Panning for gold

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Clint

I promised more pics from our Cold War Mancation trip to the Strategic Air & Space Museum. On day one I didn’t even take my camera bag out of the car; we just used the day to take it all in, climbing all over everything that could be climbed, with an occasional iPhone photo. I have grown to love the panorama feature, so I thought I’d share. You can click on each of these photos to pop up a larger version.

As I pointed out before, you’re greeted by one of my favorite aircraft ever: the SR-71 Blackbird. It’s simply breathtaking, and this one resides in a suitably breathtaking lobby for display. When you take the escalators up or down between levels you travel right under this bird, and it allows a true sense of how gigantic it is.

This is the main hangar. It contains lots of displays, models, consoles from Minuteman and other launch control facilities, videos, simulators, and rare aircraft. Here is where I got to see a U2, the B-36 behemoth, and the B-58 supersonic bomber. Those were three things on my aircraft “bucket list” before I ever even discovered this museum.

This is hangar two, containing spacecraft, a Soviet MiG fighter, a Space Shuttle bouncy house for the kiddos, and room for more aircraft. They have an Avro Vulcan bomber in back awaiting restoration, which is something I’d really like to see. That merits a return trip in the future once my boys are old enough.

Did I mention the SR-71? What a beauty. In addition to a ton of other cool items in the gift shop, many of which I brought home, they have a Hayne’s Owner’s Workshop Manual for this airplane. Its pages actually include extensive history and data on the aircraft, and if I wasn’t on a tight budget I’d own one. Someday…

You can check out more about the Strategic Air & Space Museum online, of course…that address is www.sasmuseum.com (opens in a new window). I recommend not only scheduling a trip to visit and support this facility, but to make sure you set aside two days to take it all in.

Gnarly

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Clint

I had a very short window to try to get some photos in, something that hasn’t happened in a while. I’ve pretty much missed most of the foliage, I think…so, since the trees are looking all bleak and nasty, I figured I’d try to find a spooky tree photo.

As a Christian I don’t do the Halloween thing. That’s not what I’m going for. I knew that the Apple Creek Wildlife Management Area south of town was a fertile ground for nasty looking trees, so I bolted down Sibley Drive to South 12th Street. Many of the best looking trees were in poor locations, but this thing sure looked gnarly with some interesting geometry. Thus it was my subject for a little while before I had to bolt back home.

Cold War Mancation, Part Six: Strategic Air & Space Museum

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Clint

If you aren’t familiar with my Cold War Mancation series, don’t worry: I’ll provide some links for you to get caught up at the end of this post. My best friend and I took the opportunity last week to visit the Strategic Air and Space Museum (formerly the SAC Museum) in Ashland, Nebraska. We’d been talking about it seemingly forever, and finally made it happen thanks to some overtime and my gracious wife letting me bolt for a few days. To put it mildly, this trip was absolutely worth the wait. Let’s get started.

I’ll begin with a snarky comment. This is a Snark missile, the SM-62. It was an early cruise missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload to the Russkies, and it waits to greet you as you pull into the parking lot.

Zoom. Weapons and aircraft like this, deployed by the Strategic Air Command, are the focus of the museum. That means everything from bombs and missiles to rockets to bombers to…well, let’s just go inside.

This is what greets you in the lobby: an honest to goodness SR-71 Blackbird. Sigh. Seeing one of these was on my bucket list. Touching one (yes, I leaned over the railing) wasn’t something I ever imagined possible. Yet, here we are.

Right off the bat I was astonished at how BIG this thing is. I’ve been enamored of this plane since the 1980s, and I thought I was reasonably familiar with its stats as a civilian fanboy, but until one of these things is perched diagonally above your head you will have absolutely ZERO comprehension of its girth.

This is how the SR-71 looked to Russian planes and missiles, although far less distant. If this thing flew past you at peak speed and you fired a 150 grain 30-06 bullet at it, it would still outrun the bullet by over 300 feet per second. As a former motorcycle roadracer I can appreciate that kind of speed. My puny 180mph seems rather insignificant by comparison.

One more thing on my bucket list: the Convair B-36 Peacemaker…the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built. Note the three giant piston engines and rear-facing propellers on this wing…each blade is taller than I. Then we’ve got the pair of jet engines on the end of the wing for good measure. As the phrase goes, “Six turnin’, and four burnin’.” I was able to walk beneath this behemoth’s bomb bay without even ducking my head. These used to be based out of South Dakota. Now they’re rare, and none fly.

Then we’ve got this beast: the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. I have encountered one of these in flight before, and I must say it is by far the single loudest sound of any kind that I’ve ever heard. It was deceptively quiet until the pilot poured it on and shot up to over 70,000 feet. Even with my custom-made earplugs I was astonished at the noise.

Here’s a bright, shiny Soviet Mig-21 fighter jet. No need for paint, comrade. It was cool to see the Russian labels stamped into certain parts as well as the way they riveted the panels together.

In addition to some other really cool spacecraft and aircraft, this KC-97 Stratotanker was among the largest on display. As with the other big birds, it had an absolutely hilarious looking front end. It was also open for tours from time to time, so we got to go up and run around in it.

One other bird on my list was the B-58 Scrambler, a hardcore bomber that set a long list of speed records during its period of service. Later models had “capsules” for pilots to eject with, because apparently ejecting at supersonic speeds is bad or something. Huh.

I once made a record run from Dickinson to Bismarck (I won’t quote the time), but nothing like averaging over 900mph for the length of an average work day! This plane really knew how to rock ‘n’ roll.

Some of my favorite pics are just waiting, eager to be posted. They’ll come soon. In the mean time, I would like to share with you the previous iteration of our Cold War Mancation via the links below.

Cold War Mancation Part One: The Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site

Cold War Mancation Part Two: Nekoma Missile Site, Mickelson Safeguard Complex

Cold War Mancation Part Three: The Tower formerly known as OMEGA

Cold War Mancation Part Four: Cavalier Air Station

Cold War Mancation Part Five: Minot

Bonus: The Cold War in North Dakota

There. That should keep you entertained until I get around to posting some of the REALLY cool photos from the trip.

Extremist left-wing enviro hate group’s propaganda accuses ND power plants of killing people

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Clint

Someone gave me this flyer that they were handed outside the federal building on 3rd and Rosser last week: It comes from that well-known enemy of personal property rights, the Sierra Club, and it accuses MDU’s Heskett Station power plant of killing eight people per year as well as causing a litany of horrible medical problems. It exhorts the recipient to contact Sierra Club shill Wayde Schafer to “join us in our campaign to encourage Montana-Dakota Utilities to be a good neighbor by transitioning our community beyond coal and investing in clean energy”.

Riiiiiiiiight.

They go on to cite a map from “non-partisan” Clean Air Task Force (ahem) which performs the service of putting these scary black circles on a map wherever there’s a facility generating energy for North Dakotans. Their website indicates that they pretty much hate any power generation that doesn’t come from a “renewable” source, although even they seem to agree that turning corn into ethanol-based gasoline is a disaster. They don’t like coal, they don’t like oil, they don’t like gas, and they’re motivated by ~~Global Cooling~~ ~~Global Warming~~ Climate Change™, a phenomenon whose only purported solution is global socialism.

Oddly enough, if you go to the American Lung Association’s website you can find a report that’s three years newer (CATF’s is from “estimated 2010 impacts”) in their 2013 State of the Air report (PDF). In it, North Dakota gets phenomenal reviews for its air quality. If you want to pick a group that’s “non-partisan” I suggest looking at the ALA before believing anything from a site that won’t be happy until we’re one step removed from the stone age. North Dakota’s data from the report is available at this link if you don’t want to download the PDF.

It didn’t take more than a few seconds to find this release, also from the American Lung Association, congratulating Bismarck (which is downwind from Heskett and most of those other nasty black dots on the CATF map most of the time) on receiving an “A” grade. From the report:

“The State of the Air Report covers eight counties in North Dakota that have permanent air quality monitors: Billings, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Dunn, McKenzie, Mercer and Oliver. This year’s report looks at data collected from 2009-2011 time period and verified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”

That doesn’t sound like the cesspool of black death alleged by the CATF and amplified by the radical hatemongers at the Sierra Club in their propaganda, does it? If you’re handed stuff like this from extremist liberal groups, take my advice and take whatever they tell you with a grain of salt. Do your own research. It won’t be hard to find easy refutations to their propaganda.

I intentionally used terms like “radical”, “extremist”, “hate group”, et cetera because that’s what these leftist use to label anyone who disagrees with them. It works both ways, commie.

All that ye survey

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Clint

My boys love going to Fort Abraham Lincoln. They especially like the blockhouses, and we get pretty good use out of our annual State Parks pass. Last night we got to watch a DVD about President Abraham Lincoln! I like not only broadening their horizons but also helping them connect the dots on what they’re learning…and watching the little light bulbs come on.

With so much history being rewritten these days in order to fit a variety of leftist agendas, it’s important as parents that we keep a close eye on what our children are being taught… or teaching them ourselves.

Outstanding in the field, and a different sort of crop

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Clint

I’ve known of this tree for years, and even tried to get some photos of it, but never found myself in the Valley City area at a time where the field and the skies were really conducive to a good shot. Thankfully I had good timing as I drove past it this week and was able to pause to snap a few quick shots out the window.

My friend Ken still has the best photo if this tree that I’ve ever seen, but even in my haste I think I was able to get a couple of satisfactory shots. It’s all in the cropping. By deviating from the standard 4×3 aspect ratio and making the shot appear wider I was able to convey the unique solitude of the tree out in the middle of the expanse of the field. Above are a couple of examples. I wish I’d have shot a little wider for a few frames to produce a few with even more background, but these will have to do…until next time.

In case you have a Hobbit on your farm

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Clint

You may have seen this little hut along I-94, where it would seem to have been deposited after having been plucked from Middle Earth. I didn’t want to show the signs on either side of the roof in this photo, but I’ll tell you the web address they contained: rusticway.com.

That’s the website of a guy who makes interesting creations made from reclaimed wood rescued from dilapidated farmsteads. As an aficionado of such sites I couldn’t help but be instantly enamored with the idea. From the site’s About page, talking about artisan Dan Pauly:

“As I uncover an old barn or shed,” Dan says, “I realize that it could be the same lumber that my great-grandfather used more than 100 years ago. I think that respect for the craftsmen and craftswomen of the past, and for the wood they used, make a difference in each new piece I create. Until you have dismantled an old barn, you can’t imagine the painstaking effort it took from Old-World craftsmen to erect it. They were each a work of art.”

Pretty cool, huh? Click on the link and go take a look.

Mandan Fire Dept plans Fire Prevention Parade & Open House

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Clint

When I was in broadcasting I’d find myself frustrated when we reported cool events like this after they’d already happened. Of course, if news stations broadcast upcoming events they’d never have time for the news. Even so, I’d love to see more attention paid to upcoming events on the local morning, noon, or 5pm shows. I bet many of you would, too.

Anyway, as a service I’d like to point out that a really fun and educational event is planned for this Tuesday at the Mandan Fire Department. Here’s what the Mandan City website has to say:

The Mandan Fire Department will hold its annual Fire Prevention Week parade and open house on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

The parade of fire trucks and other emergency apparatus will depart at 6:30 p.m. from the Mandan Rural Fire Department Station at 3014 34th Street NW, proceeding to Old Red Trail and Collins Avenue, finishing at the Mandan Fire Department Station No. 1 at 110 Collins Avenue.

The Fire Department open house at Station No. 1 begins at 7 p.m. Activities will include demonstrations of vehicle extrication and fire extinguisher training, fire truck rides, hands-on experience spraying a fire hose, a smoke house, and Patches The Fire Dog. Free hotdogs and pop will be served.

Local fire departments, emergency medical services and rescue serve workers and volunteers will participate including the Mandan Rural Fire Department, Bismarck Fire Department, Bismarck Rural Fire Department, Metro Area Ambulance, Morton County Emergency Management, Mandan Police, North Dakota Highway Patrol, SWAT Team, Morton County Dive Rescue, Sanford Health, State Farm Insurance, and Mandan Marlins Swim Club.

Mandan firefighters have visited nearly 1,400 children in more than 50 kindergarten through third grade classrooms at Mandan’s five public and two private elementary schools in recent weeks to provide instruction on fire safety. Presentations are planned this week at St. Joseph’s Elementary and Christ the King Elementary. Points covered include the “stop, drop and roll” technique of escaping a fire, the importance of crawling low in smoke and having a household plan for a predetermined meeting place in the event of a fire. Third graders “hunt for hazards” in their homes.

So, there you have it. Take the little ones and have a blast (and a hot dog)! Line up early along the parade route to see the fire trucks go by with lights & sirens, then join them at the fire station on Collins to see the demonstrations.

Five years ago Sunday: Memorial Bridge demolition

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Clint

Five years ago on October 6th the first span of the old Liberty Memorial Bridge came down. Taking down this landmark was particularly tricky on the Mandan side, because the old and new bridges were so close together. Drop the old one incorrectly, and we’d be picking pieces of TWO bridges out of the Big Muddy! Nobody wanted that.

The west span came down in a blaze of glory, being cut into pieces by shaped charges and dropped into the drink in 26 large chunks (plus assorted debris).

I staked out a place on the fake riverboat at Steamboat Park early that morning. At 7:30 people were already parked and waiting. I got a great spot, met lots of really neat people, and got some great photos and video. Click below to watch the big bang, both in real-time and slow motion. You’ll hear my camera shutter going mad in the background.

Notice how the camera shook from the shock wave. I don’t think anybody, myself included, expected such an enormous BOOM from those charges!

This was the debris pile that was removed piece by piece. The concrete piers were detonated and removed separately later on while workers prepared to detonate the remaining spans later in October.

Getting photos of the remaining spans’ detonation was more difficult. I hiked a long ways from the Mandan side, humping some very heavy gear all down the Lewis & Clark walking trail and parking on a sandbar beneath the NP railroad brdige.

Initially here was a lot of confusion among spectators as to why the middle span came down in one giant piece. I’ll tell you what the explosives expert of the demolition crew told me. Before they install their shape charges, they cut the bolts anchoring the bridge spans to the pilings. They can’t be cutting them with a grinder and sending sparks all over their explosives once they’ve been placed, after all. They had the east span rigged as well as the bottom of the middle span, but then the winds came up. They didn’t want to risk their guys being on the top of the middle span if the wind blew it over, so they opted to drop it and finish cutting it on the ground with torches. Notice that in the days before the demolition, they pushed rocks and dirt out below the bridge. That allows the crews to have land on which to salvage the steel, much easier than hunting around the water.

Notice the piece on the right hand side, the top of the pier that underwent repairs in an attempt to help the old bridge limp along. The repaired areas served their purposes, keeping the old bridge in operation until the crews were ready to take ‘er down.

How about those jaws? This machine reminds me of that James Bond villain. This guy’s got a pretty fun job, I bet. Chewin’ up steel. I can see how a feller could derive a great deal of satisfaction from it.

Nobody was more devastated than the local pigeon population; they were violently deprived of their perching, nesting, and pooping grounds! They hung around the concrete for a while until that, too was demolished.

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that the last vehicle to cross the Liberty Memorial Bridge before its official closing was a motorcycle: yours truly.

Coolest souvenirs of the day: these are pieces of shrapnel from the shaped charges that brought down the mighty Memorial Bridge. I got them from the demolition crew that was doing the aforementioned cleanup. They appear to be copper, and I guess they flew away from the detonation at an extremely high rate of speed. Thankfully these two managed to land in my hands. I’ll keep them forever as a souvenir of the old humming bridge.

Time for a little Photoshop

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Clint

The Democrats have not passed a budget, something they’re required to do by the Constitution of the United States, in YEARS. Rather than have their spending actually show up on a piece of paper, they’ve relied on “continuing resolutions” to break the law and borrow more money from China. This is not only unsustainable, but it’s illegal – and it’s the REAL reason for the government shutdown right now.

Heidi Heitkamp, self-proclaimed “Independent Voice™ for North Dakota”, is in lockstep with her political party. Given the fact that she has aligned herself with them, and not the majority of her constituents, I decided to play in Photoshop a little bit.

Click on the image for a full size version. Please feel free to download and share. Have a good weekend!

Bismarck-Mandan Blog

Photography , musings, and a love of North Dakota