Monthly Archives: July 2012

Someone’s at the wrong end of the line

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I came upon this nest of swallows inside the large earth lodge at Fort Lincoln this weekend and had to take some photos of the little guys getting lunch. My favorite part about this shot is the look on the face of the birds on the right. The second one in is looking at the camera with what appears to be a frank look of exasperation. Of course, I’m not about to anthropomorphize the little critters, but sometimes their expressions match humans perfectly.

Don’t feel too bad for the little guys on the right; they actually got fed first (I have photos of that too).

Broken connection #6

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Looks like the end of an era along this stretch of road near Regan. These wires have actually been disconnected for a while, but this is the best opportunity I have had to stop and get the right photo of them. The sun, sky, and green fields were all in perfect form for this shot, and I was there on one of the motorcycles with a camera to take advantage of the good fortune!

Here’s one for you: even those these lines have clearly been in place long enough to perform their intended service to the point of becoming obsolete, there are still federal subsidy programs in place from the 1930s to provide telephone and electric connections to rural areas. Once a federal program like that comes to life, look out: you’re probably going to pay for it forever.

Does waddling around in a hoodie exude an air of competent leadership?

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I had to do a double take during the Independence Day parade in Mandan last week. This photo I took shortly afterward pretty much says it all. How professional does a candidate of any persuasion look in a hoodie, baseball cap, and dark shades? In what way could that possibly portray competent leadership?

That’s how senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp took to the street to push the same duplicitous campaign strategy North Dakota Democrats have employed for decades: class envy, campy talk of a nebulous “North Dakota Way”, and saying one thing here while acting like good little leftist lap dogs back in Washington, DC.

I feel compelled to clarify that no, I’m not mocking Heidi’s looks. This is about attire. I think anyone pursuing a position of leadership should dress for public appearances like they’re applying for the job…every time.

For instance: despite their poor performance as representatives of North Dakota, you could count on Dorgan, Conrad, and Pomeroy to put on a nice flannel or farmer-ish shirt and a new set of jeans or khakis when they came back to North Dakota to act all “local.” Whichever handler allowed Heidi to go parade walkin’ with the Unabomber get-up, however, should be given a different assignment.

One other item in this photo speaks volumes about the Democrat candidate for senate: trying to distribute treats from an empty bucket. I can’t think of a better way to portray the bloated federal bureaucracy with Democrats in charge. Maybe there’s a float from China nearby waiting to loan her some candy to distribute to the hoi polloi in an effort to buy votes.

My two new favorite windmill photos

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On Saturday evening I went out on a spur-of-the-moment photo jaunt just before sunset, with a particular target of opportunity in mind. I wasn’t the only one; as I bolted down a familiar stretch of gravel road I passed a couple camped out in a blind waiting for some critters to pass by. Just as I reached the windmill above I silently lamented the fact that I’d pretty much missed the sunset. Experience has taught me that sunlight does some pretty cool things just as the sun traverses the horizon, so I kept shooting anyway.

I’m sure glad I did. The photo above, which I’d dismissed at the time due to the waning sun and lack of available preparation time, is actually the first one I snapped and pretty much my favorite. The colors and detail I drew from this shot were a pleasant surprise once I got home and fired up the computer. There’s plenty more, too.

This shot is looking the other way just a few minutes later, while the sun is still giving a pink and purple cast to the sky in its wake. I used an off-camera flash to take advantage of the reflective blades of the windmill while using a slow exposure to soak up the remaining light. The way this shot turned out was another very pleasant surprise.

There have been times where I’ve rolled up to a location and given in to frustration because the conditions weren’t what I wanted or expected. This is a great example of why a person should always continue clicking away on that shutter, because there’s a good chance some unexpected photos like this may result. Kind of like the phrase, “you go to war with the army you’ve got,” you’ve got to shoot in the conditions you’re given. Do what you’ve trained to do, and come home to discover what you may not have seen through the viewfinder at the time.

Independence Day at our beloved capitol

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Our little family was able to attend the Independence Day celebration at the capitol with some dear friends this year, taking in some music and kettlecorn while having a lovely evening outdoors. It’s become an annual tradition for our family and, judging by the enormous crowd occupying the grass of the capitol mall each year, for many others as well.

One of the first things I noticed this year is that the orchestra was not staged up on the steps of the capitol. With scaffolding for the ongoing limestone restoration still hanging atop the capitol tower, everybody has to stay outside the safety fence’s perimeter…even musicians.

I didn’t set out specifically to take fireworks shots this evening, but since they’re there and so is my camera…what the heck? In this one I verified that my flash could illuminate most of the crowd in front of me, but I figured to do so repeatedly would be rude. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite shots.

The crowd was so red from this one it looks like they’re on KFYR-TV’s Skywatch camera at night! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check it out after dark sometime.

Wind from the north helped clear out the smoke from exploded shells but it also made the sparkly globes a little lopsided. Photographers are perfectionists, you know.

At one point in the evening, before the fireworks, I heard a familiar riff. Several of us looked at each other in surprise, because it was the intro lead-in to Kashmir. I quickly recalled that Aaron Meyer, the guest soloist, is a rock violinist and everything clicked into place.

Throughout the entire evening I didn’t see a single mosquito. That must have been due to the squadrons of dragonflies ever buzzing overhead. My guess is that the evening was a mosquito smorgasbord for those guys, and we’re grateful that they kept the skies clear for us!

The fireworks are great, but they would not be nearly as entertaining if they lacked the accompaniment of Dr. Beverly Everett and the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, belting out our favorite patriotic marches and hymns!

After the finale it was time to pack up for the evening. I had to chuckle because the nonstop rumble and popping from Mandan sounded like we had our own little war zone across the river. Even from the parking lot of the capitol the noise was quite loud. I imagine everyone over there was having quite a time!

I love the Independence Day celebration at the capitol, and hope to partake next year as well. I have something a little different in mind photographically, so we’ll see how that turns out. Have a good weekend!

Happy Independence Day, you extremists

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So far we’ve had all the right ingredients for a great Independence Day…the day off from work, the Mandan parade in its entirety, a nice long nap, and a great evening planned.

Point of order, though: I do appreciate all the salutations and greetings today, but rather than saying, “Happy 4th!” I would delight in hearing, “Happy Independence Day!” After all, that’s what today is about, regardless of where it happens to have landed on the calendar.

By the way, on this day which rings true the message of individual liberty in the heart of all red-blooded Americans, it caught my attention that people who are “fiercely nationalistic” or “reverent of individual liberty” are labeled as terrorists by a new study on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (link opens as PDF in new window).

Well, USA and liberty, if lovin’ you is wrong…I don’t wanna be right. The report above tries to mask its claims against such people by qualifying them as accompanied by preparing to retaliate violently. That brings me back to one of Clint’s Rules of Reality (heretofore unpublished, lest be it labeled a “manifesto”:

“Your home is a ‘residence’ until the government wants to come in; at that point,
regardless of size, location, or construction, it becomes a compound.”

My point is that, if you satisfy the requirements of *gasp* thinking the wrong sort of thoughts, it won’t be too hard for someone to make the short leap to branding you as dangerous…as long as you’re on the wrong side of the ideological spectrum.

This isn’t the first time people who oppose abortion, people who put stickers on the back of their trucks, people who attend Tea Party rallies (but not Occupy Wall Street), or people who support Ron Paul (among whom I am not one) have been branded as dangerous and possible terrorists…and it won’t be the last. I just wanted to inform you that if this day has brought to mind a swell of national pride and love of liberty, look out: you may have just become an enemy of the state…at least while Hope™ and Change™ are the bywords of the day.