Steven Helmer Publications

I didn't get an opportunity to get out late last week because of a modeling-related road trip with my wife. So, even though it was a bit muggy out, I went for a walk with my camera.  It was fairly active out there today and I didn't need to rely on tracking down some dragonflies this time around. I even spotted a mystery bird (see below) that required some sleuthing from my wife to back up my first thoughts. Here are some of the photos: There are a lot of these late summer/early fall flowers out, so I figured I'd try to get some photos of them. I got one with and one without a bee. This was a pretty large moth. I spotted it from some distance away. This pelican pod wasn't the most cooperative. I had to zoom in to maximum just to get this photo and they immediately started swimming away from me despite quite a bit of distance from the shore.  This guy (or girl), in comparison, was very cooperative, giving me multiple photo opportunities so I could choose the best one. I...

Synopsis: Things move slow in Suddenly, California, giving Sheriff Tod Shaw plenty of free time to try to win the heart of a widowed mother, Ellen Benson. Tod's quiet routine experiences some upheaval, however, when it becomes a planned stop for the President of the United States and a group of would-be assassins led by gangster John Baron take him, Ellen, her father-in-law "Pop" and her young son, Pidge hostage in her home, intending to use the living room window to fire the kill shot. Who's in it? The movie stars Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden , James Gleason , Nancy Gates and Kim Charney. Review: I added the film Suddenly to my library a few days ago, partly because I haven't seen too many Frank Sinatra movies and partly because the plot sounded interesting. I found time to watch it this morning and was pleased with my choice. I'll start out by saying this film is very American. This includes plenty of talk about patriotism, including the idea of your l...

My wife and I made a modeling-related road trip out of Wisconsin this past weekend, traveling to Langley, IL for Psycho Silo Saloon's annual Photo Fest. She went to model and I went along with her both to do my typical behind-the-scenes stuff and also do some one-on-one photography with her. As it turns out, the event wasn't as fun as she was expecting it to be. The photographers she had expected to work with either didn't make it or failed to connect with her at the event and many of the other photographers were already working with their favorites. The end result was our one-on-one being pretty much the only one she did, something we both agreed didn't justify the drive and hotel stay in Annawan, IL (though we would recommend Mick's Bar and Grill if you're ever passing through that tiny community) since my strength is catching impromptu moments rather than trying to pose someone. Here are some of the photos I took. Model: Cynthia Helmer The rusted pickup truck...

The cuts are in and the Packers are down to their initial 53. There's a good chance more changes will be made prior to the start of the regular season, but here are my thoughts in the meantime: The NFL made the Packers' Josh Jacobs decision for them. The legal process needs to play itself out, so I won't make any comment about the criminal charges he is facing but the decision to put him on the commissioner's exempt list means he won't be part of the team's plans in the near future.  Green Bay made a quick move to replace him. I was little surprised to see the Packers trade for Kaleb Johnson and waive Pierre Strong Jr. but they must see potential in him. The Packers made the only choice they could make with Kyle McCord. In a perfect world, they would have kept him on the roster as the third-string quarterback and give him an opportunity to win the backup role from veteran Tyrod Taylor. There were just too many other needs though, and they got a draft pick for hi...

Synopsis: Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) and the gang end up in a dimension where humans are descended from cows, are vegetarians and have four stomachs. Despite the oddity, Stuart convinces Denise ( Lauren Lapkus ) to give up on his mission, stay there and get married even as the universe begins to implode. My Thoughts: The four-stomach thing was clever but also got repetitive after a while. My wife wants to go on record as saying she thought it was disgusting. I thought it was funny at first but also started to feel as though it was the only cow-related joke the writers could come up with. Jokes about herd mentality were right there for the taking. We are six episodes in, and I am still confused about one part of their inter-dimensional travel . Do they replace their alternate selves in each dimension, or do they become that dimension's version of themselves but maintain the memories of the other dimensions?  If it is the former, then why did they end up with four stomachs and what ha...

Synopsis: After moving from Kansas City to New York and putting her impending marriage to a coal mine owner on hold to pursue a career on Broadway, Joan Terry has gone months without finding work and is forced to move into a boarding house with other aspiring actresses. She is about to give up on her dream when her fellow boarders, recognizing her talent, decide to pool their resources and invest in her. They, however, continue to face obstacles, including Joan's impatient fiancé, James, who is even willing to spend money to ensure her failure.  Who's in it? The movie stars Frances Langford , Edward Norris , Iris Adrian , Craig Woods and Linda Brent. Review: I added Career Girl to my library a couple months ago but, mostly because I wasn't completely sure what the movie was about, hadn't bothered to watch it. I finally decided to do so this morning and it turned out to be a good choice. The movie won me over from two different fronts. First, it didn't sugarcoat ...

I wasn't able to get out for a walk yesterday because of other things being on the calendar, so I made sure to slip out for a little while today, while the weather was decent.  I didn't see as much as I would have liked but still managed to get some photos. There are a few of them below. This green heron surprised me a bit. I didn't realize it was nearby until it popped out from the grass and landed on that branch. The turtles popped out of the water as I was approaching, taking advantage of the sun while it wasn't behind the clouds. I was kind of far away on this one, even with the zoom lens but still think it turned out OK. This must have been a popular hunting spot. This bird chased away one of its own right before I got the photo. ___________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/7/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/4/2026) Morning Walk Photos (6/3/2026) Morning Walk Photos 9/...

Synopsis: After a dying man emerges from the jungles of Africa with a missing anthropologist's diary, Sir Harry Bragdon leads a group of explorers, which includes his own daughter, Pamela, in search of a white gorilla believed to be the missing link. What Sir Harry doesn't know is members of his group are searching for gold instead, putting their lives in danger and resulting in Pamela being taken by the gorilla they're hunting. Who's in it? The movie stars Maris Wrixon , Richard Fraser, Michael Dyne, Lionel Royce, Gordon Richards and Al Eben. Review: I have had White Pongo in my movie library for some time now and was undecided about whether I wanted to watch it or not. I ended up doing so this morning, mostly because it was readily available and I hadn't picked out another movie yet. As it turned out, it was better than expected, but still not good. Here's the thing about this movie. It is named after a white gorilla (though the characters refer to it as ...

After getting caught up with Project Runway , my wife and youngest daughter have started watching re-runs of the show America's Next Top Model , which they found on Disney Plus.  My wife and I have seen some of the seasons from the series before so, as they plowed through the first three, there weren't any surprises about who would win. However, after receiving the refresher, here are some of my thoughts from those first three seasons. The show does a good job exposing the dark side of professional modeling. My wife and I are already familiar with some of it because she models part time, but the show takes it to an extreme. This includes the impossible body standards, with 25-year-olds being considered too old, 138 pounds being considered too fat and the eating disorders that sometimes come with it. However, I am also going to include photoshoots that require nudity, intimate situations with male models, working with exotic animals, etc. that they are forced to do even if they ...

Synopsis: In the Army and under the command of Sgt. Homer Gatling, the revenuer who used to harass him over his still, Pvt. Snuffy Smith is assigned to a unit tasked with guarding an experimental missile being built at a lodge owned by his cousin, Barney Google. After organizing a horse race to raise funds for the final missile part, Snuffy, along with Gatling, find themselves facing a group of spies determined to steal the plans. Who's in it? The movie stars Bud Duncan, Edgar Kennedy , Cliff Nazzaro, Doris Linden and Nicolle Andre. Review: I came across Hillbilly Blitzkrieg while looking for the movie I intended to watch this morning. Even though I'm not overly familiar with the Snuffy Smith comic book character and knew this was a sequel to a film I haven't seen yet, I figured I'd give it a try anyway. As it turns out, it wasn't bad. One of the things I liked right away about this movie is, while it didn't go into a great deal of depth about the main prota...

I had hoped to get out with my camera a bit over the weekend, even if it was just in my backyard. However, I had other things to do and by the time I was done doing those, just never got around to it. I did manage to get out at lunch today though. Here are a few of the photos: I skipped the monarch butterflies and dragonflies today and instead got some photos of some other insects for a change. It was kind of difficult getting a photo of these turtles with the way the sun was reflecting off both the water and the rock, but they were patient and I ended up with this one. I walked along the outside of the park on my way back to the car and spotted the hint of yellow fluttering around. I was able to get the photo before it flew off. I didn't realize there was a small bee buzzing the flowers until I edited the photo and just took it because I liked how they were popping out of the water. _________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previ...

Synopsis: After spending time in prison, Stephen Pike is thrilled to be getting a second chance as a servant at the remote Tithe Hall, even after learning the Viscount, believing Halley's Comet will cause an apocalypse, seals his family and servants in their rooms for their safety.  The residents survive the night, except for the Viscount, who is found murdered inside his sealed room the next morning. With suspicion quickly turning on Stephen, his only hope to avoid being arrested for a crime he didn't commit is the elderly but still sharp Decima Stockingham helping him figure out both who killed the Viscount and how they did it. Review: I saw The Murder at World's End in my library's new book section when I went there to pick up a book I had on hold. It looked intriguing, so I decided to check it out as well. After finishing it last night, I can honestly say it was one of the best mysteries I've read in a while. Having the book set around the 1910 Halley's C...

The weather has been a bit too inconvenient for me to put my trail cameras out but since we finally had a night with no rain or fog, I figured I'd set them up. There wasn't a ton of activity, but I still managed to get photos of rabbits and squirrels. Here are some of them: _______________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous trail camera photos and videos: Trail Camera Photos (7/23/2026-7/24/2026) Trail Camera Photos (7/30/2026-7/31/2026) Trail Camera Videos (1/3/2026-1/4/2026) Trail Camera Photos (11/10/2024-11/12/2024)

 Here are my thoughts from the Green Bay Packers 33-13 win at the Denver Broncos last night: There was quite a bit of improvement versus last week. The offense was finding the endzone all night and the defense was making things difficult for the Broncos. Considering Denver was one game away from the Super Bowl last season, that was an impressive task. Jordan Love may finally have his weapons. Obviously, health remains a concern, especially with receiver Christian Watson, but he seems to have receivers he has full confidence in. I think the less-is-more approach Green Bay took this season, allowing Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks to leave, gave him more of an opportunity to build a rapport with the ones who stayed, especially second-year player Matthew Golden. I liked the aggressiveness on defense. It's something that could be high risk but also has the potential to keep opposing offenses off rhythm, something that becomes important when your secondary is still a work in progress a...

Synopsis: Even though she has convinced herself she no longer has feelings for her ex-husband, James Lacey, Agatha Raisin is not looking forward to attending his wedding, especially after learning he is having second thoughts about marrying the beautiful and much younger Felicity Bross-Tilkington. The wedding, however, doesn't happen because the bride-to-be is killed while getting ready. After initially being considered a suspect until a hat purchase helped clear her name, Agatha is hired by Felicity's mom to find the killer. She agrees and gets help from her protege/rival Toni but, as the case progresses self-doubt and multiple attempts on her life have Agatha considering retirement. Review: While I have never been a big fan of the Agatha Raisin/James Lacey saga, the past few books from this series had me optimistic about There Goes the Bride when I checked it out from the library. As it turns out, it was a book I would consider a let-down. On the surface, the book has an in...

Synopsis: Stuart ( Kevin Sussman ) and friends are transported to a primitive Pasadena, with huts, no technology and a peaceful civilization that shares everything. While Stuart tries to find a piece of red quartz for the machine, Bert ( Brian Posehn ) falls in love with a native (Zoe Cipres) and Barry ( John Ross Bowie ) quickly makes his own negative mark on their society. My Thoughts:  This was the first episode to fly without the cameo safety net.  A true test of a spin-off series is if it can survive without the references to the original series and for the most part, I thought this one did pretty well. Not having the cameos gave more time for the main characters to do their thing. I liked how this episode reversed things a bit. Usually, the gang arrives in a world that is already screwed up in some way. This time, they arrived in what could arguably be a perfect, peaceful world and were the ones responsible for messing it up. I especially liked how it was a combination ...

My walk today came with some sadness because I came across a deceased muskrat. I'm not sure what happened to it other than it possibly was attacked by a hawk or something that was then scared off before it could eat. It seemed fairly recent though because the fur looked like it was still wet. Anyway, despite that, it did turn out to be a decent walk. I wound up skipping some trails because I didn't want to scare some green herons that were perched in the way but still got quite a few photos. Here are some of them: This frog was a bit of a surprise because it was some distance away from any of the ponds. Hopefully, it hopped back before it dried out (or was eaten by a snake). I mentioned the green herons. There were multiple birds hanging out around the largest pond, giving me plenty of opportunities to get photos from far enough away to keep from scaring them. I still haven't been able to photograph the large snapping turtles that have been swimming near the shore but did g...