Illinois Central 1518 Locomotive in Paducah

Nighttime near Paducah, Kentucky's floodwall is highlighted by one of Illinois Central's best examples of steam power. Locomotive 1518 on outdoor display represents one of several railroad related fixtures at the city's rail museum. According to railpictures.net this locomotive was built by Lima in 1923. It is classified as a 2-8-2, that is the wheel count on the engine, 2 on the front, eight in the middle and two wheels on the back. The lead locomotive is massive, well preserved and worth returning for more of an extensive investigation, perhaps during the day light.

Moonrise on the Ohio River

Last month's journey through the mid-South included a stop in Paducah, Kentucky. One evening was capped off with very warm temperatures, Oktemberfest, a zombie walk and this spectacular moonrise as seen beyond the floodwall on the Ohio River. I timed this photo to include a tow and barge moving east upriver. Paducah is an operational port for the Ingram Barge Company.

Pixie Street Performance

Usually street performances play out in larger cities but not in Paducah, KY. This pixie strikes a pose on a downtown street corner for a few dollars tip. Street art - like them or avoid them. Interesting at the least.

Zombies Walk in Paducah

Zombie family selfie moment in downtown Paducah, Kentucky. Just four of an army of zombies.

Harley Quinn or Zombie Blondie - Call me, I'm alive.

Captured Nazi SS zombie soldiers - the worst kind of zombies.

Zombie prom queen and her mom.

Zombies apparently love to eat their own leg.

Alienated lost soul teenage zombies in search of angst.

Another family of zombies walk in Paducah looking for brains but only finding the Ohio River in front of them.

Industrial Transition in Cedar Rapids

In August 2016, construction work along one of Cedar Rapids' once busy industrial zones changed again. The area on the city's NE side was once home to heavy industrial manufacturing. As the local economy shifted throughout the last 30 years, buildings that once housed industrial machining were downsized or shuttered or demolished.

In this case, the work in August involved pulling up dormant rail lines that once serviced the industrial neighborhood. A bike way is planned as a replacement for the rail, which will connect other trails in the area to Coe College's new athletic complex.

A bit of rail iron still remains in the ground prior to the bike path's completion. Perhaps it serves as a reminder of what was once produced here. Now the rusting iron pieces are but part of an industrial-economical change debris, representing how cities, technologies, and market forces morph over time.

Fiddlin' in Paducah KY

A bit of Irish inspired music following Paducah's Oktemberfest and Zombie Walk on a very warm October 15th evening downtown near the Ohio River. This talented musician was excited to play a selection of three songs - "Young Ned of the Hills", "Streams of Whiskey" and "Rocky Road to Dublin."

Somewhat Rare Storm Shutters in Eastern Iowa

Many homes here in the Midwest have window shutters as decorative attachments. They are usually thinner than the windows and are securely bolted to a wall. But true storm shutters, those that actually are able to move on a hinge and close, are somewhat rare. True, the Midwest has its fair share of wind, rain, snow and ice, so the need for closed window protection seems slight compared to coastal dwellers. But sometimes if you look closely, especially on century old homes here, you may find properly hinged shutters such as this multi-painted wooden example found in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Four Star General John J. Pershing Meets a Real One Star

Its not everyday when you see World War I General John J. Pershing hanging out at a tradeshow but that's exactly what happened earlier this year. The four star general was present to promote the creation of the WWI Memorial in Washington D.C. While Gen. Pershing made his rounds a real U.S. Army one star general stopped by to say hello. At first there was some confusion as to who should salute who, but the modern day general offered his salute to General Pershing. The four star promptly returned the salute. All in good fun.

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.

Vanishing Industry in Cedar Rapids

Just outside of downtown Cedar Rapids is a complex of once lively manufacturing buildings. Now these structures are either being torn down or being renovated for other purposes. The point is that medium to large manufacturing companies that were present in many Midwestern cities are disappearing like this Cedar Rapids Inc., property. Business evolution continues but what skillsets or abilities have been lost or shipped outside our borders?

A Tree Grows Near Ely, Iowa

This maple tree is huge! It may be easily over a hundred years old and looks quite healthy. The giant tree resides on farm property just to the northwest of Ely, Iowa where it has enjoyed an undisturbed environment for decades. While not an apple tree this outstretched maple resembles those nasty trees in the Wizard of Oz movie. I'll just follow the yellow brick road.

P-51 Mustang and F4U Corsair at Dubuque

A photo from last weekend. A WWII era P-51 Mustang and F4U Corsair wait at the Dubuque Regional Airport for landing times at OSH16 Airventure. Both planes departed together (side by side) about 2:30 PM last Sunday. No doubt they caught up with the formation of T-6s headed that way. I did see the Corsair appear in other Oshkosh photos posted in social media sites last week.