Tractor row
Reply
Monthly Archives: August 2008
So far, so good, for our little doves
Sixty years ago, North Dakota nearly bordered FOUR states
Apparently a few disgruntled folks were looking to make a state of their own back in the 1930s, borrowing bits from Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. “Absaroka” would have been the 49th state, cutting in line ahead of Hawaii and Alaska, a.k.a. “Seward’s Folly”.
The name Absaroka is tied to the Crow Nation, according to this article from the New York Times. (Of course, we know how reliable THEY are…I’d rather trust a blogger!)
When doves cry
I grabbed a space heater and extension cord and got them warmed up pretty well. They seemed to really like the warmth, and quit shivering as well. I’m sure the sprinklers didn’t help that morning, either! Once we got them warmed up, we tried to figure out what to do with them. That’s when we looked up.
Hazy shade of summer
North Dakota, especially the “energy corridor” in which our fair cities reside, provides electricity for a very large area. Although lignite coal isn’t necessarily the “best” coal, the people in charge of converting it to electricity continue to strive to extract the most out of it in as clean a fashion as possible. Since we need wires to get all that electricity somewhere, there are power lines wherever a hopeful photographer may point his camera. And there still aren’t enough, by the way.
That’s why somewhere along the line I fell in love with power line towers. Perhaps it’s because I know what they mean to our state. Maybe it’s the way they stand fast across the rugged prairie, or what they deliver to thousands, if not millions, of hopeful customers. In any case, I’ve got LOTS of power line tower photos.
This particular morning, from about a week or so ago, was quite hazy due to the humidity. That same haze was giving me a rough time in my quest to spot Perseid meteors, so I was happy to be able to at least use it to my advantage. I was getting ready for an all-day video shoot, so I ran to work early. Along the way I spotted these towers, and dashed out for a quick click of the shutter.
The electrons whizzing over my head probably heated up some Minnesotan’s breakfast that morning, or kept some little kid’s life support machine running in a hospital. Maybe it powered someone’s computer so they could read my blog!
Obviously not a state job
It doesn’t look like supervising this operation is a really keen job, either; it involves staring at four little duck butts! They are pretty cute, though. My little boy PJ was excited to see the ducks. We watched them eat for a little while, then moved on.
End of the line
Actually, according to this press release from the ND Public Service Commission (PDF format) there are more wireless phones than land lines in North Dakota, and have been for a couple of years now. We ditched the land line (and all the ridiculous surcharges) in our house long ago, and so have many of our friends. Apparently many North Dakotans are doing the same. Especially the folks at the other end of the wire pictured above, I presume!
The moon…it’s a matter of perspective
I’m sure many of you have noticed that magnificent full moon we have had the past few nights (Brucellosis, I’m talking about YOU). It’s a fun photographic subject, but without a telescope or a very expensive lens it’s hard to get any really impressive photographs of it. The true beauty of such a moon, however, lies in its relationship to objects below.
I was bummed about missing Sunday night’s sunset by only a short moment. As I came up south Washington Street, I noticed the moon rising in the east, and it looked quite cool. I bolted up to a hill in northwest Bismarck, and caught that nice moon in a nice relationship to the state capitol building!
It ain’t easy getting a shot like this. Monday night I tried to better it, hoping to get a photo of the moon right beside the capitol, and was unable to do so. I realized that without roof access somewhere, it’s nearly impossible to get such a shot. The reason is that one has to be far enough away from the capitol to make it appear small in the shot, having a good relationship with the moon, but also be positioned in the correct angle. Frankly, there aren’t many positions in Bismarck that fit the bill. Either there’s a power line, tree or building in the way, or the angle is just plain wrong. As it turns out, Sunday night I was lucky. Good.
Tiger from below
This enclosure is cool in that you can look all around, and you have to duck to walk through a kiddie-sized tunnel to get to it. Naturally the kids love it, at least mine do. It’s just tall enough to push our stroller through without scraping my knuckles. If the cats aren’t doing anything exciting (let’s face, it…they’re CATS) the kids will probably like dashing around in the tunnels.
The snow leopard part of the “big cat” exhibit is still under construction, part of a campaign of expansion and enhancement at the zoo.
Sunday morning steeple
Not only did I succeed on all counts, but PJ loved the tent and my new key works in the lock. We also have a lot more water up there than we did the last time I ventured north. I’m told that the big lake has been coming up at a fantastic pace recently.
I also had the chance to do some photography in the area, so this is the steeple of the little lutheran church southwest of Pick City. When I took it, PJ was in the passenger seat of my truck saying “Happy!” over and over. I think he likes camping.