Thursday, February 5, 2009

Yesterday's Sights

Yesterday, Husband and I made our annual pilgrimage to the accountant's office in a nearby town. He's a CPA/Farmer/Collector........his office walls and shelves are loaded with farm memorabilia. High atop a display case was this old photograph of the Artesian, Iowa.......dated "1910" on the back. Of course, my camera was in my purse, so I snapped a photo of this photo. The accountant's grandfather is in the photo. Click the photo to enlarge it and see the farmers from yesterday looking back at you.
After the tax appointment---whew, what a relief to have that over with---we ran to Waverly so Husband could run an errand. While he was inside this brick building of much character, I tiptoed around outside, trying to discreetly snap a few photos without raising suspicions that I was casing the joint for a future break-in. You just never know what people might think. I saw a funny video the other day about an amateur photographer---as many of us are---who got arrested for taking a picture of a train. He simply wanted to snap a photo of a shiny train. Someone thought he was terrorist or something.

Later in the day I ended up driving around some more and happened to see two deer foraging along a creek bank. Hopefully, you can spot them in this next photo. See the white tails hanging down in what I consider the "skunk-look position". Seriously, that is my theory.......the relaxed tails at first glance resemble a skunk's markings, possibly as a protective measure against a sudden encounter with a predator, whose first instinct would be to run away from a stinky skunk. That would give the deer time to start running away from the predator. Its probably not at all correct, but its my theory.
While at the accountant's office yesterday, I received a cell phone call from a UNI doctor.......he had just examined my daughter's congested throat. They ran tests......it is not mono and not strep, so it must be viral, he said. The tests did show that she's somewhat anemic and needs to start taking iron pills to replenish her stores. Her long-standing habit of eating hardly any red meat may be catching up with her. This evening she came home to get a quiet night's sleep, and will stay here and rest tomorrow. My high school son stayed home today, too, with a plugged nose and congested chest. Two weeks of too many basketball games scheduled is catching up with him and other members of the team, plus they run around on cold days with coats unzipped and heads uncovered. What do they expect.......that unzipped coats will somehow cause weather to warm up? Hey, I saw a sure sign of spring today.......a sign saying that the Dairy Queen in Waverly will reopen for the season, tomorrow. That has to mean spring is right around the corner........or perhaps, THE BLIZZARDS ARE COMING, THE BLIZZARDS ARE COMING!
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9 comments:

Gail said...

Great shots!

Anonymous said...

I'm amazed your picture of a picture came out so well! Where was the photographer standing? Was he on a roof? Was he up a tree? Was he a she? (Not likely, in those days.)

I question your dating of the picture, though. Do you see the advertisement for "The Birth of a Nation"?

Thanks for sharing that, it's great.

Especially like the berries on the brick wall, too.

Jeannelle said...

Hi, Gail,

Thanks. Nice to see you out and about again after your ordeal with the ice storm.

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Hi, sempringham,

On the back of the photo it said
"1910".....that's where the date came from. That could be an error. When did "Birth of a Nation" come out?

I'm thinking the photo was taken from the second story of a house or Moellers' Store across the street. Another photo I took yesterday is of Moellers' Store; near the roof line on the building is the date "1913", like that's the year it was built.

Pat - Arkansas said...

Great photos, Mrs. J! I really like the one of the shriveled fruit (grapes?) on the vines clinging to the brick wall.

I laughed out loud at your Dairy Queen comment. Blizzards, indeed! :)

Anonymous said...

Birth of a Nation was released in 1915. I should have said so in my comment, but didn't want to take away your pleasure of Googling it yourself on your new laptop. :-) It's not like I carry that information around in my head. Not enough room.

A great picture.

Jeannelle said...

Sempringham,

Just now had a chance to look up "Birth of a Nation". I knew it was a famous early silent film, but didn't know its storyline. Yikes. I wish the rest of the advertising sign was readable in the photo....telling where it was being shown.

At any rate, 1915 appears to be a more accurate date for this photo. The photo seems to be taken from the angle of the upper floor of the store, which wasn't built until 1913. Thank you for helping clear that up.

Kat Mortensen said...

That is an astonishing photo -- so many horses! Is that a billboard advertising the film, "Birth of a Nation" in the corner? That would be too incredible!

Thanks for snapping the pic, Jeannelle. It's really great!

By the way, I had that "Kitty" song in my head all day yesterday.

Kat

Kat Mortensen said...

Sorry - I really should read your comments first before I go shooting off my mouth.

I saw "Birth of a Nation" in my university Film studies' class. It's fantastic.


Kat

DesertHen said...

Wow, if that first photo could talk! Think of the stories it could tell!!

What is this world coming to when one can't even walk around taking photos without the worry of being arrested. Wait, don't answer that.....

Love the photo of the deer....very peaceful and calming to the eye.

Hope the kiddos feel better soon. Countrychick came down with the stomach flu this morning! ACK!!

(((HUGS)) to you my friend and stay warm.