A Serendipitous Photo Shoot by Bob Kelly

On the afternoon of February 20, while the sun was still shining, I went out to discover some images to capture, before the big snow storm hit that night (which it did)!  As I left Ames I spotted a coyote right along highway 30, but there was no way I could pull over and grab an image in the traffic, so I smiled and went on.  About five miles to the SW I saw what looked like an eagle sitting along the edge of a cornfield.  It seemed strange because eagles do not usually do that, but as I approached I could see the carcass of a dead raccoon, thus the eagle was nearby.  He did not flinch one bit, so I stopped and grabbed a burst of images through my driver side window, as I stayed in the car

About ten minutes later I saw a second eagle perched in a tree, right beside the road, and this one also was a poser for at least three minutes, which was enough to grab this image.

 Despite the fact that the old aging barn was partially obscured by tree branches, I liked the framing effect of the old trees on either side of the image and the ruts in the driveway, that led your eye to the barn.

 This shiny and sharp looking pickup chose to park outside and NOT in the garage behind it!

 The aged wood texture of this barn and window was a "must shoot" for me.

 The old tractor is aging in place, as a sentinel to the former grain elevator, that is being torn down.

 I liked the sign for Farnhamville with the grain elevator behind it, showcasing its agricultural setting.  As I left and went back to my car I saw a twenty dollar bill caught on some weeds.  I picked it up and was rewarded for going back to get this shot!  I suspect it blew out of a car window, was later covered with snow, and just appeared with recent melting.

I was captivated by the architecural style of Holy Trinity Luthern Church in Farnhamville.  The triangles within other triangles were distinctive.