Victory!

I went to the Donnie Smith Bike Show Sunday afternoon.  This was my second year, and there were another fine batch of custom bikes, and in the case of this bike, a fine model sitting on it too.  Victory never looked so good.

And same as last year, this will be the first in a series of blogs from the show.  Too many good bikes for just one blog.

Spooky Moon

When I was putting out the recycle bins last night, I looked up and saw a lovely, misty, spooky moon.  The moon rises fairly quickly, so I had to hurry inside to get my camera and tripod.  Then I had to hurry back in and change lenses to a longer one, but I finally captured it.  I just looked on the calendar and it was officially a full moon too.  Spooky

Woof

This is Sheriff.  He is a one year old Timberwolf.  Isn't he adorable?  I had the privilege of photographing him during a photography seminar today. 

Island Flooding

Last night I went down to the Harriet Island and Raspberry Island area.  Officials thought the Mississippi had crested and I wanted to get a few images before the water starts receding.

Harriet Island has become a pool.  In the upper right of the image you can see the main stage (with the girder held canopy) that is used during Taste of MN.  Usually it's grass in front of the stage, not a pool with a tree sticking out of it.

The ramps to the river boats go up instead of down now.  They also moved barges into place to protect some of the other river boats.

The pavilion is also under water, but it was built with that in mind, so it should come out ok.

Raspberry Island is doing it's best to stay dry, but water has overtaken it, in parts, too.  Normally there is at least 15 feet between what you see now and where the water line usually is.

The railroad bridge is also really really close to the water now.

It was very peaceful down here.  Well, except for the cops and park police shooing away all the people trying to get too close to the water.  Duh.  As I was leaving, workers were pulling manhole covers below me on Water Street.  I'm guessing they were checking water levels.  Fun job!

First Day of Spring

Yesterday was the first day of Spring, and Spring means thaw, and thaw means lots and lots and lots of water.  This is a shot of the old power dam in Cannon Falls on Lake Byllesby.  It usually looks tame and dead, but not right now!

The wind really whips across the lake this time of year, so the water spray was blowing onto nearby trees and fences, coating them with ice.  The trees tinkled when the wind blew them and little icicles would fall on my head.

After I finished with the dam, I took pictures of the broken ice along the shore of the lake. 

The last two images are exact opposites of each other.  One is beautiful and the other is disgusting.  Pick up after yourselves, people!

Baby Face

This is one of my grandnieces.  She's as cute as a bugs ear and I adore her.  I spent lots of time with her this past weekend, and I came armed and ready with my camera.  I think this is the first blog with 11 pictures in it, but she's worth it.

Here she is with her big brother.  She wants to follow him everywhere he goes and do everything he does, of course.

"I've got a secret and I'm not telling!"

 What a cute little smile.

"Nom nom nom, my blankie tastes good."  Mommy thought she might be teething again.

Both Mommy and static electricity were grabbing her in this shot.

"It's been a rough day."

"I'm vegging."

Oh, yeah!  She's gonna be a heart-breaker when she gets older.

Sweetie Pie

"I'm up to something.  Watch out!"

Death and Life

Genealogy research has been a hobby of mine for several years.  One of the great things about genealogy is that you don't have to dwell on death.  Death of a loved-one too painful?  Fine.  Go back to when they were a kid playing with their siblings.  Or when they were a young adult courting their mate.  Genealogy doesn't care if you have black sheep in your family or if you had a baby out of wedlock or if you have an extra toe.  It just is what it is.

Some people may think this image is macabre, but I think of it as peaceful.  Death and life coexisting.  I guess I'm still thinking of springtime coming too.  New life is about to sprout from the old, "dead" plants.  Wow, I sure am philosophical today!

Techie Corner
I was trying out some new Photoshop techniques which make images look more like illustrations than photographs.  This is two images blended together.  My beautiful little red-haired grand-niece wasn't sitting in a cemetery.

How Dare You...

...take my picture.  If looks could kill, I would be dead now.  Would that make me a ghost writer?

I haven't harrassed my cat for quite awhile and I wanted to experiment with one of my new flash attachments.  She usually won't look at me because she doesn't like the flash, but I managed to get a couple of shots.  I thanked her with some treats.  She forgave me.

A Shadow of Things to Come

Our Autumn Blaze maple is just itching to come back to life, but right now it's still naked.  Come on, spring!

There's life in them thar bones, I can feel it!

Spring is Coming

 

MELT, I SAY, MELT!!!  The holidays are over and we've made it through the worst of winter.  The birds have been tweeting again for about a week now.  All that, combined with the bunny tracks criss-crossing our yard, tells me that creatures great and small are very ready for spring.

While I was outside getting the woodland creatures some grub, I saw this icicle giving up it's last gasp in the sun.  After I took this shot, I could see in the viewfinder that it was swaying precariously.  I know it's only March, and we could still get some major snow, but I think I can see the light at the end of the icicle...er tunnel.

Techie Corner

My new camera has HDR built in.  HDR (high dynamic range) has it's place, and I like to experiment with it once in awhile.  I tried it on this shot because there was such a wide range of exposure between the sky, the light shining on the icicle, and the shadows under the eves.  The image came out a little soft, but I still like it.

True Love

Since the "month of love" has come to an end,  I thought I would start March with a mushy blog.  I loved this image the moment I saw it!

This is my pastor and his wife.  He looks like the cat who ate the canary.  He's got a good thing going and he knows it.

Nothing says true love like 40 years of marriage and still getting along.