Seek American Legion Poppies from Jackson G Nyitrai

On most Labor Day weekends, American Legion Post 305 member Jackson G. Nyitrai positions himself underneath the Mississippi River bridge at Marquette, Iowa. His mission is to offer red paper poppies for a donation to those gathered at the annual flea market. An event that attracts hundreds of people.

This year rain fell for most of the day, making the flea market crowd run for shelter below the overhead structure. Jackson, a retired US Navy service member who worked on ship boilers for many years, collects monetary donations to help fuel the Legion's local scholarships and honor flights to Washington D.C. 

A Wisp of Fall is Evident

See that? Look harder. Its the changing of the summer greens to other shades on Labor Day weekend. In Marquette, Iowa along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa just across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, the bluffs are covered in trees. This summer has seen above normal precipitation in much of the region, which has kept greener greens around from crops to lawns to cliff clinging trees. But as the sun angle changes and the amount of sunlight diminished daily, the leaves know what to do next.

Glass Treasure in a Box

Sometimes the ordinary is extraordinary. Take for example these telephone line insulators. While some are rare and quite collectable you can often buy the more common glass fixtures for a few dollars a piece - sometimes by the box. At a Labor Day weekend flea market in Marquette, Iowa a vendor displayed a variety of tools, glassware and this and that. I'm always on the lookout for a photo target and was not disappointed by the shapes, reflections and colors of these simple glass jewels of the wires.

Unicorn Face Painting in Marquette, Iowa

Labor Day weekend in Marquette, Iowa means experiencing an annual flea market under the bridge which connects Iowa to Wisconsin over the Mississippi River. One of the vendors at the market offered face painting.

Kristi, a face painting artist created a colorful design on the forehead of a girl named Ella. Nearby, Ella's grandmother supervised the work. As the design took shape, I thought it was going to become a Batman design because of the color and wings, but I was wrong.

With a few additional touches, the finished work turned out to be a unicorn which Ella had selected. She was delighted with the outcome, as was her mother and grandmother.

Marquette, Iowa Flea Market Stare

A stare from a native American bust/statue/figure head at the Marquette, Iowa flea market looks over the Mississippi River from underneath the Iowa-Wisconsin bridge today. The colorful plaster was listed at $25. The flea market continues into day 3 of the Labor Day weekend event in Marquette, located just across the river from Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin.