Category Archives: Events

Kid’s Day at the Mandan Fire Department

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This week my little boys and I were able to take a field trip to learn more about the firefighters who keep our cities safe. The Mandan Fire Department (with other local agencies) hosted a Kids’ Night with plenty for all to see! Bismarck Fire Department, ND Highway Patrol, Metro Area Ambulance and others helped out to provide an evening of fun, education, and hot dogs. The boys got little plastic fire helmets to bring home as well as some safety activity books to do with Mommy and Daddy.

Among the activities we took in were use of fire extinguishers on a real fire, using a real fire hose to hit targets, watching a Jaws of Life extrication demo, and of course the fire truck rides!

If this event looks cool and right now you’re saying, “Why didn’t I know anything about this?” don’t despair; it’s a regular event, scheduled for the second Tuesday in October every year. Mark your calendar for next year!

Photo walk results

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Well, the gang all met up last weekend for the Bismarck-Mandan portion of the Worldwide Photo Walk, and a grand time was had by all I talked to. Followed up by a brief gathering at Mocha & More, the walk consisted of meeting at the historic Depot and then wandering around on foot for two hours. Here’s an eclectic mix of the things I found that morning:

I found this really neat antique stroller in front of a little antique shop on Main Street. I applied a little bit of a vintage treatment to the photo.

This aging cross sits atop a church near downtown, I think a Presbyterian congregation if I remember correctly.

The aforementioned antique shop had a stack of picture frames outside on the sidewalk, so I grabbed one and took a quick photo of the Mandan Depot.

I call this one “Rural Amalgamation” – only in a small midwestern state will you find the American flag, a pristine John Deere tractor, and a mystical wall painting all in the same spot.

I found this really cool droopy tree just a couple of blocks north of Main Street. I parked myself on my back under the tree with a very wide angle lens to get the shot.

The way the tendrils of the tree drooped toward the ground was very eye catching from afar, but the best angle to capture then was directly underneath them.

Mandan’s historic downtown buildings have some interesting features, many of which are better viewed up close.

Something a little more modern, this six-pack of windows formed a nice geometric progression.

Next year we’ll do it again, I’m sure. Last year’s walk was in July, we’ll see what we come up with for 2012. It’s interesting to walk around your own town and try to come up with something unique that may be interesting to others around the world. We grow so accustomed to our own surroundings that forcing yourself to see it is unique and interesting is a very worthwhile exercise.

9/11 Ceremony at the state capitol grounds

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I spent the afternoon at the commemorative ceremony at the capitol Sunday. It was an appropriate memorial of the terrorist attack on our nation (not just a “tragic event” as some say) and focused on honoring our nation as well as those who have died in its service. Here’s a brief photo narrative of the day:


Governor Jack Dalrymple and his wife Betsy hosted the event.
 


The Mandan High School Concert Choir provided stirring music, with my friend Becca at the piano.
 


US Senator John Hoeven gave his remarks.
 


US Congressman Rick Berg also spoke.
 


Bismarck City Commissioner Mike Seminary represented the City of Bismarck.
 


Mandan City Commissioner Dennis Rohr. Of course, I’ll always know him as Chief.
 


The Governor and First Lady stand with Senator Hoeven during the presentation of a wreath to commemorate the day. Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley is looking on in the foreground.
 


Bismarck Police Chief Keith Witt spoke on behalf of first responders.
 


Lincoln Police Officer Marcel Sim gave an account of that day,
when he was working at Ground Zero for the NYPD.
 


Maj. General Spry has thousands of soldiers fighting not only the Global War on Terrorism
but also natural disasters here at home.
 


Lt. Colonel Dean Eckmann described going to battle stations and flying CAP sorties
over Washington DC that day with the NDNG Happy Hooligans.
 


Jenette Nelson spoke of the loss of her daughter and how her memory lives on.
 


Paul Goodiron gave perhaps the most stirring speech of the day, honoring not only those who serve but also the families who serve with them and endure their loss.
 


The Patriot Guard Riders had a presentation of their own to the office of the Governor.
 


First responders from fire, ambulance, and local law enforcement were in attendance to commemorate the day as well. I got to hang out with one of my favorite law enforcement friends and take photos.
 


One popular part of the day was a Blackhawk helicopter on the capitol mall, available for all to see.  Its crew were on hand to answer questions and explain the operation of the aircraft.
 


Then it was time to go home, tribute given and memories shared.

Memento

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This diminutive little figurine, a Statue of Liberty, stands just shorter than the diameter of a dime (1.8cm). In this photo it stands in front of a postcard of the Manhattan Bridge in New York City. Both were given to me in 2001 by Jody Kerzman, my friend and coworker at the time, after her trip to the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers on assignment from KFYR-TV.

I have a box of souvenirs, tapes, and other stuff from my job at the TV station, including the newspaper clipping of the Help Wanted ad I answered when I applied for the job I held for almost fourteen years. Of all the items in that box, this little statue (with its accompanying postcard) ranks among the most meaningful.

Slugbug!

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Our family plays Slugbug wherever we drive. We have as long as my little boys can remember, as we started ’em young. They’re getting pretty sharp at it, too, which is why this was one of the highlights at Buggies & Blues for them this year.

We made it to B&B but were unable to continue because of the heat and humidity. There are limits to how far you can take two little boys in the sun and heat, especially walking up and down a hot slab of concrete like Main Street. The humidity was oppressive, and actually fogged up my camera when I pulled it out of its bag. As a result, we headed back to the air conditioned truck…but not without someone enthusiastically calling, “Slugbug!”

Railroad Days returning to Mandan

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I read that Railroad Days will be held this weekend at the North Dakota Railroad Museum, located on Old Red Trail in Mandan. My family and I visited the museum earlier this summer and had a blast. There is SO much to see and do, starting with a collection of train cars and signals to peruse outside.

The museum has multiple buildings containing multiple rooms full of railroad souvenirs, memorabilia, and other displays. There are seats from old passenger cars, items from old rail depots, model trains, and such a variety of items that I can’t begin to describe. You’ve got to see it all for yourself.

One highlight of the trip was a ride on the Sky Line Railway, a miniature steam train operated by Ed Duke from Hensler (Don’t Blink). Tickets were free, and my boys took a ride before I climbed on with my camera to shoot a little HD video. You can check it out below:

The next big event at the ND Railroad Museum will be this weekend on the 28th, so be sure to save the date and pay them a visit. Check out all the memorabilia, climb around on the caboose collection outside, go for a stroll around the grounds, and check out the various buildings and exhibits. Top it all off with a ride on the Sky Line, and tell them you heard about it here!

Insert recycled Independence Day fireworks photo here. Gladly.

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Despite my fancy new camera and the desire to wield it, I made a pledge as Independence Day weekend approached: I’d leave it at home. This was no small matter, since I’m accustomed to taking a camera with me nearly everywhere I go. The photo above is from 2009, when it won a spot in the Governor’s Photo Contest and appeared in the 2010 North Dakota Travel Guide. It was photo number 43,000 through my Canon 20D, which is now around 57,000 exposures old.

Actually, the conditions on that evening in 2009 have never been matched: the sky was a beautiful blue, not totally dark, yet the fireworks blazed on. Photographically speaking it was perfect light, something that comes along very infrequently. Still, I’d love the opportunity to shoot this gig with my new camera. There are, however, more important things at hand.

I take the job of being Daddy very seriously. My boys are now both old enough to enjoy the fireworks display, although they still hold their ears. No diaper bags, long stroller rides, or other “baby stuff” – I have two little men in my house. Those men rely on Daddy to show ’em the ropes, and I’m up to the task.

My dad’s idea of fulfilling his responsibility as a father involved working himself harder than his body could bear in order to provide for his family. He succeeded in both. As a boy I remember noticing that Dad worked. A LOT. I’m sure it was what he thought was best for us, to work hard and provide. There were times where I had some special one-on-one memories with my dad, but one still stands out most prominently in my memory: the day he took me to a railyard and got me a ride on a real train. That’s not my dad in the photo above…that’s the engineer that drove us around the yard.

I found these photos by accident yesterday, but they were a perfectly timed reminder of how special such a time like this can be. I knock myself out trying to find fun and unusual places to take my boys, even at their young ages, to give them memories such as the one I had. I’ve vowed not to be too busy with work or selfish things because I know how much having even one such memory with my Daddy meant to me. I hadn’t even realized that he took a camera with and took photos, something I never recalled him doing. What a discovery!

These precious little men aren’t just looking for Daddy to teach them about stuff like trucks, trains, or cameras… they’re counting on me to teach them about life. Rule Number One about being Daddy is making sure that family comes first. It’s a tough one, since I was single until my mid-thirties, but I work hard at it. If a guy’s got any character at all, how can he not strive to put Mommy and the kiddos before himself? Besides, I’d trade a hundred prize-winning photos for ones like the shot above. They’re watching me through their little viewfinders every single day, and as I learn what’s really important in life I intend to show them, and to lead by example.

Mandan 4th of July Parade: an eclectic mix of random thoughts

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I like this scheme a LOT better than the silver.
 


Someone at Prairie Rose Dentists has quite a sense of humor!
 


According to liberal journalists, a flag-painted vehicle is just fine unless you’re Sarah Palin.
 


My little boy PJ likes this trailer.
 


General and Mrs. Spry.
 


My little boys understand that soldiers protect & defend our nation.
 


Dunkie. His posture indicates that this is his last year in the Bizzo.
 


The biggest tow truck my boys have ever seen. Take that, Mater!
 


Savvy Skate & Snow shows some construction ingenuity.
 


Okay, these are cool…we’ve come a long way since the Honda Odyssey!


Giving Grandma a brief sitrep.
 


Miss North Dakota, Arianna Walker. I’ve been friends with her dad for 20 years.
 


Why do you put googly eyes on a combine? So you know where you stand with it…
 


Your boyhood Hot Wheels collection comes to life.

I was surprised at how short this year’s parade seemed, but I’m glad it took place. We typically only stay for a little while because we need to limit exposure to the sun, so we were caught off guard when the end of the parade passed us. It would be interesting to compare the number of entries this year compared to years past. Nevertheless, a 500 year flood won’t prevent Bismarck-Mandan from celebrating Independence Day!

Anachronism

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This post isn’t just an anachronism because it documents an event held by the Society for Creative Anachronism. No, it’s also an anachronism because I took these photos weeks ago and am only posting them now!

We had just held a little party at Barnes & Noble for my 4 year old because of a reading milestone he’d reached. A picnic was planned to follow, so we took all the friends and cousins over to Sertoma Park to enjoy the day. That’s when we found these folks grillin’ food, swingin’ swords, and generally having a grande olde tyme.

Craftsmanship is key when making a set of armour such as this. I couldn’t help but think “None shall pass!” every time I looked at one of these helmets or other garb. Naturally any Monty Python jokes are well worn at an event like this, so I just held my tongue.

Coat of mail to go with your shield, anyone? This is hand made and very cool. It’s heavy, yet flexible. There were plenty of other creations on display as well, but I’m sure this sort of thing always gets the limelight.

A map of the world, SCA style. It looks like something you might find on the Strange Maps blog, and has some interesting delineation. Just in case you were wondering where we reside in all this:

Look just south of Lacus Sakakawea and you’ll find our general region. It doesn’t look like, according to this map, we’re in dragon territory. Must be all the flooding and shortage of caves.

This local bunch of SCA folks was very friendly and hospitable, and it looks like they were having a great time. Want to learn more? Click here to view a map of the Kingdom of Northshield, the SCA region in which their group resides. Tell ’em I sent ye!

They’ll need a crane (UPDATED)

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It’s been a while since I’ve dropped a lyrical reference in a blog post title, so I thought I’d give a hat-tip to one of my favorite songs by They Might Be Giants. If you found yourself on the far eastern reaches of the capital city today, you probably spotted this flag flying high above the industrial park.

This is an enormous flag, flying high atop an enormous crane. But what was the event? Something I’ve been eagerly anticipating for quite some time: the Case Triple Threat Rodeo, held today at Titan Machinery in Bismarck.

I was lucky enough to come visit this event over my lunch break, and so were my little boys. What could be more fun than hot dogs, big machines, and a sunny day? We’ll get to that in a moment.

There are multiple components to this rodeo contest: skidsteer, backhoe, and loader. Participants negotiate an obstacle course and perform skills of coordination while competing for the best time. The wind made it a challenge, I’m sure! At the end of the drill pictured above, the operator had to try to dump that little soccer ball into one of three waiting garbage cans.

As if watching big machines working wasn’t enough fun for little boys, there was also a big inflatable skidsteer loader-shaped bouncing pen. Believe me, they got PLENTY of use out of this thing. They were still bouncing with Mommy when I left to return to work.

According to the schedule on the Case website, there will be an event in Fargo today and in Minot later this year. Click here to check it out. It’s fun to watch. If you’ve got better loader skills than I have, you can register and participate!

One important thing I forgot to mention is that this event has also helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in support for Habitat for Humanity. You can click here to read more, and freewill donations are accepted at the event. Cool, huh?