Prayer-conditioned.

Used to go out on these frequent photo safaris with my old buddy Dan Brawner. Maybe start out with a nice diner breakfast, then off in search of any old funny thing, but the quarry was usually these changeable-message church signs. Finding a good one was a feeling akin to being a kid on Christmas morning.

Most of the earlier ones are on B&W film. Remember film, kids? Haven't been on many of these outings since life’s gone so overwhelmingly digital. Still get excited when I see one of the signs from a distance, hopeful that it’s a “good” one (they’re not all created equal, we always theorized that there was some central network, maybe even a website, that had stock ones. The best ones are clearly topical and the writing home-made).

Have recently started carrying my lovely new Canon G-10 almost always, but especially when I’m on trips, for just this sort of thing. Back to my favorite place to shoot...the street.

This one was in Newton, a small Illinois town, on the way back from Chicago last week. Not a particularly great one, but it’s a start back to a happy, familiar, lost place. Dan?

To stop you.

I may have posted this ages ago. Just re-did the digital version of it. My sister chose the original as her Christmas present this last year. Excellent choice, if I do say so myself.

Things we like—6th Annual Sock Monkey Madness Festival.

Who could resist such an event? More here. Much as I’ve loved sock monkeys for ages, I did not know many specifics about their origins. (Photo by Thomas H. Durand, who as far as I know, has no affiliation with the SMM Festival...just liked his picture)

“The Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford manufactured and sold Rockford Red Heel work socks from 1932 to 1992 which were used starting in the Great Depression to create a folk art sock monkey stuffed toy. Aware of the sock monkey craze, Nelson Knitting included the sock monkey doll pattern with each pair of Rockford Red Heel Socks sold starting in the early 1950's. In recent years, the sock monkey has gained a come back and is sold in department and specialty stores world wide. However, the interest in creating a uniquely American handmade doll from Rockford Red Heel Socks is still around to this day.The Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford manufactured and sold Rockford Red Heel work socks from 1932 to 1992 which were used starting in the Great Depression to create a folk art sock monkey stuffed toy. Aware of the sock monkey craze, Nelson Knitting included the sock monkey doll pattern with each pair of Rockford Red Heel Socks sold starting in the early 1950's. In recent years, the sock monkey has gained a come back and is sold in department and specialty stores world wide. However, the interest in creating a uniquely American handmade doll from Rockford Red Heel Socks is still around to this day.”

Watermelons make nice hats?

Crazy-ass sports fans... Man, this makes my head itch just looking at it. From a nice slideshow of Pics of the Week from MSNBC here. Courtesy of my buddy, Brandt.