Rushing Waters

Yesterday my mission was to take pictures.  My first stop: Banning State Park in northern Minnesota.  This area is known for large amounts of sandstone and there is even an old abandoned quarry on the premises.

It was very quiet and peaceful there.  Not too many people out on a Friday morning.  My main goal at the park was to see Wolf Creek Falls.  The Quarry Loop Trail sounded interesting too, so the park employee showed me how to get from one trail to the other.

I started my hike with my photography equipment, bug spray (a must after all the rain we've been having), and 32 oz of Gatorade.  Onward and upward!

The image above is of the Kettle River making it's way through the park.  It was the dominant sound on parts of the trail, but yet, when the trail curved just slightly inland and through great piles of sandstone, you couldn't hear a peep out of the river.  The only sound then was water dripping down the sheer sandstone cliffs.  Oh, and the sound of buzzing mosquitoes.

More to come...

A Beautiful Ending

I was out driving around this lovely evening and ended up at one of my favorite spots.  I've been here a few times now and I really like the view.  I was privileged enough to get there in time for one of the Master Painter's masterpieces.

Clammy Night

The humidity tonight was so thick you could cut it with a knife.  So thick it was very hazy/foggy.

I'm usually very cautious when I'm alone at Harriet Island at night.  Fortunately, there was a wedding reception at the pavilion tonight and a cop car in the turn-around, so I felt safe enough to venture around a little bit.

Techie Corner
All I had with me was the point and shoot.  Shooting at night without a tripod can be tricky, but I am used to working with what I have.  There were trash cans everywhere with a slightly rounded top, so I was able to use those as a tripod.  I didn't realize the camera was on auto ISO.  This image was taken at ISO 800, so it's quite grainy when you look at it full size.  I think it just gave it a more painterly quality, especially after using Noise Ninja on it.

Arch to the Clouds

Sunday afternoon I visited the Gateway Arch for the first time.   There was a little bit of a wait to get in as everyone had pass through a security checkpoint as soon as they walked in the door.  Didn't have to wait long for a tram ride to the top, though.  Boy, are those tram cars TINY!  Good thing I'm not claustrophobic. 


The view from the top was great and the weather was perfect. 



The angle of the windows seemed to make this image look almost like a model instead of real buildings.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it. 

Looks Like Someone Had Fun

I was at a hotel in Poplar Bluff, MO this weekend and I saw numerous vehicles that looked just like this one.  I don't know if there was something special going on, or if this was just a normal weekend sight at this time of year.  Mudding is easy.  Cleanup is the hard part.