Saturday, February 28, 2009

Visiting Eric at Work

I'd never seen a Heidelburg Windmill in my forty-plus years and, within a few weeks, I saw my son operate one and another featured in a major motion picture, Seven Pounds. Eric twisted this and nudged that, coaxing the machine to produce the distinctive impressions of letterpress.

As Eric directed, the machine gyrated and pulsed with mechanical rhythm as it transformed a stack of blank printstock into handsome wedding invitations. The machine itself was fascinating to watch but seeing Eric drive it was the real treat. It's not a machine you turn on and let run unattended; it requires supervision and direction. Eric clearly knew the nuances of the machine and how to correct it when it drifted off the mark. We really enjoyed seeing him work and clearly enjoy the work he was doing.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Shooting the Boone County Courthouse

Boone is the county seat of Boone County and this is their courthouse. Located on the west side of Boone, it took us a few tries to locate this one. It's set amongst several mature trees so my photo options were somewhat limited; this is the best shot of the overall structure I could find. This is a classic, big block, stone stucture that clearly communicates stability and authority; we're here, we're stayin'.

Wikipedia states the claim that Boone has the 2nd most used bowling alley in the state. A more verifiable claim is that First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower was born in Boone.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Whoopin' it up at the Dayton Rodeo

A good friend of mine once said, "You ought to go up to the rodeo in Dayton." Linda and I went in 2007 and had such a good time we went back for the 2008 edition. It's hard to describe the event. It's part of the PRCA professional rodeo circuit event in a unique bluffside arena in a small Iowa community. It's a four day event with quality participants and yet small town... and the action is incredible!

This poor guy had a memorable, if brief, ride. He slid off to one side but his hand was caught in the strap so, rather than fall to the ground, he swung around in front of the bull... looks like he's got a sawed-off horn in the center of his back. Evidently, the bull didn't like not seeing where he was goin' and gave his former rider a big push, tossing him at the bullfighter. These guys all take some pretty good shots in the course of a "day at the office."

There's plenty of ouch to go around. The bronc riders take a beating too. We got to see some very big animals get high in the air... with big guys on their backs! When they do it right, it really is an amazing thing to watch; when they don't do it right, it can still be pretty entertaining too.

I don't know how the scoring of this event goes but the horse can certainly make a difference in the points you're awarded for a given ride. The more active the horse, the better the score can be... assuming you make the time. I think this guys form is a pretty good example of what the judges are looking for... but I could be way off base.

Of course, there are all the other normal rodeo events like calf roping and barrel racing, team roping and bulldoggin' too. And, if you've not had enough, more bull riding. There were two additional events: wild horse race and mutton busting.

The wild horse race is almost too crazy to describe. Six to eight teams of three men each are to get their respective horse out of the bull riding chutes, put a saddle on it, and ride it across the arena. They're all out on the arena floor at the same time and the chaos is frightening. The horses do NOT cooperate and sometimes are in active opposition to the whole idea.

Mutton busting is an event for little kids. They strap on a helmet with full face mask and climb on the back of a wooly sheep. They get a grip and hang on as long as they can. Most kids are good for maybe twelve feet before they roll off the side. One little guy went over the head of the sheep, still hanging on, flipping the whole thing. A couple went the full eight seconds and that got them most of the way across the arena floor. It's a hoot!

This shot had to make it just for the bullfighter right in the face of the bull. Those guys can also make a difference in a good ride but can be lifesavers when things go wrong.

What a show!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Shooting some backyard wildlife

I was playing with the telephoto lens, just shooting whatever I saw around the back yard and got these sparrows sitting on the fence. I like the way that the birds are in focus but the background blurred beyong recognition. Not really a great shot, I know, but part of the process of getting to where I might craft a more interesting shot.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Spending another evening with the Iowa Cubs

It was a beautiful night at Sec Taylor Field as the Iowa Cubs faced the Omaha Zephyrs. I upgraded my ticket to a box right along the field, right next to the mound in the bullpen as things turned out. As you can see, this location gave me excellent head-on shots of right-handed pitchers working from the stretch. It also let me get some of my best shots ever of the B-Bops hamburger and QT food races. The game was pretty entertaining as well... the I-Cubs won 10-4.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Returning to Lamoni for Civil War Days

I very much enjoyed going to Lamoni for their Civil War Days during Labor Day Weekend in 2007. When it came around in 2008, Linda said I should see if one of my guy friends would like to go; I think that was code for "I'd really rather not go this year." Fortunately, Bill was available and had expressed interest in seeing what it was all about.

It's not a re-enactment because no action to re-enact happened around Lamoni during the Civil War. Instead, cavalry, infantry, and artillery representing each side gather, camp, and conduct an unscripted, illustrative battle. While the battle is a draw, wandering through the respective camp, chatting with the people who are immersed in the event is interesting as well. Most are combatants but I also met family, reporters, recruiter, and a gentleman who bore a striking resemblance to photos of Abraham Lincoln. Each did a nice job of staying in character and explaining what life could have been like for someone in their role.

As the appointed hour of battle nears, activity all over the field picks up. There are a few discussions between the representatives of the participating generals before things get started. Soon, officers start gathering men into their units and start moving marching to their positions for battle. Horses saddled and cannon are checked and prepared. Scouts on horseback patrol the field and report back to their officers. Soon, something happens and shots are fired in anger. It's on!

From there on, what happens is largely up the commanders in the field. They're free to assess the situation and issue orders as likely would have been ordered in the situation at hand. Fortunately, the event provides an interpreter / narrator to point out and explain some of the things of interest that are happening so that we, the audience, have a better understanding of what we're seeing. Much of the action takes place as units move for position, pressure another unit until one withdraws to another location, and then do it again. From time to time, there is brief hand to hand combat.

The field is pretty large, has a little rolling terrain, and easily accommodates the two camps with room for the various units to maneuver. From time to time, a unit will disappear behind a little hill only to appear again at just the right moment. Cavalry gallop across the field to take advantage of a breech in the line or deliver messages to and from the front units. A couple of officers rode behind the lines of infrantry, calling out orders to their men. There's also room enough for several cannons to deploy. When they fire, it's always impressive... and sometimes startling! I could often feel that the guns had fired as well as hear it.


On this day, the Union gained the upper hand and received the Confederate surrender. Last year, I believe it went the other way. It's fun knowing that nobody really knows in advance how it will all happen. With the conflict resolved, the units revive their dead, form up, and parade past the audience. The officers then address their respective units, commenting on their performance, thanking them for their participation. It looks like they have a good time; I know I did!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Resuming Entries

For several months now, my browser has not allowed me to upload photos to this blog. Something in the file chooser would shut down the browser before I could select the image I wanted to use. I don't really know what changed or when but I now believe that I can put up the images that have become the heart of my blog. Given that, I've got a LOT of catching up to do. Some entries will be summary, some will likely be skipped; at least it will be going again.