unfortunately, not a mountain, ocean, or lake came into view. The little rivers we have are all covered in snow......great picture that would make.

Suddenly, this rather unusual sculpture came to mind. It is found on the campus of Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, the town I had chosen for my grocery expedition. Quickly, I veered off Bremer Avenue for a couple blocks, found a parking spot, and ran through the cold air to capture this fellow on film.....er, I mean, memory card.

Believe it or not, he is St.Francis of Assisi.......right here on the campus of a Lutheran college! I'm not exactly sure what the nature-loving saint is sculpted to be doing in this pose.......dancing, catching sunbeams, feeding birds, or just plain doing his thing of enjoying nature. Several years ago, on a tour of the campus, I think I heard the story of how this sculpture got here, but the details elude me now. Maybe once I'm done posting this, I'll pretend to be a real photo-journalist and do some research to find out more about this statue. Stay tuned.

My son attended Wartburg College for two years before he went to Iowa State. At Wartburg, he was a member of Ritterchor, the men's choir, and I was privileged to attend several concerts in the acoustically fantastic Wartburg Chapel, adjacent to St. Francis.

In light of this.......here's a challenge for any photo-bloggers who may read this: Post a photo of a statue or sculpture in your area (not mass-produced garden statuary). It has to be of a person, and tell us a little bit about him or her. Submit a comment here, including the link address to your blog post.

(I'm fairly new to blogging, so maybe this challenge has already been done......let me know.)

P.S. - When I returned home from shopping yesterday, I soon realized I had forgotten to buy an important item that we needed.......TOILET PAPER!

This fact reminds me to tell you all to be sure and read CountryGirl's blog post for today. She had quite an experience!

P.S. - See Russell's statue photo and info here .