Jim Hejl

Mike’s Chill

By Jim Hejl | March 21, 2009 - 9:41 am |November 30, 2018 Food and Drink, Ice Cream

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On our way to a meeting south of Danville, IL with Ann and Sid and spotted this Big Ice Cream cone at Mike’s Chill inTilton. Didn’t have time to stop on the way in but stopped to get this image on the way home.

Mike’s Chill

China Bag

By Jim Hejl | March 7, 2009 - 10:51 am |April 26, 2015 Objects, Other Big Objects

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I was in “Red China” to visit some vendors and also went to a customers China sourcing office. As we entered the lobby of their building there was this large bag. I proceeded to get my photo taken, and just in time I might say, since shortly after this image was captured the building guard came running to tell me that we could not take a photo like this. Go figure, what’s the harm?

China Bag

Funky Scale

By Jim Hejl | December 30, 2008 - 2:06 pm |April 26, 2015 Objects, Tools

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Deb and I were on our way home after a real nice stay in Louisville where we visited for our anniversary. We stayed in a downtown hotel suite with a tremendous view of the Ohio River. There are other images from this trip on the site. This one was taken at a lumberyard in Ohio. Not exactly easy to find but when you are after Big Things you have to persevere. Don’t wait for them to come to you, or you are in for disappointment.

Funky Scale

Route 66 Orange

By Jim Hejl | December 28, 2008 - 12:01 pm |November 30, 2018 Food and Drink, Fruit

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Along the Fontana Corridor of the famous Route 66 is Bono’s Market. Right next to the market is the Orange stand. Not open of course on Christmas day when we were out getting some Big Pictures. The gifts were opened, the traditional Hejl Christmas breakfast eaten so what else was there to do but track down my Big Thing sightings. This one worked out well.

Route 66 Orange

Mentone Muffler Man

By Jim Hejl | December 28, 2008 - 11:25 am |March 1, 2015 Muffler Men, People

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This Muffler Man is out in Mentone California. A very interesting location with other items. There was a large chicken there as well. At any rate I have a description on the Animals page of the location. Here I want you to notice all the other elements in this photo. Check out the airplane in the backyard as well as the Evinrude outboards on the fence. Maybe he can waterski while sitting on his front porch.

Mentone Muffler Man

Mentone, CA Chicken

By Jim Hejl | December 28, 2008 - 3:55 am |September 18, 2018 Animals, Chickens

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I picked up the location of a Muffler Man from “Roadside America” and thanks to GPS we found him and more, this chicken for example. It wasn’t an easy trip but on the way we drove through orange orchards. It let me visualize what the LA area was like decades ago before all the development. At any rate it was near Mentone at the corner of Garnet Road and Mill Creek Road. If you go be sure to stop at the Greenspot store and get some of their “World Famous Jerkee (sic)”

Mentone, CA Chicken

San Diego Kiss

By Jim Hejl | December 26, 2008 - 7:52 pm |March 1, 2015 Other Big People, People

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With the whole family together we decided to spend the day in San Diego. Annie and Ben, Julia and Deb went to the zoo. Andy and I went to the Midway aircraft carrier docked in the harbor. What an interesting experience. The Midway has quite a history. If you are in San Diego be sure to visit. Many of our young people spent time on this vessel. At the end of the tour Andy and I were looking South to a city park and noticed this very large sailor locked in an embrace. I don’t know if he was leaving on a tour or coming back, but he seemed glad to see her. The image is not great since it was taken at dusk, you get the idea nonetheless.

San Diego Kiss

Lemon Grove Lemon

By Jim Hejl | December 26, 2008 - 1:09 pm |November 30, 2018 Food and Drink, Fruit

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In Lemon Grove, California they celebrate their namesake with this large lemon. If you look in the background of this image you can see what may be the last remaining lemon tree in all of southern California. Just kidding because on the way to Mentone to get a Big Guy and a Big Chicken we drove through many, many citrus orchards, some of them must have been lemon trees, but it was December and I can’t tell an orange tree from a lemon tree in December.

Lemon Grove Lemon

Barn Burner Chicken

By Jim Hejl | December 24, 2008 - 4:24 am |September 18, 2018 Animals, Chickens

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California for Christmas 2008 and still in pursuit of Big Things. After lunch at Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena (you have to go there, what a classic place) we were driving South on Fair Oaks and passed the Barn Burner BBQ with this Big Chicken out front. A quick u-turn and the mini-van full of Hejls pulled into the parking lot to grab this image.

Barnburner Chicken

LA Big Guy

By Jim Hejl | December 23, 2008 - 3:41 pm |December 2, 2017 Other Big People, People

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On our trip to LA at Christmas we went to the La Brea tar pits. I knew there was a Muffler Man nearby, when I found him, I was surprised to find someone sleeping nearby. California is great, the state is broke, there is no money to house the homeless, the mentally ill are turned out, but at least the weather is nice enough that a soul like this can sleep outside at 11am without being hassled.

LA Big Guy

Disney Center Menora

By Jim Hejl | December 22, 2008 - 3:41 pm |December 2, 2017 Seasonal

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The Disney Center in Los Angeles, where the LA Symphony plays, celebrates the Holiday season. This menora was in the foyer for the Center. Of course I had to get my photo taken. Julia was working for the LA Phil when we were there for Christmas. There is a self-guided tour of the Disney Center which we enjoyed, well worth the price ($ free) and then Julia was able to get us backstage during a rehearsal.

Disney Center Menora

Sun Aura Sundial

By Jim Hejl | November 23, 2008 - 1:37 pm |April 28, 2015 Objects, Other Big Objects

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Here’s an intriguing image, not so much as to look at as to get. Seems like this Big Leg is part of a sundial at the Sun Aura Resort, which just happens to be a “Clothing Optional” resort — and you know what that means. Well, I’ve been taking these photos for a long time and I wasn’t going to be deterred, (even if it was late November) from achieving my objective! (ps. if sun worship is your thing, Sun Aura as well as the Ponderosa Sun Club are about 3 miles west of I-65 off exit 230 in Indiana.) Can you believe it — 2 nudist camps in Indiana? They must be coming down from Chicago. (btw: I have another version of this photo that I submitted to a Roadside America photo contest and won an RCA Small Wonder camcorder. That photo is posted on their website.)

Sun Aura Sundial

Dalai Lama Chair

By Jim Hejl | October 27, 2008 - 10:39 am |April 28, 2015 Chairs, Objects

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Deb and I were on our way to see the Dalai Lama — I needed to get my karma adjusted. We made a small side trip to get this chair, which I’ve been after for a while. It’s in the Guinness Book and can be found on US-31 outside Long’s Furniture in Amnity. The Dalai Lama was in Bloomington at Indiana University and this chair, while not on the way was close enough. By the way, we stopped for breakfast at Don and Dona’s restaurant in downtown Franklin. Highly recommended! Friendly folks and great food.

Dalai Lama Chair

2 Story Chest

By Jim Hejl | October 27, 2008 - 10:37 am |April 28, 2015 Objects, Other Big Objects

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This 2 story chest of drawers makes up a rare two-fer. I wanted a photo of the World’s Largest Rocking Chair when “quell surprise,” we got to Long’s Furniture and found this beauty. I would usually stop in the store and drop off a “Jim’s Big Things” business card and let the owner know that I took a photo there but we were short on time and I didn’t want to keep the Dalai waiting.

2 Story Chest

Dunkin’ Donuts

By Jim Hejl | September 10, 2008 - 9:07 am |November 30, 2018 Food and Drink, Inflatables, The Rest of the Food

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This Big Coffee Cup was out front of the new Dunkin’ Donuts opened here in town a few years ago. I didn’t post the image for some reason. It’s ironic that I found the image since recently there was a major fire that destroyed the store. No more nutty donuts! Too bad. (Update: The store is back in business, with a added drive-thru.)