Monday Morning Coffee: Yogi / Accepting / Preparing / Memory

To quote Yogi Bera: 

"The future ain't what it used to be."

Locally the weather has offered a long, dark, rainy, windy and flooded start to April.  

Additionally, need to personalty begin accepting and to continue accomplishing in spite of the recent reality.

As part of the accepting, been procuring a few   essential necessities before they vanish and / or become expensive. 

First off was the purchase of a rather large amount of coffee.  Know this is a personal tic, but a important item in my creative life.

Secondly as noted in an earlier post, a bit of, while still available and reasonably priced, photography equipment.  A smaller / lighter camera and two lenses for planed future projects.

Finally, a couple analog magazine subscriptions to accompany the visual offerings of TV. 

Hopefully we're ready to properly respond to our evolving world.

In the near future all we will have is a past distance memory of what once was.

    Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

TGIF: Todays New World / Antwerp

  Photography follows below.

From an early November 2024 result, I have been mentally and emotionally challenged.

The return of the game-show host whose show had been canceled 4 years earlier has caused personal trauma.

A few an explanations: 

1.  We now have leadership beset by confusion, uncertainty and mixed messages amounting to acts of self-indulgence.

2.  Global trade flawed tariffs, some of which are imposed on territories that are uninhabited, are stunning knowledgeable economists.

3.  There is no, with exception of a few large format wooden cameras, domestic production of cameras / lenses.  

Rather for the most part, photography products are made in EU, China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Responding:

Along with the early announced tariffs, the new additional ones with continue to increase the price of photography equipment as the added cost will certainly be passed on the buyer. 

So - After several months of planing upcoming photography projects and reviewing present equipment, have purchased, before the rise in price, a collection of cameras, lenses and printers to undertake this new work.

Enough of personal problems / solutions, let's move on to photography.   

Antwerp has a 2025 population of 1,681, is currently declining at a rate of 0% annually and its population has increased by 0.06% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,680 in 2020.

   Antwerp, Ohio.

The average household income in Antwerp is $70,029 with a poverty rate of 10.75%.

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Black & White Wednesday: PLUS ONE / St. Marys

 Since 1981 Plus One Professionals Real Estate

    St. Marys, Ohio.

has been serving Ohio communities in Mercer, Allen, Shelby and Auglaize Counties.

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Monday Morning Coffee: Peru / Nickel Plate Saloon

 

 

March is leaving like a lion as the day begins with overcast skies, windy conditions and temperatures in the 40's feeling like the 30's. 

The week ahead will be a busy time with a couple of medical appointments.  

Also, should receive the correct Pentax 10-70 mm lens.  Hopefully the weather and medical results will allow for testing it.

On to some Midwest information and photography.   

Peru, the county seat of Miami County, with a 2025 population of 10,963, is currently growing at a rate of 0.05% annually, and its population has increased by 0.24% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 10,937 in 2020.

A block off the main street is the Nickel Plate Saloon

    Peru, Indiana.

offering entertainment and casual dining with a selection of food and drinks.

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

TGIF: The Week / The Skate

 Been a rather strange week filled with medical appointments, photography purchases and returns.

Sadly, next week is shaping up to be filled with additional medical visits. 

The latest photography addition was a Pentax Kf camera and a corresponding K mount 17-70mm lens.

This purchase continues an equipment choice move to Pentax digital as they offer, at reasonable prices, well built dependable cameras and a variety of lens offerings.

Unfortunately, the lens had to be returned.  It was designed to attach to a Nikon not a Pentax.  The seller offered a correct replacement that should arrive next week.

While waiting for the replacement to arrive, tested the Kf body with earlier purchased K mount lenses.  We are good to go as all performed as expected.

After packing up the returning lens, mounted a available lens on the Kf, loaded up the car and drove to FedEx to send to package on its way.

After delivering the package, stopped at the Skate to check out the Kf / lens combination. 

   Richmond, Indiana.

The Skate offers a safe, affordable fun for families and groups, featuring a skate track, game room, laser tag, a snack bar, all-night skates, pre-school skates, birthday parties, private functions, special events, competitions, fundraisers, a skate pro shop, and roller derby matches.  

Wow, all that in the big blue building. 

Yup, believe, for me, the Kf is a keeper.

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Monday Morning Coffee: Greens Fork / Indiana Population

 

Intended to simply have a posting about the small Greens Fork, Indiana community. 

The usual sort of information:

Greens Fork located in Wayne County, Indiana, 2025 population of 324, currently declining at a rate of -0.61% annually and its population has decreased by -2.7% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 333 in 2020.

A former school is now the home of the town fire department.

    Greens Fork, Indiana.

Then, after reading a bit of newspaper reporting, discovered:

A total of 62 of our Indiana 92 counties experienced natural population decline last year. The worst of these: Delaware, Wayne, LaPorte, Howard, Harrison and Fayette.

Also from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.  Indiana added 44,144 residents in 2024 to reach a total population of 6.92 million, the state’s largest annual increase since 2008.

They go on to report,

“Back in 2008, natural increase — or the difference between births and deaths — accounted for 77% of Indiana’s growth. In 2024, by contrast, a net international migration of 30,852 residents accounted for 70% of the state’s growth.” 

Interesting numbers, leads to wondering if the folks in Washington got the memo.

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

TGIF: Battle Ax Plug

Ads painted on red brick buildings not only "push the product" but provide information about the age of the building.

So - here I am once again, sanding in the middle of a main street,  photographing a wall advertisement for

 "The Largest Piece of Good Tobacco Ever Sold for 10 Cents."

 

             Arcanum, Ohio.

 

Battle Ax Plug was one of several chewing tobacco products sold in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

 

All writing and images © Richard W. Rodgers unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.