Author Archives: Jim Hejl

Santa to the Sea

By | | Seasonal
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Julia, Deb and I saw this Santa along the 101 on our way for a day trip to Santa Barbara.  After some relaxing time, wine sampling and a great lunch we stopped on the way back to LA.  It was puzzling why this Big Santa was located there in Nyeland Acres on Ventura Blvd. alongside the 101.  I still don’t have answers to that but it is the starting point for the “Santa to the Sea” half marathon.  I looked at their website and was pretty impressed, they use the entry fees to but toys for kids and give scholarships to deserving high schoolers.

santa

Santa to the Sea

Santa Barbara Seahorse

By | | Animals, Fish
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While visiting Julia and Dan in LA during Spring Break we took a drive up to Santa Barbara to do some wine tasting and enjoy the city.  While wandering about near the Visitors Center I spotted this Big Seahorse, the first one for me, and I’ve been at this for quite some time.

seahorse

Santa Barbara Seahorse

Santa Barbara Data Fish

By | | Animals, Fish
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Near by the Seahorse pictured just above we found this fish.  Actually it’s not just any fish, it’s a sculpture by Matthew McAvene named “The Data Fish.”  Too good to pass up.

fish

Santa Barbara Data Fish

LA City Market Sculpture

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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On Saturday right after we arrived Julia and Dan took us down to the LA City Market.  What an interesting place.  Lots of ethnic food types, almost any type of pepper you could want.  It was a veritable treasure of sights, sounds and smells.  If you have time this is a stop you must take in LA.

city market

LA City Market

Sergio at Automotive Alley Garage

By | | Muffler Men, People
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Planning a trip to Los Angeles starts with a visit to the Roadside America web site.  That’s where I found Sergio.  The automotive alley garage area is unlike anything I’ve see in the US.  There is a 4 or 5 block area of shops selling car parts.  While we were there I saw cars pull up and asked for a part for a model year car.  For example, “I’m looking for an alternator for a 1996 Toyota.”  It was like a drive-in for auto parts. All the people I could see were Hispanic and they were curious why a couple of white folks were on their turf.

muffler

Sergio Muffler Man

LA Huge Chair

By | | Chairs, Objects
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My West Coast Bureau Chief alerted the Home Office to this Big (really huge) Chair near downtown LA.  And she wasn’t kidding, this is the biggest chair I’ve seen.  Look carefully, it’s big enough for a car to drive through.  Maybe it’s made from Sequoia wood.

chair

LA Huge Chair

Home Show Phone

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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The Indianapolis Home Show has been the site of my first Big Thing photos of the year. This year yielded a couple. Here is a Big Smartphone located in the Comcast booth right at the west entrance. Chris was kind enough to let us take this photo. If you look closely at the screen on the phone you can just make out the Chief Photographer in the lower left.

Home Show

Home Show

Home Show Vase

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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This is a new one. This granite company exhibits every year showing a wide variety of large granite slabs. It’s always interesting to see the many different types of granite on display. This year to draw attention to their booth they displayed this big granite vase. I don’t know how they did this, must have used the largest granite lathe ever made. Quite impressive work.

vase

Home Show Vase

Indianapolis Indians Jersey

By | | Objects, Sports
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The Indianapolis Indians are the Triple-A baseball team that plays at Victory Field here in Indianapolis.  We go to a few games each year and it’s lot’s of fun.  Guys trying to make it to “The Show” while sometimes someone is down rehabbing from the majors.  The Indians are the farm team for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  On the way into a game we spotted this Big Shirt and grabbed the photo opportunity.  I think the Indians won that night.

jersey

Indianapolis Indians Jersey

Indiana Historical Museum

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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We visited the Indiana Historical Museum for one of their special exhibits.  Since I’m entering this post at a later date I don’t remember exactly which exhibit it was.  They did have one that dealt with polio, the vaccines, and treatments. At any rate we did see this Big Watch.

museum

Indiana Historical Museum

Indiana State Fair Pineapple

By | | Food and Drink, Fruit
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I’ve lived in Indianapolis for just over 11 years, driven by the State Fair Grounds countless times, been there for other events like the Home Show in January and the Beer Fest, but never attended the State Fair in August. You have to realize that everyone here goes to the State Fair, some more than once each year. Well this year it was my turn and I chose to go with a Fair Veteran, my friend Jerry. First stop was the Dairy Barn to get a high fat content ice cream shake. There is a lot to see: animals, demonstrations, old time village, farm equipment. What I liked best was a very large photography display. What great talent! This big pineapple was there to draw attention to a specialty drinks booth.

pineapple

State Fair Pineapple

State Fair Panda

By | | Animals, The Rest of the Animals
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This is another image from the Indianapolis State Fair which I described in the Food and Drink section. At any rate, there was a building that housed an animation display. This Big Panda was part of the display. The conditions weren’t the best so the image is not up to the usual standards. I think Jerry needed another ice cream fix.

State Fair Panda

State Fair Panda

Blue Crew Colt

By | | Inflatables, People, Sports
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There’s a great Indianapolis Colt fan that wanted to include everyone in his vision so he opened this sports bar. He started the Blue Crew grill a few years ago. As you probably guessed, it has a Colts theme. I drive by the joint pretty often, sometimes there is a Colts Blue Fire Hook and Ladder, sometimes other things. This time was this Big colt inflatable. I don’t know how many inflatable Colts there are but I’ve got several. (Update 2/21/15: the Blue Crew is closed, too bad!)

colt

Blue Crew Colt

Fair Oaks Dairy

By | | Food and Drink, The Rest of the Food
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Any trip to the Chicago area is not complete without a stop on the way home at Fair Oaks Dairy. Offering a wide variety of cheese as well delicious ice cream, all made from milk that contains no hormones or antibiotics. Located at exit 220 on I-65 in Fair Oaks, Indiana it’s a great place to stop and grab a cone or milk shake. If you have children this is the place for you. This Big Milk Bottle doubles as a pseudo climbing wall. Go, you will like it!

milk

Fair Oaks Dairy

Pierogi Fest Lemon

By | | Food and Drink, Fruit
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When we were at the Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana not only did I get images of Mr. Pierogi and Mr. Halupk as seen just below. I also got this big lemon at the lemon shake up stand next to the stands where we watched the Pierogi Fest parade. I’ve never seen a parade like this, you have to see it to really experience it. If you are in the Chicago during the last full weekend July go to Whiting. These people like to party! The pierogi theme is carried throughout the Fest, including pierogi shaped dog food treats (we bought 4 for Bobber, Sophie and Leo.)

lemon

Pierogi Fest Lemon

Mr. Pierogi and Mr. Halupk

By | | Food and Drink, The Rest of the Food
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Well, how do I begin. I was looking to find a source for good Eastern European pierogis on line when I ran across the Pieorgi Fest in Whiting, Indiana. After looking at the site I thought it looked like a lot of fun. Little did I know, what a big party if was for a small town. Three days of celebrating Eastern European heritage with an emphasis on Poland. You have to experience it for yourself, we watched the “International Polka Parade” and can say I’ve never watched a parade like this, you have to see for yourself. We also particiated in the Mr. Pierogi sing along on Saturday. What fun. Wished we lived closer!

halupk

Mr. Halupk

pierogi

Mr. Pierogi

Lighthouse Fish

By | | Animals, Fish
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The Lighthouse Tabernacle Church around the corner at 98th and Keystone has a fish fry during Lent. I don’t remember one in July, however it did provide an opportunity for a Big Picture. I spotted these Big Fish yesterday and had to roll by this morning on the way to the farmer’s market to make sure I got this image before the fish were gone.

fish

Lighthouse Tabernacle Fish

Big Writing Instruments

By | | Objects, Other Big Objects
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Here is a Big Crayon and Big Pencil. We were on our way to a log cabin in Brown County, Indiana after hiking in McCormick’s State Park. As we were driving the Chief Photographer spotted these big items and shouted “Stop, turn around, there were some Big Crayons back there.” Sure enough, out in front of the Edgewood Early Childhood Center on SR-46 in Ellettsville, IN were these babies. May be the first Big Crayon on the site, I already had a Big Pencil that Andy once gave me, see below.

crayon

Big Writing Instruments

 

Rocky Top Pig

By | | Animals, The Rest of the Animals
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This is one great Big Pig! It was an unexpected treat to find him in front of Rocky Top Exchange on SR-46 in Spenser, Indiana. We had stopped to hike in McCormick’s State Park on our way to a short log cabin vacation in Brown county. As we were leaving the park I looked to the right and saw this big guy atop a hill across the road and made a quick change in direction. We didn’t see him on the way in since he was up high. Rocky Top sells all sorts of small wooden structures, from chicken coups, to play houses, to storage buildings. In addition to this pig they had a grizzly bear and gorilla but they didn’t seem bigger than life.

pig

Rocky Top Pig