Wednesday night sunset
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Why so many photos? Because it’s big, and it’s busted
It would have been interesting to see exactly how and when this blade failed. I bet it was a spectacular sight! If I were to offer a layman’s opinion, I’d guess that it happened while the turbine was stationary; otherwise it looks like the delaminated blade would have likely torn right off. In this case, it merely split. It may not have been pointing up at the time; the weight distribution of the blades was altered when it collapsed, causing the intact blades to balance toward the bottom.
I was really excited to get out tonight. I got to hang out with a friend who went with me, I got to see the clouds roll away and a very nice (albeit chilly) June evening take shape. I even got to do some running around with the camera after leaving the wind farm…but those photos will have to be posted later.
Welcome to my playground
This week looks like a wash for photography or motorcycling, with a cold and wet forecast. No matter, I got plenty of neat shots last week. We’ve still got a little bit more summer left…some would jokingly say at least two weeks’ worth! When the weather cooperates, I’ll either be out in my truck or sliding two knobby tires around those gravelly corners, looking for more of those North Dakota scenes I love so much.
“Road to Nowhere” redux
While out on the motorcycle the other night I came across Sandy River Drive, which reminded me of this post from July of last year. I hope you enjoy it, and take the opportunity to visit this marker!
Marking “The Road to Nowhere”, this marker was obviously put up by someone who got a raw deal. In case you have a bad monitor, let me go ahead and quote it:
This marker is dedicated to the public officials who deemed “we’re from the government and we’re here to help” – even though the residents of the area didn’t want the trees removed, their roads destroyed, and the new road built.”
As usual, I proofread everything I read, and something caught my eye. If I’m right, “Pactas” should actually read “Pacta” as it’s the plural of the Latin word “pactum.” It means an agreement, contract, covenant, or treaty. The full translation of this little dictum is essentially “Agreements should be honored.” If so, all those years of high school and college Latin finally paid off. The dedication itself speaks for itself…just think the Democrats want the government to be in charge of our health care, too!
If you’d like to find this marker and enjoy the picnic table, you can take River Road north from Pioneer Park, then turn left and head west on Sandy River Drive until you spot the marker on your left. Its GPS coordinates are 46 deg 51.164 minutes North, 100 deg 51.237 minutes West. If you find out who placed the marker here (it ain’t hard to figure out), tell them I sent you.
River Road, that FMR sign, tales of a Dakota pilot…oh yeah, and lots of frogs
If you’ve been around Bismarck for twenty years or longer, you probably remember an older fella that used to drive around in these really cool little “Prince” automobiles. Actually, I think there may have been two such guys, since one lived near my south of Mandan as well. I was recently told that the other such man was none other than Fred Max Roberts, who at one time lived where the FMR sign still stands. Aha! But who was Fred Max Roberts? It turns out he had a story (or several) to tell.
Fred Marke Roberts was born in 1931, and I’m not sure if he’s around any more. The book indicates it was published by “fmROBERTS Enterprises” out of Dana Point, California. It is available online if you’re an aviation enthusiast and don’t already own a copy. Its ISBN number is 0-912746-09-2. Here’s a link to more information.
Now when you drive past those brick buildings and that old FMR sign along River Road, you’ll have a little bit more background!
By the way, I was out on that old River Road last night and was amazed at how loud all the frogs were! Since I keep a handheld MP3 recorder in my camera bag, I decided to pull over and enjoy the sounds of nature. Click here for a brief MP3 of nature’s music along one of Bismarck’s finest and most scenic roads.
There’s always the sun
The title of this post comes from my favorite song by The Stranglers, which is also a fantastic sunset-viewing song. I went to the river bottom last Saturday night to chase the sunset. I’d scoped out the location early in the day with my little 2 yr old, but he was safely snuggled in his crib by the time I threw the truck into four wheel drive and started climbing berms with my camera in the passenger seat. What follows is an example of why you should arrive early for a sunset photo and stay a while after the sun has disappeared beyond the horizon.
As you can see from these photos, one sunset can provide quite a variety of different shots. These were all taken within 100 yards of each other, yet they look like different locations on different evenings. It’s simply a matter of patience. Start with a good location, arrive early, stay late.
Front row seat
This isn’t the first time someone’s deposited a piece of furniture in this area. Before the roads came this far out, there was a dusty old double-track trail leading to the edge of the hill overlooking River Road. At the end of that road was just enough clear space to turn around, and occasionally a sofa or chair of some sort. Things are a little more accessible now that there are paved roads, but this is just a continuation of times past. Obviously I’m not the only one gazing at the sky around here!
Memorial Day 2009 in pictures
I had the privilege of attending the Memorial Day ceremony at the veterans’ cemetery at Fort Abraham Lincoln yesterday. Here’s some of what I saw, in case you were unable to be there.
Custom calls for them to be raised at noon.
Once again, I’d like to convey my thanks to everyone who serves in our military. I’d also like to convey those same thanks to anyone whose loved one serves. They sacrifice right along the servicemen and women which comprise our nation’s forces of freedom.
A tribute to our soldiers this Memorial Day
I put together a little video tribute for Memorial Day late last night. I was moved to do so by something President Obama said in his speech at the Arizona State University commencement this year:
“…we’ve become accustomed to the term ‘military superpower’… forgetting about the qualities that got us there. Not just the power of our weapons, but the discipline, and valor, and the code of conduct of our men and women in uniform.”
At first I was really bent at the way this radical leftist spoke. I interpreted his words as meaning that the military had forgotten those qualities! What an awful thing to say! However, in the spirit of letting my temper cool down before going at it, I took another listen and decided to give the President the benefit of the doubt.
I looked at his words in a different light. In this context I took it to mean that, among the other things he denigrated his own nation for, the American people have forgotten the qualities of our heroic military men and women. That’s still a slap in the face to America, albeit a somewhat less offensive one to our soldiers and their loved ones. And, I figured, something that’s quite far from the truth.
On this of all holidays, I reasoned, it was especially important to let the soldiers who see this website know that we have not forgotten them. We have not forgotten their character. We have not forgotten their loyalty to their nation and their mission. We have not forgotten that their families and loved ones sacrifice by their side, saying goodbye to Mommy or Daddy, spouse, child, or friend for months at a time as they serve in harm’s way. How dare you, Mr. President, even insinuate such a thing?
I stand by my interpretation of the President’s words. I tried to read the actual text by Googling it online, which was interesting – the version on the Huffington Post stripped this part out! Perhaps they’re afraid of others making the same interpretation as I initially did. In any case, like I said, I’ll give the President the benefit of the doubt…and that ain’t pretty, either.
Like millions of Americans, I pray for our soldiers. I’m ever aware of the fact that somebody, somewhere is putting their life on the line for my freedom and the safety of my family. I’m also aware that somebody who loves that soldier is without them right now as they serve. It’s a humbling thought, and it’s one that provokes instant anger at the thought that anyone thinks we’ve forgotten them. On that note, here’s the meager tribute I assembled:
If you don’t see playback controls, move your cursor over the video window.
The homemade 4×4 phenomenon takes on a new dimension: a dually
I’d say this whole homemade 4×4 thing is getting out of hand…but isn’t that the point? I’d hate to discourage this kind of creativity and ingenuity. Besides, it’s exactly the opposite of what liberals want us to do, drive silly little deathtraps in a vain attempt to “save” the planet they worship.
For any of you who haven’t seen them all, here are a few of the other creations I’ve spotted in Bismarck-Mandan:
There’s one other 4×4 I haven’t seen around here since the mid 1990s: a pinkish-red pearl El Camino, or possibly Ranchero, which was last seen on the used car lot at Cedric Theel. Who knows where it eventually ended up. If I spot that one, I’ll count my collection complete. Of course, that’s what I said before I saw the Gremlin.