Pool Party Panorama

Still playing around with the panorama option on the iPhone to capture the pool at night.

The weather has cooled down considerably so when you get out of the water, and the air hits you, it feels like fall. Brrrr. Last day of July.

The Girls Eye the Mobile Ropes Course at the BSA Booth, Ohio State Fair

The Girls at the Boy Scouts of America Booth- Eyeing Mobile Ropes Course

Michael and Maura eye Goldie and Tiger

We didn’t play any games but these goldfish were foisted on us by a girl who won them. Sadly, both are deceased already(the first within 24 hours) despite the investment in an aquarium with filter and lights and pretty gravel and conditioning the water etc etc.

The Railroad Display

Petting a calf. The calf was a prize in a drawing. No, we did NOT enter the drawing.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

All seven kids on the inflatable chair at the State Farm Booth. And obviously had them pose for this shot.

State Fair Food, Signs and 2000 Pounds of Butter

As promised yesterday, here’s a sampling of the food available at the Ohio State Fair.

People were generous in allowing me to photograph the food they purchased and were about to consume.

I’m sorry I didn’t get pics of the actual Roast Beef Sundae and the Donut Burger. There is a lot more to see and eat.

Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana with Sprinkles

The Ribbon (potatoes fried) with Cheese and Ranch Dressing.

Deep Fried Everything

Deep Fried Buckeyes

Cotton Candy Booth

Dipping the Roasted Corn in Butter

A Burger in a Donut for a Bun

Peppers and Onions on the Grill

Muddy Pigs Booth

Grilling Chicken

Fairgoers eating Deep Fried Turkey Legs?

The Butter Cow Sculpture

(I wanted to see this as I remember seeing one a long time ago when I was young)

I read an interesting obituary in the New York Times Norma Lyon, the Butter Cow Lady in 2011

543 Hours to Create the Butter Sculpture Display Kept at 46 degrees F

Ohio State Fair Youth Choir Founder, Glenville Thomas (d. 1991) Honored in Butter Sculpture

Kettle Corn Booth

French Fries Booth

Gyro Booth

Funnel Cake with Powdered Sugar on Top

Ohio State Fair – Columbus Ohio

Today’s post is primarily people. A few animals. Or people and animals. The food highlights will be a separate post. Stay tuned for a Deep Fried Buckeye. No, I didn’t eat it but someone let me photograph theirs.

I accompanied two moms and seven children! We had a wonderful afternoon. Perfect summer day. Last year our visit to the fair was cut short by a severe thunderstorm. If you are new to the blog you can check it out here

Fans from the egg farmers- outside the Taste of Oho Pavillion- four of them are my grandchildren. Three are their friends.

Thanks for letting me photograph your shirt in the Taste of Ohio Pavillion

No, not going to guess my weight or age today!

Union General from the Civil War Encampment checks out the cowgirl boots

Being taken back to the livestock/ stall area after showing

Abe Lincoln chats with fairgoers

Cowgirl Boots galore

Airbrush artist

Posting a No Firearms sign on the Dairy Pavillion

Jack and Drew talk to the Pirate about missing treasure

At the Cardinal gate.

Bent traffic cone and Ohio State Trooper giving directions

Jack milked a cow. Why he put the sticker on his mouth is beyond me.We did not put it there!

Watching the pig races

Weaving a scarf

Rousing band music

Checking the bags of wool

The horse barn

Sleeping near the livestock

Catching a quick nap behind the concession stands

Waiting in line to milk the cow

Looking down the walkway lined with horse stalls

Exhausted. This woman takes a nap on the grass.

Perfect summer day. Last year our visit to the fair was cut short by a severe thunderstorm. If you are new to the blog you can check it out here

It’s a Blimp!

Three of the kids were playing in the sandbox and backyard tent when we saw and heard this blimp. They were really excited. It was going back and forth and all around. I had seen it earlier on Polaris Parkway but thought it was a tethered balloon for a used car place or something like that.

I shot the first with the phone and the second with the Canon 5D. I think the phone pic looks pretty good. But the larger file could withstand a crop to read the blimp’s lettering which we could not with our eye.

So it’s beer, day two!

And the advertising said:

BUDWEISER

Designate a Driver

(A crop from the photo above)

Horse Piss Beer Near Lexington KY- Guest Blog

There- I put it right in the title – Horse Piss Beer- so there are no surprises about the photo of the day. I try to keep things family friendly on the blog but this is about family.

My son Mark is on business in Kentucky and sent me this on the phone tonight. He’s near Lexington. I love when my family sends me a photo and says “for the blog” and the other reason I’m posting-

My dad always told us that beer tasted like horse piss. I think that was to make us not want to drink it. Now he was born in 1912 in Farmersville Illinois and grew up on a farm that included horses but I doubt he actually tasted the urine from any horse. My parents didn’t drink but my father’s father surely did and that is why my dad did not. So maybe he knew what he was talking about, the taste was like the scent? One of the reviews of the beer said it smells like tomatoes.

This is not an endorsement for drinking this golden colored brew ( I went and read a few reviews and am not seeking a sample!) but their website states

“Horse Piss Beer is dedicated to helping others. A percentage of the sales of the beer and merchandise will be donated to help disabled jockeys and adoption programs for our equine friends.”

My father and his warnings about the taste of beer made me feel my dad was sending me a message with Mark’s photo. Seriously. And so I share it with you.

and a photo I took in a backyard at a birthday party almost two weeks ago (thanks BJ and T)

NatGeo Photo Workshop: A Review

Travel Monkey

Kongo spent last week in Santa Fe, New Mexico attending a National Geographic Expeditions Photography Workshop. This is a review of the workshop. I updated this post to include a video made by the staff of our week in the Photo Workshop.

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Light Writing in the Backyard

Four grandchildren in the backyard

+Four White Lightning Sticks with strobe effect (@$5)

+Fading light

+Grandma’s camera on bulb setting, propped on the garden fence.

+Energy and Enthusiasm for the experiment

= ________________________ FUN!

We started out slowly, sitting down on the lawn.

I suggested a little more movement. I’d say they complied on both of these shots.

Michael, Maura, Anna and Jack with their White Lightning Sticks in the Backyard

The final one, directed by Anna, Circles all around. She staggered her siblings so no one hit one another. It started to get buggy. We’ll try again another night.

Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia

At least a year ago, my friend Connie W. from Florida, sent a newspaper article from an Ocala paper about the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb Croatia. Connie must have read it and thought of Matthew, my son who lives there. I asked him one time about it and then another time and we didn’t talk about it or mention it for along while. Then I said I hope he could take Flat Ruthie there as I thought it would be an interesting place to visit. Then Flat Ruthie went missing. And besides Flat Ruthie hasn’t really had any relationships to break up that I’m aware of………….

Today in my email I received photographs of his visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships. Here is what Matthew wrote:

My Blog-following friends- Sasha, Ana Maria and Tanja asked if I had taken Flat Ruthie to the Museum of Broken Relationships. I hadn’t. So we decided to go together and take some pics for the Blog. Flat Ruthie was too busy exploring the remote reaches of my desk drawers, so she opted not to join us this time. I bought a Bad Memories Eraser for Mom at the gift shop, but a few hours later ran into a friend who needed it more. Her boyfriend has gone to NYC to play the drums.

I wonder what she’ll donate to the museum: a pair of scuffed sticks or an abandoned ride cymbal? Hopefully, she’ll update us when she decides – Matthew