Sweet corn, Fourth of July, 4-H photography and the county fair

        I bought my first batch of sweet corn in Montezuma late last week.
Bud Doane, who sells sweetcorn and watermelon in the old Subway parking lot in town, had 2.5 dozen ears left when I arrived, so I bought it all for $20.
       I gave most of the corn to family members and a half dozen ears to our neighbor to the north. I cooked the remaining four ears of corn for Debbie and me on Sunday evening, lathering it up with butter and salt.
        It was so good!
     My mom sometimes cooked sweet corn when I was kid growing up in Oklahoma. She had a yellow Tupperware Butter Hugger with a salt shaker that we used to spread butter on our corn. The butter hugger was a popular Tupperware item back in the day. I may still have my mom’s in our kitchen.
       In the late 1960s and early 70s, my folks and another couple from our church in Tulsa grew a huge garden on a spot of land on the east side of Tulsa.
        My dad spent hours working in the garden after a shift at his factory job.
      He’d haul his Montgomery Ward Rototiller in the back of his 1967 Chevrolet C-10 pickup to the garden where he plowed the earth and hoed the weeds.
      The two families grew a large assortment of vegetables including sweet corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, okra, beets, cabbage, onions, carrots, radishes, zucchini, squash, lettuce and more.
Fourth of July
       Besides enjoying sweet corn, Debbie and I attended Fourth of July parades and festivities in Grinnell and Montezuma last week where I took photos.
       The Grinnell parade, held on July 4, drew upwards to 100 entries, including one fellow with a toilet stool float advertising his plumbing and drain cleaning business.
     A couple people commented to me about the toilet stool float, saying it was one of their favorites. A member of the Malcom Fire Department also sprayed kids along the parade route. There was plenty of candy being tossed to parade attendees along the route.
      Debbie and I enjoyed a hamburger cookout with the family that evening, followed by a nice fireworks display hosted by our middle nephew, Sawyer.
        The best part of the Fourth of July holiday is spending time with family.
Montezuma also held a nice parade on Saturday with more than 80 entries. There were kids’ bouncy games and a number of food options and vendors selling their wares after the parade. The Montezuma Lions Club also served their famous chicken BBQ meal with the fixings.
       The Lions fire up the charcoal grill pits across from the Montezuma Memorial Hall at 4 a.m. Volunteers and club members cook more than 800 chicken halves.
       The local club has been serving the chicken BBQ for years and the money raised benefits community organizations, scholarships and other events and good causes.
        The annual Montezuma Fireworks display was on hold due to the heavy rains that evening, but did get underway around 10 p.m. Those in attendance said it was a great show.
          Since my cancer surgery in March, I’m thankful to be able to continue covering community events.
        I’m slowly getting my J.O. mojo back, and will soon be going full-speed ahead. I appreciate the many kinds words and thoughts I have received throughout this ordeal. It’s much appreciated.
4-H photography
        I’m judging 4-H photography at the Washington County Fair on Saturday, July 12. This is the 13th year that I have judged 4-H photography. The only year I missed was 2014.
      I remember my first judging experience at the Southern Iowa Fair in Oskaloosa in 2012. I was quite nervous that first time and had to ask for help from some of the other judges on a few occasions.
        The one area that all 4-H’ers can improve on is their project writeups. Taking time to fill out the writeups makes for a better overall experience.
       As for photography, it’s a place where 4-H’ers can share their thoughts about a photo they entered and what drew them to that subject or photo opportunity.
       A few times, I’ve had 4-H’ers who not only filled out the writeups, but they also wrote a separate story about each photo.
        Some tips when taking photos include being aware of the background and trees and brush growing out of people’s heads, making sure your photos are in focus, trying different angles, taking photos from above and from underneath, framing your subject in a window or between two trees, learning to get close to your subject and learning to shoot in manual if you have a DSLR camera. 
Poweshiek County Fair
       The Poweshiek County Fair gets underway on July 12 with conference judging, the bull riding event and county fair queen contest.
        This year’s fair, which is held on July 12 and July 15 – 20, will be my 26th to cover. It starts with the dog show and open class judging on Tuesday, July 15 and ends with the cattle and swine shows on Saturday with a few wrap up events on Sunday, July 20.
        I enjoy being at the county fair and taking photos and writing stories about 4-H’ers and FFA members. It’s one of my favorite times of the year as a community journalist.
        I’ve taken a lot of photos through the years and am now taking photos of kids who I photographed their parents years ago.
       Come on out to the fair and enjoy some good food, good company and watch a show while you are there.
        Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.