Category Archives: Events

In case you thought we missed it: Mandan’s fly-in

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My favorite part of Buggies & Blues this year actually took place south of town at the Mandan Airport, where a fly-in was held in the morning with perfect weather and a great selection of airborne participants. My little boys love airplanes, so it was a real treat for them to see so many up close.

One of the stars of the show was Duggy, also the winner of Brightest Participant in my book. One other important fact about Duggy is the fact that they can go inside and have a look around, a bonus for any little kid.

I often wonder why people schedule events like this on Sunday when they could enjoy better participation on Saturdays, when people aren’t attending church in the morning. Be that as it may, we made an exception and showed up on our way to church. We just weren’t able to spend as much time as we’d like, or buy breakfast there at the airport. My little guys sure looked sharp that morning!

The techie in me had to get a shot of all the bells & whistles, of course. It must be really interesting to taxi a big tail-dragger like this considering the obstructed view when the back wheel is on the ground!

One other star of the show was a Blackhawk helicopter from the National Guard unit across the river. I spent a little while inspecting it for camera attachment locations, since I was scheduled to do some video work from one of these about a week later (which, sadly, I was too busy to perform).

This sleek border patrol helicopter was pretty cool too, and my little guys really appreciated the opportunity to sit in it. I was kept quite busy making sure they didn’t hit any buttons or switches. Even at my age those things look tempting, so imagine what it must be like for a 2 and 3 year old!

One nice thing about this event (which was not an air show, but a gathering of aircraft enthusiasts) was the ability to roam the tarmac and peruse the assortment of plains and helicopters which had assembled. From all the little private aircraft to a few experimental units, there was a lot of variety.

Turnout was great, with plenty of spectators taking in the display and having some breakfast in one of the hangars. Last year’s weather didn’t cooperate the way this year’s did, and I don’t think one could have asked for a better morning for an outdoor gathering. Even the wind was light, a plus for small aircraft such as the paraplane that was flying for a little while.

Mmmmmm…breakfast. If only it was Saturday, I could have stayed long enough to load up on some chow. Oh well…

This fly-in may not get as much publicity as the main Buggies & Blues event, but it’s definitely worth catching. Remember that next year as these events approach. Hopefully 2011 brings good weather and participation again…maybe even on a Saturday so more people can enjoy it!

Meet the star of the show (UPDATED)

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This is the magnum opus that created such a buzz during this year’s Capital A’fair: a 3D chalk drawing by Shawn McCann. His illusion took many hours of work and thankfully didn’t encounter any rain this year!

The effect of this chalk-drawn illusion becomes far more dramatic when an element of realism is introduced. In this case, we’re talking about the artist himself. Once we have a real person perched atop the faux protrusion of the drawing, the effect is complete.

Pretty cool, huh? This is the effect Shawn was shooting for. It looks really neat with the capitol in the shot for added perspective. Some days I’m really happy I have such a wide angle lens, and this is one of them.

As Shawn will point out, this is drawn to work from a very specific perspective. While this is a really neat angle to fit the capitol into the shot, it blows the illusion because of the way things are drawn.

Update: I took my boys to take part in the fun this afternoon (for about four minutes, given the blazing heat) and the chalk is weathering fast. In the afternoon the sun casts a shadow across this piece, so I stuck with a tight shot. Around noon would be better. You probably have another day or so to check it out, even less if the rumors of rain I hear are true!

WorldWide PhotoWalk wrap-up, Bismarck-Mandan edition

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This weekend I was able to participate in the Bismarck-Mandan section of the third annual Worldwide PhotoWalk. I didn’t get an official count, but there were close to thirty participants from as far away as Jamestown. It was a blast, and the Bismarck walk was coordinated by Brian Matthews of BisManPhoto.com. There were a lot of really amazing photos posted, far better than mine I think. But what the heck, here are my favorite photos so far:

This old log has some new beginnings contained therein. I was shooting handheld so I didn’t get to stop my aperture down to get the depth of field that I wanted. I still like the way it turned out.

More new beginnings as this plant climbed up the rotting remains of an old stump, with the bud at the top catching a beam of sunlight from the early morning sun.

Another of the many statues which adorn the stretch from Sertoma Park to Pioneer Park (and a few points between). I like the range of colors in this one. It was in the shadow of the trees so I had to crank my fill flash and get creative in how I bounced it to eliminate those pesky shadows.

This cranky Sandhill Crane was soon mollified after I let him peck my monopod a few times and began talking to him. As a bird lover I have a way with ’em, and soon he was fluffing up his feathers and even showing off his wing for me!

I’m old enough to remember the actual Clyde. This statue in his honor towers over the inside of one of the Zoo’s buildings (I think it’s called the Discovery Center). I extended my monopod as far as I could, propped it on my shoulder to get it up to the level of the statue, and used my remote to trigger the shot. Note that he must have a wicked migraine, as the wood has developed a big crack in it.

We had two hours to walk and started outside the Dakota Zoo entrance an hour before it opened, so naturally most of us ended up at the big cat exhibits for our last few minutes! I chose to lay on my back with my widest (10mm) lens and point straight upward at this cat. Then one of the girls on the walk poked her head in to get some shots of her own, and she was just the ingredient my composition was missing.

As I said, I think the other participants blew my shots away. You can venture over to BisManPhoto.com to check them out. Sign up for an account and wait a little while until you’re approved. New members are screened manually to avoid spammers. Once you’re on, you can participate. Hopefully you’ll be intrigued enough to join us on future photo walks!

How to know where you stand with your combine: googly eyes

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This sight during the Mandan parade on July 4th made me laugh. It immediately reminded me of a certain Saturday Night Live skit featuring Christopher Walken. I haven’t actually watched Saturday Night Live in many, many years (is Dana Carvey still on the cast?) but someone told me about this particular skit. It was hilarious. It is one of the few things on SNL that isn’t vulgar, so I invite you to watch:

After seeing this, I put googly eyes on the cactus in our office, since it was literally poking up a ceiling tile above it. At least now I know where I stand with it. After all, cacti have pricklers…

Excellent turnout

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I haven’t seen a crowd like this at the capitol Independence Day celebration in recent memory! It was a very uplifting sight. Just about everybody rose and stood at attention for the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The performance of this grand hymn was the most amazing one I’ve ever heard, with all the verses about Christ intact, and it was a breathtaking experience. The fact that thousands of my fellow North Dakotans stood to take it in as well made it even more special.

Barnstorming our cities through Tuesday

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The American Barnstormers Tour flew into town today and made quite a popular appearance at the Bismarck Airport. I showed up just after noon and the place was crawling with enthusiastic patrons.

Not only were there plenty of vintage aircraft both on the tarmac and in the air, but a plethora of antigue cars adorned the area as well. Some even matched the aircraft quite nicely! Note the attentive pilot doing some detail work on his plane’s windshield.

This plane had far more wood used in its construction than I would ever have expected. Let’s take a look inside…

Why yes, those windows DO have cranks. Have you ever rolled down your window while on a commuter flight before? I didn’t think so.

This photo does not do this little bathroom justice. The doorway is just barely high enough for my 3-year-old to walk through without ducking! He thought a potty just his side was pretty cool.

Even though the hangar was mostly empty, that didn’t stop a lot of people from mulling around and eyeing the old building. Its construction is really cool, actually. I should have photographed the arcing wooden rafters.

The oldest entry in the shoe: the 1909 Bleriot. Pretty wild looking, isn’t it? The cross-section of the wing is pretty neat, too. Instead of the teardrop shape you’d expect, it’s actually an arc-shaped wing. Come check it out Monday or Tuesday.

The antithesis of a modern jetliner cockpit: three gauges and a stick. I couldn’t see what kind of pedals it might have, but I did see a modern transponder or radio device on the left.

While it was a bit breezy, making things very interesting for the dozens I saw taking rides in the classic biplanes, the weather was perfect for this kind of event. Hopefully things continue for the next couple of days, so everybody who wants to take it in can do so.

One last shot: an airplane with a steering wheel? Well, two actually. The craftsmanship on these old airplanes is remarkable. They really are a unique sight to behold, and admission is free. Make sure you take the opportunity to visit Bismarck Airport in the next couple of days, or your chance will fly away!

Buggies & Blues 2010

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The thing about Buggies and Blues is that there are so many cool cars, old and new, that it just doesn’t work to try to feature them all. And while there are a lot of respectable classics in the show, I’m really there just to see the unique ones. Cars for the most part don’t really do it for me, since I’m a motorcycle fanatic and recovering roadracer. I knew my toddlers would love it though, so we took a trek through most of the show before their little legs tired out. Here’s some of what we saw.

This rock crawler looked like a blast…the boys both wanted to get into it, but of course I had to explain that these cars were not for us to drive…just to appreciate.

We didn’t sample any of the homemade ice cream generated by this antique contraption, since we’d all three be in trouble with Mommy if we came back sans appetit.

I complemented the owner of this classic Jaguar roadster, since it definitely falls into the “unique” category for me.

My boys and I are big Jeep fans, even though we don’t own one (yet), and this Army jeep with matching trailer caught everybody’s eye right away. Notice all the different accessories strapped to it, ready for duty!

This car always wins my award for “most stuff that opens.”

My “Best in Show” award, if I awarded one, would go to this awesome Trans Am with matching trailer! It’s way too cool. The trailer even has working doors. I was always partial to these cars as a kid.

While I admired this simple Mustang ragtop, my boys were busy sweet-talking their way into getting permission to play in its toy counterpart. My boys are VERY well behaved and polite, traits that help them worm their way into a lot of fun places.

They had to check out Vince & Larry’s cousin Chip, of course.

Part of the antique John Deere collection. There were machines in this area that I never knew John Deere made, all in amazing condition.

Yes, my kids asked if we could buy it. They also liked the stuffed Taz on the front. Think of the wheelies I could do with this beast!

We also got to sit in a couple of the fire engines parked in the garage at the fire station and took in a lot of fine classic automobiles. We had to cut things short because of tired little legs and the sun began to beat down pretty hard on blond heads. The boys had a blast and had plenty of things to tell Mommy about. They also had a really fun time at the morning Fly-In at the Mandan Municipal Airport…and photos of that excursion are coming soon, too!

Cannon in D…HD, thanks to my Canon

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As a video professional, I’ve watched with guarded optimism as digital SLR “still” cameras have begun to shoot HD video. While I admit the quality is amazing, it does have come with some caveats. Since this is my line of work I’m well equipped to deal with ’em. While I’d be just fine if my camera didn’t even shoot video, I have to admit the idea of being able to post moving versions of the photos I shoot is pretty keen!

Memorial Day 2010

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I was able to attend the Memorial Day services at the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery south of Mandan today. It’s always moving to take a special day to honor those who serve on our behalf, although naturally we should be so mindful all year long.

I have a lot of photos of course, and they’ll likely trickle in over the next several days. Due to time constraints I’m going to simply post some observations.

Governor Hoeven received enthusiastic applause and even cheers. Senator Conrad and Representative Pomeroy received courteous applause, each time after a short pause. It was as if people were waiting for someone else to start. Someone’s horn playing “Dixie” went off as Congressman Pomeroy came to the podium, which I thought was inappropriate. The Standing Rock color guard performed a drum circle after the official ceremony ended. Someone started playing music over the speakers, two of which are near the memorial where the drum circle was performing. I unplugged the one nearest me; these men deserve our respect.

The most moving words I heard were from today’s amazing keynote speaker, Major General (Retired) C. Emerson Murry: “To be born free is an accident. To live free is a responsibility. To die free is an absolute obligation.”

The day itself was wonderful weather-wise, a refreshing break from the cloudy and cool Memorial Days of the recent past. There was an overwhelming turnout, of course, which is typical for our area. The spirit of the place was very respectful and truly part of what makes America great.

On a photography note, I also got to play around a little with the video function of my new camera. I’ll post those results too, as time allows. Time has not allowed much lately, as I’ve been busier at home and work than any May I can remember in a long, long time.

Health Care Town Hall and the scariest graphic of the week

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Michael Tanner, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, presented at the North Dakota Policy Council’s town hall meeting on health care last week. I’ve seen Mr. Tanner speak before and was excited to see his return. Sadly, this time around he’s talking about a health care takeover bill that’s been signed into law, not one that was a distant possibility. He did provide some insight into ways that this unconstitutional power grab could be defeated as a whole or in part.

This is the creepiest slide of his presentation, although there were others that had more specifically bad news for North Dakota. This is a diagram of the new Obamacare health care bureaucracy. Looks easy to navigate, doesn’t it? So much for making things simpler!

By the way, if you bought into the line that adding millions of extra insured people to the system was going to bring costs down, don’t forget to add in the costs of all the new unionized government employees required to staff those little colored boxes in the diagram above. Still feeling all Hopey-Changey™ about health care? I didn’t think so.

The North Dakota Policy Council represents the interests of North Dakotans in a variety of ways. By visiting policynd.org regularly you can find out about events like this one where you can ask your own questions. You can find links to videos from past events as well. You may even consider supporting the NDPC to the degree that you choose. I’m glad that they, along with folks like Mr. Tanner, are doing the research to see how all this Hope™ and Change™ is really going to affect North Dakotans.