Tuesday night rays

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I took my little fellas out for a short trip tonight, and the last thing we did before bolting home for a late dinner was to catch some rays. Thankfully we had some clouds to oblige. As the sun found a couple of windows in the advancing clouds, I was there for the few fleeting seconds to catch the rays traversing the sky.

The rays came and went quickly, and so did we. In fact, if we had stayed another couple of minutes I could add some red and purple sunset photos to this batch. Satisfied with the rays, however, and ready to make my two famished boys’ respective favorites for dinner and story time, I bolted home for some special time as Daddy.

Oh yes…today’s Sunset Song of the Day is “The Reflection of You” by Bear in Heaven (iTunes link).

Democrat campaign signs on US Govt. property? Maybe the Army Corps of Engineers is a fan

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As I drove past this building over the weekend, I spotted something interesting. The building itself, by the way, sits on 12th Street in south Bismarck. It’s signed as an office for the Army Corps of Engineers, hardly a favorite government agency up here in former Flood Country. After all, an email trail seemed to indicate that they were warned in advance of 2011’s devastating Missouri River flood but failed to act. But I digress…there was one strange feature of this federal facility that seemed a little odd to me.

This United States government property seems to be home to one of the largest Heidi Heitkamp campaign banners I’ve ever seen. Isn’t that a strange feature for a government building? I’m no expert on campaign law, but that seems a little fishy to me.

Don’t worry, the entire Class Envy Trifecta is there: the sign also boasts a Taylor for Governor sign and a Gulleson for Senate as well. Apparently the Democrat candidates are popular with the Army Corps of Engineers?

The very same fence, surrounding the lot for the building pictured at the top of this post, also has some other signs on it – and they look like this one. This fence is United States Government Property. That means if you or I were messing around on it, we’d face a stiff penalty and probably criminal prosecution. So why is it being used to promote Democrat candidates for political office? If there’s a valid explanation for that, I’d love to hear it.

Here you go: all the signs arrayed on the same section of fence. Don’t trespass, but DO vote Democrat. That is apparently the message one is supposed to retain after passing by the United States Army Corp of Engineers office in south Bismarck. In the background on the right is the Army Corps of Engineers sign.

Of course, being Democrats, they can’t help but play North Dakota’s own version of the race card. Heidi for Indian Country…as though she’s the only one who’ll represent them. YAWN. I suppose it comes with the territory of being a Democrat. By the way, where does she stand on Abortion? The last I heard, that was NOT “the Indian way.” Heidi seems to be completely silent on that issue – not a mention of it at all on her website’s “Issues” section. Note the US Government work trucks in the background.

Another look at this building’s sign shows a blank panel. Does that mean there are two offices available in this space? Perhaps the Democrats have a campaign center here. Did Harry Reid or some other influential Democrat down in Washington DC set them up with a location inside United States Government property? After all, that’s how it is signed.

So is the United States government providing inappropriate campaign support to Democrat candidates? I’m pretty sure there’s a law somewhere that indicates that federal government property can NOT be used to campaign purposes. In the photos above, it’s obvious that the property is being simultaneously declared US Government property and hosting campaign banners for the state’s three most prominent Democrat candidates. The whole thing looks a little questionable, and I think we North Dakotans could all use some answers.

These are now a precious commodity

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One thing a cold snap will do: instantly remind me that it wasn’t too long ago when I was taking golden summer/autumn sunset photos! This one is actually quite recent. Weather changes quickly in North Dakota this time of year, and it can be quite shocking not only due to temperatures but also as a reminder that the photographic game has just changed for another season.

Hay! (Oh, like you’ve never done that)

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One of my favorite not-quite-funny road trip gags is to exclaim, “Hey!” when passing a field of hay bales. Of course someone in the car will rubberneck to see what I’m talking about, and hilarity ensues. At least for the first couple of times…after that it’s likely to resemble an old fashioned game of Slug Bug more than anything else…but without the bug!

Get ’em before they drop, and bring your polarizer

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Autumn seems to be the shortest of all seasons in North Dakota, at least the portion of it in which the foliage turns color. For instance: a few days ago I was up at Fort Lincoln taking sunset photos and eyeballing the colors of the leaves on the drive up the hill to the blockhouses. Tonight, as my little four year old and I drove up that same road, the trees were already quite barren. Some areas still thick leaves, but be warned: they won’t hang around long.

The above shot is an example of why you want to take a polarizer with on a sunny day of foliage photography. The shot on the left and the right are taken with identical settings mere seconds apart. The photo on the right, however, is with a circular polarizer. It’s obvious that, given the right angle, a photographer can really deepen the sky and make those fall colors pop! Once again, I advise doing so quickly. It won’t be long before the only place one can photograph those leaves will be on the ground.

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The colloquialism in the title of this post is the racetrack equivalent of “Go to war with the army you’ve got.” I didn’t have a photographic equivalent, so I’ll have to write one someday and utilize the racing version for now. I had finished watching a niece’s volleyball game at Fort Lincoln Elementary and saw a nice sunset developing, so I did what I had to: bolt to the nearest known photo subject. In this case, and given the letter “E” adjacent to my truck’s gas gauge needle, Fort Abraham Lincoln was the most logical choice.

I started with the above shot. Stereotypical. Unremarkable. I really prefer the blockhouses with the railings on top. Okay…time to work the area a little bit…

The clouds were changing quickly and it looked like the horizon was about to be obscured, but I did have time to try something else. Taking a position far away from the blockhouses had proven uninspiring, so I decided to get close and still try to capture some of the wispy clouds while they remained overhead. I figured the blockhouses had little else to offer tonight given the sky conditions, so I did a 180.

Now that’s what I’m talking about. The full size version of this photo is much more pleasing due to its detail in the fall colors, but I don’t want to post a photo that big here. It was the shot I was looking for, however, in order to satisfy my criteria for a successful photo trip: come home with at least one photo I really like…even if it’s the only one from the trip that turned out well.

About that time I noticed the National Guard guys practicing autorotations with a Blackhawk over at the Mandan Airport, so I hung out to watch the frivolity and snap a couple more last minute blockhouse shots. The clouds had changed yet again and were providing a dash of color and light in the sky overhead, and I wanted to milk this trip for all it was worth. Success. Then it was time for home and little relaxation to go with my satisfaction.

We’ve got another man down, Dude

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In a friend’s backyard, no less! I was out poking around with my camera before dinner and enjoying the extremely rural Dakota atmosphere when I noticed something in the grass. Closer inspection revealed that it was a windmill head from the early 1900s. What is it with me and old windmills, anyway?

As a mountain and city kid, I don’t know why I find these artifacts so intriguing, but I do. I’ve joked from time to time that in North Dakota’s vast expanse of prairie, anything sticking up more than a few feet can be considered a landmark. More honestly, I think they have more of a connotation of the pioneer spirit, the hardiness that it takes to farm a section of North Dakota land. For every windmill there’s a story of someone who put it there. I suppose that’s the real fascination.

Buildings amd mountains…well, okay…buildings

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We had a pretty dramatic, golden-orange sunset several nights ago…and my boys and I were there to capture it. It’s always characteristic of others’ misfortune, when forest or grass fires plague areas north and/or west of us: the smoke makes for some amazing sunsets.

We haven’t had much for clouds lately, at least not at sunset, but this particular evening was pretty well adorned. I have a “secret spot” that’s the best place to take such sunset photos of the capitol, and permission to be there, so we bolted to catch the combination of color and clouds before going home for story time and bunk beds.

The Sunset Song of the Day for this photo is an old favorite of mine, “Buildings and Mountains,” by The Republic Tigers (iTunes link). It’s also a great song for a road trip through the wide open plains with those beautiful North Dakota skies overhead.

A light unto my path

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The colors, they are a-changing. If you are into the fall foliage, I suggest walking the Lewis & Clark recreational trail in Mandan. I ventured out after work last Thursday and walked most of the trail before running out of daylight, and the colors are in full effect. I noticed last night that River Road is becoming quite the spectacle, too.

One thing about fall in North Dakota is that it doesn’t last long – get out and enjoy those fall colors while they last! Before long they’ll be gone for the year.

Pilings-on and a double-barreled Sunset Song of the Day

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After work today I took off with my camera to walk much of the Lewis & Clark trail along the Missouri River in Mandan, starting from the northwest trailhead. While I took a lot of photos of the changing leaves and meandering dirt path, some of which I may post later, I really had a goal of taking a photo of the old wooden pilings near the trailhead itself. Someone was about to begin a senior session down there, so I decided to walk a few miles first. I’m glad I did.

I returned to the truck right around sunset, with only the last bits of pink and purple remaining in the western sky. I got into position and eyeballed the shot, unsure whether I’d actually get an angle I liked. I did, as you can see, but I hadn’t brought my camera down to the rocky shore with me in case I didn’t like what I saw. I dashed back up before the light went away from me, returned for a quick setup and series of shots trying different things with fill flash and long exposures, then it was time to come home for some homemade chili.

Due to the amount of time spent walking, I had plenty of opportunity to select two songs for tonight’s Sunset Song of the Day. The first one is “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” by the Primitive Radio Gods (iTunes link) and the second is “Black Chow” by Big Spider’s Back (iTunes link). Both have a good tempo suitable for walking back to your truck at the end of a nice, long hike. They also set the mood for a relaxing purple-and-blue end to the evening, down by the river as it laps against the rocks.