Frosty Friday

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On my way to the rally I spotted this shot of the trees in the historic Cathedral District. Ever the compulsive photographer, I hiked up on the sidewalk over Memorial Highway and took a few shots through the frosty chain link covering. Then it was back to the truck to deliver a nice big HUG to my wife at her workplace, then to the Ramkota for the afternoon’s events.

Take Back Washington rally a 110% success

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I attended the Take Back Washington rally on Friday, and left energized despite spending the entire day on my feet (with a twenty pound camera pack) and on the move. I wasn’t the only one…several hundred North Dakotans joined me to take part in this synergy between the established Republican Party and the grass roots movement.

I’ve gone back and added a few things to these photos now that I’ve got the time, so check ’em out a little more closely:

“Thomas Paine” and Dakota Beacon publisher Steve Cates were among the friendly faces I found when I first arrived. If you don’t read the Beacon, you should. If you do read the Beacon, please subscribe. If you advertise your business or product, do it in the Beacon. “Thomas” is my friend Lynn, and I’m told that yes, those are rented socks.

Things started at 3pm with breakout sessions consisting of various panel discussions and Q&A opportunities. The topics ranged from family issues to energy to constitutional battles. This session was on taxation and government spending. Some of the sessions were in smaller rooms, others like this one in much larger ones. The only downside was that I couldn’t decide which one to sit in, and I wanted photos of all of them, so I did the best I could to pop in and out without being rude.

Each session had a microphone handy for those who had questions and/or comments for the presenters and panels. This was the family session, hosted by Tom Frier of the North Dakota Family Alliance. It’s also the only one I know of that closed in prayer. Amen!

My friend Rob was on the Constitution panel, and I didn’t even get to hear him! I was too busy running from place to place in search of cool photos. I allowed the organizers access to a bunch of my images to upload to their Flickr stream. This event is important because it can be used as a model for other states, and I want to contribute to that success.

I love this hat, belonging to a sweet little old lady who let me take her picture later on. I agree with the “Draft Ed” button, but now to draft him for a return as North Dakota governor! She waited patiently in her wheelchair for me to take her photo, giving me a little background about the history of many of those buttons on her hat.

Speaking of Governor Ed, he was on a panel with political expert Grover Norquist. I was able to meet Grover at a luncheon earlier in the day and get an autographed copy of his new book, too! Someone later remarked that no matter where or when you meet him, Ed is always Ed…a man of character. I’d wholeheartedly agree. Whether it was helping him get a restored car started at McDonald’s or chatting about getting a new racetrack started outside his ExtendAmerica offices, he’s been the same friendly, genuine person each time our paths have crossed. Mr. Norquist was nothing like I expected him to be, and is another patient and friendly guy. I sure appreciate his sense of humor (as well as the free autographed book).

All the panels were very well attended. I managed to listen in from place to place and really wish I could have been everywhere at once! It was impossible to pick one discussion I wanted to attend. It was hard to find a seat in most of them. I stayed near the back and listened while taking my pictures, moving from place to place.

I lucked into a VIP pass for a chance to meet the keynote speaker, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, and a seat right up toward the front. I’ve never been pranked by a US Congressperson before (aside from the daily backstabbing we North Dakotans get from Earl Pomeroy)! Nice to see she has a sense of humor šŸ™‚ I didn’t really use my seat up front much, though, since I was roaming around with my camera as usual. The first picture we took was serious. I was about to leave when she pulled me back and said, “one more!” This was the result.

Then it was time for the rally to start. As you can see, it was a wildly successful event. There were several hundred attendees and the atmosphere was one of excitement and enthusiasm. Even with my blue VIP ticket, I was lucky to find a place to sit in the section they had reserved for us up front. That’s okay…I was only in it for five or ten minutes before roaming around the room with my camera once more.

The evening was MC’ed by the Chairman of the Common Sense Club, radio personality and event supporter Scott Hennen. I think he coordinated the effort to provide live web streams of the event as well. I keep a link to his radio station, AM 1100 “The Flag,” on the right hand side of this site. You can hear his show locally here in Bismarck-Mandan on News Talk 1270 AM.

Gary Emineth, GOP Chairman, deserves credit for coming up with this idea. I’ve only wanted to get involved in politics in the past year or so, and from the start Gary and other members of the party have enthusiastically reached out to me and others like me who want to make a difference. Republican party organizations in other states had better take note of what happened here tonight, because Gary’s idea was a sure-fire winner in my opinion.

Republican candidates for a variety of offices as well as party leaders took their places at a row of tables at the front of the room. They had no microphones. They were given no opportunity to respond or give a speech. They were there for one purpose Friday night: to listen. And listen they did. I have a really wide lens, but not wide enough to show you that Kevin Cramer was to the left of this shot. Make no mistake, he was there and listening.

Ross Ueckert started off the audience participation part of the rally. Ross is known for his effort to walk to Washington, DC and give our congressional delegation an earful. He made it all the way across North Dakota from Beach last year, and as far as Hastings, Minnesota. He suspended his walk (due to weather, I presume) and will resume on Flag Day. He isn’t going to stop until he gets there.
Ross’s stories of the people he’s met along the way are amazing. I got to chat it up with him at lunch earlier in the day. He proudly wears a bracelet bearing the name of a fallen ND soldier. The bracelet was given to him by a woman he encountered on his walk. Why, yes…he does have a website: www.ourgreatwalk.com.

Yes, I had my turn at the microphone after Ross. When I realized that I had something I wanted to say, I took a cue from a certain vice-presidential candidate and wrote the three points I wanted to mention on my hand. No teleprompters in this house! Naturally I was misquoted in the Tribune.

Then it was time for Congresswoman Bachmann to take the stage as keynote speaker. She was amazing to listen to, and appeals to people like me who value tradition, responsibility, and accountability in our government.

Michele (if I can presume to refer to her by first name…she’s such a charismatic person, it’s easy to think of her in a friendly way) was a superstar, even though Scott and others told the crowd that we’re the stars of the show this time. She was able to present some interesting information while being entertaining, endearing, and encouraging. Can you imagine her teamed up with Sarah Palin? Well, that’s going to happen down the road at a future rally, in Minnesota if I recall correctly.

Then the Johnny Holm Band took to the stage, with an impromptu parody song to the tune of “Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton. He was able to talk some of the evening’s more famous folks into singing along with the crowd, as someone had dashed to a photocopier and made a bunch of lyric sheets for the crowd. I’m told that FOX News took the live web feed when the crowd started singing, but at that point I was packing up my camera gear to rush home to my beautiful wife.

I say again, the entire event was an enormous success from start to finish. The most important thing I got from the event, and this is what I said when I had a turn at the microphone, is that we concerned North Dakotans should not be considered “Tea Party” or “Town Hall” people. We’re North Dakotans who are standing up for our nation, and we are with the Republican Party on the vast majority of issues. If we differ with the party on certain issues, let’s change that from inside! They’re reaching out to North Dakotans who have never been involved in politics before, saying, “Come on in!” Let’s take them up on it, giving strength and direction to the party, and start taking back our nation!

I already took my coolest photo of 2010

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I saw the ice crystals in the air forming spires of light as I went to church tonight. I know these things are fleeting, so I was grumbling quite a bit as I went to church instead of on a photo jaunt. Sure enough, they had disappeared by the time we got out of church and drove home.

I was sitting in the rocking chair with my two little boys on my lap, telling them an extemporaneous story about The Little Motorcycle and His Big Race, so I missed a call from my buddy MGK. A check of his voicemail later told me all I needed to know: the light spikes were BACK.

I ventured out, thinking I’d head toward Hillside Park. Then I saw that the spikes were jutting skyward in the west! No matter; I whipped the truck around and headed toward the river. When I got there – you guessed it – not a spike of light in sight!

Patience is not among my few virtues, and I gave up at this point; however, I saw some light spikes to the south and thought perhaps I should pull a wait-n-see. The steam above the river was slowly drifting northward, so perhaps the ice crystals and their lovely light artifacts would soon follow! As a matter of fact, they did.

Not only do I have a great little spot marked out for this shot, but it’s also got ground underneath the snow instead of a churning Missouri River! As the spikes formed, I heard a train coming from the east. Perfect. I held the shutter release down for about thirty seconds before the train arrived, and for a total of 96 seconds as it rolled past. Bingo. I didn’t even get too cold!

This is my favorite photo not just because I had a cool location out on the ice and froze accordingly despite my winter weather gear, but also because of all the little features therein That’s why I decided to upload a larger version. In fact, it’s so big that you will probably have to click on it AGAIN in your browser so it displays full size. If you have a little magnifying-glass cursor when you roll over the photo, click it to zoom in. Check out these details:

– The steam above the river. On the left side of the photo, the light streams through the trees and hits the steam. Very cool.

– The train. I started my exposure before it got to the bridge so that it would “ghost” into the photo, being semi-transparent. Its headlight also illuminated the bridge beams in front of it.

– The refinery. The giant plumes of steam from the Tesoro plant are drifting northeastward, forming a nice pillowy look due to the long exposure.

– The snow on the river. I’m standing just at the point where the ice starts to turn to slush, on the ragged edge of safety. There’s a thick blanket of snow out on the river, so if you are not familiar with the shoreline in this area it’s a good idea to NOT try coming out here.

– The stars. I had a perfectly clear night, and the brightest of stars didn’t disappoint. They made a grand appearance in this picture, streaking ever so slightly because of the duration of the exposure.

There you have it…so many things came together in this scene, things that were beyond my control. I’m just the lucky sap who was there at the right place at the right time, shutter release in hand, to capture it. Moments like this don’t come along easily and, while I had the presence of mind to wait for it, they don’t always pan out like this one. That’s why I suspect I may have already captured my best photo of the year.

Soon to be revealed

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My friend Terry has a scripture sign ministry where he puts these signs in front of various businesses, churches, and even homes around Bismarck and Mandan. Some are right near downtown, others are out in rural areas. Every month he puts a new Bible verse in each one, as the center part is interchangeable. It’s always cool to spot a new one when roaming around Bismarck-Mandan, since I know the guy who puts them up. They’re built by a little organization called Wayside Ministries, if I remember correctly.

I took note of the verse on this sign the other day and thought it was pretty amusing, considering the end of the verse. It kinda says it all, considering how many North Dakotans are starting to look forward to Spring and all this white stuff to melt away! I just want it warm enough to let my toddlers play in the snow, and I look forward to building snow forts and snowmen with them. The winter blanket will melt soon enough. When it does, the rest of this sign shall be revealed.

History starts in Bismarck this Friday

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Click the image to visit takebackwashington.net
Forces align this Friday, and you can attend for FREE at the Ramkota. Michele Bachman, conservative spokesperson and US Representative from Minnesota, will be one keynote speaker. The audience will be the other. There will be a public comment period as well as the rest of the festivities listed on the website at takebackwashington.net.

Conservatives involved with the grass roots “Tea Party” movement are aligning with the Republican Party, since we’ve got common ideas. Don’t like something about the GOP? Bring your voice! Change things from within and hold people accountable to the conservative ideals we hold dear.

According to the site home page, there’s a star studded lineup of supporting organizations, including:

The ND Republican Party
Citizens for Responsible Government
The North Dakota Family Alliance
Concerned Women of America
The North Dakota Farm Bureau
The North Dakota Taxpayers’ Association
The National Rifleman’s Association
Campaign for Responsible Health Reform

Hopefully this event is just the beginning of Take Back Washington rallies in all of President Obama’s “57 states!” Come on out, let your voice be heard, help build the momentum, and let’s bring about some real “change we can believe in.”

You can sign up for free at the Take Back Washington website. It starts at 3pm and runs throughout the afternoon and evening with different panels and speakers – the agenda is on the main page. Let’s make history and start taking this country back from the radicals trying to ruin it forever!

Fun with light en route to Mandan last night

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I was on my way (or “10-76”, as I was once required to say) to Mandan to wrap up some business last night when I noticed a very neat phenomenon on the bridge. The air was quite hazy and the snow was flying, and the lights on the new Memorial Bridge caused a sharp line of light next to the bridge on the north side. It was such a sharp-edged beam of light that one could drive right up to it! Really cool.

Having accomplished what I needed to in Mandan, I came back and took a few minutes to see how my camera would react to the light. Since I needed to do a long exposure anyway, I decided to hold the shutter open long enough to make the taillights of passing cars streak across the frame. I experimented with the settings a bit to make sure I got the blazing beam of light on the bridge’s north edge, the taillights, and the other regions of the picture all exposed the way I wanted to. Fun!

Night on the river

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I found myself chasing some more of those spires of light due to ice fog, much like the ones I posted earlier (click here). Sadly, the conditions have to be just right to catch something like that. In this case they were not. I still got some neat photos, though.

Here’s the new bridge in winter time. The snow on the river makes for a nice, soft foreground…don’t you agree?

The fog has been rolling in quite heavily lately as our weather pattern is undergoing some changes and very different blobs of air meet. In fact, I was atop the capitol building today and was just about up in the clouds!

I hear we have a cold snap around the corner. If we have some high pressure delivering clear skies and very frigid (sub-zero) temperatures, we could get more of those light spikes soon too!

Trip to the antique mall brings a new discovery – and there’s a rummage sale this week

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I’ll admit it, I had not been to the antique mall in the first floor of the Anderson Building in downtown Bismarck. In fact, I don’t think I’d been in this building since Eggers Audio was in the basement! I used to spend lots of time at Boyd’s Ark when it was here as well. But that’s another story. A co-worker and friend (the two are synonymous at our offices) reminded me of this place, so I took the opportunity to end my work day early and go visit.

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of little gems in the antique mall. One of which was too funny not to photograph: this Fonzie paper doll! There was another one of these still wrapped in plastic on the top of a shelf. I saw plenty of other cool memorabilia as well. One thing I was on the lookout for, however, was a unique photo or postcard. I found a couple.

I couldn’t resist a classic “Greetings from Bismarck” postcard, of course. This style predates me but I’ve seen it plenty. I have to admit it first reminded me of a few things I saw in the Pixar movie “Cars,” which my little boys love tremendously.

Here’s the real gem. I had never seen a photo of the capitol building with these lights on top of it! The building is lit from below by giant floodlights these days, but apparently it was once lit from above as well. Since this was the first time I’d ever seen the capitol with such a feature, I had to bring this postcard home. It has no date on it, so I had to do a little poking around. The photo credit lists tht North Dakota Highway Department, so I thought I’d search the state’s photo collection.

Apparently these lights were present for quite some time! This image is one available from the state’s Digital Horizons online collection. The link to the photo with information is here. It’s also noteworthy that they were doing the whole “numbers at New Year” thing way back when as well. I like the rounded digits, too!

I had a blast at the Antique Mall last Friday, and made this interesting discovery to boot. You need to pay this place a visit and peruse the various collections for yourself. They’re also having a rummage sale in the basement this week, so you may find some unique deals there! Take some time to wander, and you won’t be disappointed. Tell them I sent you.

One more adverse way in which Hopeā„¢ and Changeā„¢ impact North Dakota

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Among the many things that Hugo Chavez Barack Obama wants to nationalize, i.e. seize under government control: student loans. The problem for banks is that it takes a revenue stream and yanks it out from under them. Some banks, such as the Bank of North Dakota, derive 30% of their loan income from student loans. Hopeā„¢! Changeā„¢!

According to this KXMB article, there are 55 North Dakotans employed in relation to the bank’s student loan activities. I wonder if they’re feeling all hopey-changey right now.

Of course, one of our gallant Senators promises to ride to the rescue according to the same article, pledging to deliver an exemption for the nation’s only state-owned bank. What about the other banks across the nation? Because they’re not government entities, should they be treated this way?

I’ve been meaning to write on this for quite some time, so perhaps it’s even a done deal by now. If BND is actually exempted, North Dakotans should still be upset at this latest attempt on the nation by the radical leftists running President Obama.