Where Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream Comes From ...

Well, of course, it has to come from a big resin Guernsey, all ten feet of her. I think if you had to be painted up and ride around on the back of a flatbed trailer all day, your teats would probably make unusual flavors, too.

Is she dreaming of flying over the moon?

Do the teats become clogged with peanut butter swirl? 

Is the ice cream pre-churned with a curl on top?

Well, at least she's been saved from one indignity.

I want to free the plastic cow.

Postcard Worthy: Confluence

Taken in 2007 from the deck of the Dresden Belle, this photograph shows participants
in the annual sternwheel boat races gathering at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers
after the completion of their heats. The races are held each year as the culmination of the Ohio River Sternwheel Regatta at Marietta, Ohio

I took this picture in 2007 while standing on the deck of my boat, the Dresden Belle. We'd just finished taking part in our heat of the annual races, which are the climax of the annual Marietta Ohio River Sternwheel Regatta. It was our first year and we didn't win, but who knew that, like NASCAR, there were "side draft" issues in boat races! 


I loved standing on the deck of the boat, to feel the breeze in my hair. Every shift in steering Carl made I could feel beneath my feet; likewise, if she wasn't working right I could also feel that. When the races were over, the boats gathered on the Ohio River at the mouth of the Muskingum, creating this scene, reminiscent of a time when the packet boats were a common sight on America's rivers.

Always remember, however, that postcards are advertisements, pretty pictures meant to entice, perhaps to deceive. I loved my boat, I loved the way that scene unfolded before us. What I didn't know was that the people and things I loved had a long history of deceit. The above scene was the last of a happy ten years; the postcard and the reality were two different things.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this month's City Daily Photo Theme Day.

The Roof Car

Okay, it's not like I didn't know it was there because it was one of the first things I heard about when I moved to Indy. I will say that I expected something a little more distinguished; I'd thought a guy put his race car on top of his business, and maintained it's appearance. One is supposed to honor and respect the people, animals and machines that do well for you. Not this.


The car is a roadster, built by Kurtis-Kraft in 1954 and designated model KK500C. It was sold by Frank Kurtis to a pair of  Indianapolis car dealers to compete in the 1954 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Driven by Bill Homeier, the car started eleventh, but finished last after a pit accident on lap 74. The following year, it was driven by Sam Hanks, started sixth but finished nineteenth after experiencing transmission problems on Lap 134. 


The car had it's best result in the 1956 race, finishing second, again with Sam Hanks as it's driver. After the 1957 race, the car was sold to a group of Indianapolis businessmen who owned the Safety Auto Glass Company on Southeastern Avenue. Despite several attempts over the next few years, the car never again qualified for the "500." During it's last appearance on the track in 1961, the car was backed into the Turn Four wall by driver Bill Randall. 


Since it was probably outdated and had become uncompetitive, the car's owners put the car on the roof of the business, crumpled tail and all, where it has been since. It was blown off the roof during a storm in 1964, but was quickly returned to it's perch.


The car has borne the dreams of men with honor, been driven by two who went on to win the Indy 500, and itself finished as high as second. From distinguished career, to decoration, to derelict it straddles the corner of the building. Traces of its lettering and numbers remain as it decays, like the painting of Dorian Grey, taking on the ravages and disappointments of time. Each year we renew our own Indy hopes and dreams with newer, faster cars and young men and women to drive them.

We age, but the dream remains young.

Looking for Shade

I walked around downtown all day tending to business, but looking for pictures, too. One thing I had in common with all the people I met was that I was looking for shade; whether it was under a tree or along the side of a building, we wanted respite from the sun's glare.


The sun shone it's light on and through the green and yellow stripes of the plantings outside the Chase building on Monument Circle, and lent an air of privacy to the little pocket of shade outside the Firehouse Building on East Washington Street. I may have been looking for shade, but what the sun gave me was contrast.

Whew... shelter from the sun as well as some pretty pictures.

Truck Porn

Well, I won't go so far as to say that Speedway, Indiana is the only town in the United States where this could happen, but it's one of about thirty cities across the country where you could say, "We're gonna have about forty-five shiny big trucks parade through town" and a batch of people would show up to make a party of it.

Front grill of  the truck owned by Roush-Fenway Racing,
which hauls cars driven by Carl Edwards

And, boy, did they show up! Two rows of semi-tractor haulers, parked in two rows, nose to tail for over a half mile along Speedway's Main Street were greeted by people young and old, big and small. They ooohed and awwed, asked questions, took pictures of their kids, had pictures taken of themselves in front of their favorite driver's car hauler.

I wandered for an hour, walking first down one side of the display, taking pictures as I went, where I saw a lot of people doing the same. Then I returned, coming back between the two rows of these beautifully designed and polished behemoths. Brightly painted, they are rolling displays for their corporate sponsors. A circus come to town for a few days' run, then taking the excitement to the next city the following weekend.

While most of the haulers have a contemporary appearance,
that of driver Tony Stewart's has an almost retro feel 

Rear end of the hauler for driver Kyle Busch's cars.
Any guesses as to which products he's promoting?

Sadly, there is something wrong with my mouse - it won't allow me to crop my photos as neatly as I prefer, so I'm only posting a few of the better full frame images. Maybe in a couple days ...

Summer Color

I just wanted a splash of color today. 

The coneflower and her garden pals provided just the thing.

Woo Hoo! I Feel A Breeze!

On my way home from work I stopped at the grocery for a few items, then walked the rest of the way home. For the first time in weeks, the heat wave had broken long enough to bring people out of their homes. Yes, it's still warm but there was a nice breeze to invite people away from the A/C.


Among them were the members of the boys' soccer team from Speedway High School, taking a run around the park before starting a pre-season practice session.Then a bit farther on, a woman sheperded her young son across the street so he could ride his tricycle on the park's jogging path.

And not far behind came Alex, followed by his mom pushing his new baby sister her her stroller. They, too, had a park excursion on their agenda, with maybe a stop at the playground.

Everyone agreed, it was finally nice to be outdoors without the sun bearing down, adding to the grumpiness and irritability of big and little folk alike.