Downtown Art (190/365)

Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it.
Robert Motherwell (American painter, printmaker, and editor.1915 – 1991)

TIME: 7:03 PM
PLACE:  Downtown
SUBJECT: Building art

This was known as the “Hole” for a number of years. 
The building had burnt, was torn down by the city and the remaining clean-up responsibility was the subject of a lawsuit between the city and the building’s former owner.
Finally, a settlement was reached and the “hole” (former basement of the building) was filled in.
Green space is there for now.
The side of the building was decoratively plastered by the former owner of the destroyed building and periodically, the four squares are changed out with different artwork.
Right now, we have bovines.


A view of the entire area.
(The Beatles and the woman’s head are located to the left, out of the frame.)

A Calf and Some Gas

TIME: 11:58 AM
SUBJECT:  Meatball, a 6-week old calf

Our local historical society had a street fair and historic district house tour today.  My dad, sister-in-law and I met up to take the tour.
Meatball, aka "Belle" is an 8-week-old, black angus calf.  Her role at the street fair was to walk down a street which was once known as "Cow Street,"  In our town’s early days, this was how people used to take their cows to pasture.  She performed at 10:35am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm.

TIME:  10:38 AM
PLACE:  Downtown
SUBJECT:  Gas Meters

While waiting for my dad and sister-in-law to arrive, I took this photo of gas meters for my husband (he works in the gas department of the local utility company).
That’s the kind of thoughtful wife I am.

Skull (310/365)

“The madhouse of the skull.”
 
Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), Irish dramatist, novelist. The narrator, in Ill Seen Ill Said, p. 20, Grove Press (1981).

TIME:  7:05 PM
PLACE:  Living Room
SUBJECT:  Cow skull

Before I left last week, StellaDella requested that she wanted me to bring her only one thing back from Texas – a cow skull.  From any other 7-year-old girl, that would be an odd request.  From my daughter, not so much.  On Saturday, I located this one.  I liked it because the horns curled under.  I was told that this was because the rancher weighted the horns to keep them from catching on things or from accidently goring the other cows or the rancher.  I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face today when I gave it to her.  I wasn’t disappointed – she adores it.

Father’s Day 2011 (170/365)

If your dad is anything like mine, then you have no clue what to buy him for Father's Day. The only Father's Day tradition in my family is the annual conversation he and I have where I say, "Hey, Dad, what do you want for Father's Day this year?" and he says, "Nothing." Then I ask my mom what I should get him and she says, "He likes sandalwood soap, dangly jewelry and Chanel No 5 perfume."

Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and director.

TIME:  10:45 AM
PLACE:  MY Garage Museum & Retail Store. Effingham, IL
SUBJCT: Modified Street Runner Herbie from the 2005 movie

HH wanted to go to the MY Garage Museum for Father’s Day.  So we did.  He was more interested in the Corvette portion of the museum than the smaller VW side – but personally, I liked seeing Herbie the best.  HH procured some floor mats for his girlfriend Corvette and a book – the Corvette Bible.  We ate lunch at a Lone Star Steakhouse, then headed toward his second destination.  After several detours due to some flood water issues:


TIME:  2:18 PM
PLACE:  Reymond Ave - Greenville, IL
SUBJECT:  Flooded road
(If you blow this up, you can see a car that didn’t quite make the crossing)

we stopped at the Marcoot Jersey Creamery and tasted and purchased several cheeses.  I talked HH into walking to the barns even though we were warned that it might be somewhat “mucky” due to the rains - I promised to remove my shoes before re-entering the ‘Vette if they got muddy – wait! - isn’t that why he bought the floor mats?  A little anal about that car, aren’t we my dear? *wink*  I’m glad we went to the barn…I was able to see many Jersey calves like this one:

TIME:  3:03 PM
PLACE:  Marcoot Jersey Creamery – Greenville, IL
SUBJECT:  Jersey calf

Awwww – how sweet!  And because I love my husband, I made sure no mud was tracked into the car.  Happy Father’s Day honey! 

A Goose And A Steer Walk Into A Park…(090/365)

“Why didn't the baby goose believe anything his father said?…He thought it was all papagander.”

Bad animal joke


”Why shouldn’t you tell jokes about cows?…Because nobody likes a cattle-tale.”

Even worse animal joke.

TIME:  2:01 and 2:10 PM
PLACE:  Park
SUBJECT:  A Canadian goose and a steer (I think)

The HH and I went out to lunch today at our favorite sushi place.  Afterwards, we went for a little drive and stopped at a county park to see what there was to photograph.  We found this goose by a pond with its companion, while the steer was in the wooden part of a field adjacent to the park road.

How Now Brown Cow? (212/365)

 
“Sacred cows make the best hamburger”

Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer, 1835-1910)

TIME:  7:34 PM
PLACE:  Concordia Church Road
SUBJECT:  Bos taurus

Today was an errand and clean the car day.  One of the errands was going to the library to return some overdue library books.  I also had to replace a book that got caught in a soda bath.  Jack the cat has this thing for knocking over glasses of liquid – one of my library books happened to be in the line of fire.  Thank heavens for Amazon.com!  MonkeyBoy helped vacuum and wash the Jeep, so after dinner, as a reward, MB, StellaDella and I went to the video store to rent some games for their NintendoDS systems.  But before we went there, I told them that we were going for a little drive so I could find a picture to take.  On this country road, we passed a herd of cows and they both decided that the cows would make a good subject.  I turned around and pulled to the side of the road and took photos from the car.  SD helped out by yelling “Hey cows…look over here!” and you know what?  They did.