Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Small is Beautiful

Fargo, North Dakota.

This week, Amy asks us to share those small things that attract our attention (those of us who like to dabble in macro photography anyway). Her challenge is pretty ‘open-ended’ asking that we simply share our images that fit our own concept of “small is beautiful.” You can read her entire challenge post here. Over the last few years, I’ve dabbled in macro photography, especially since the purchase of a 16-300mm lens. With it almost fully extended, the images it creates are truly full-featured macro photography. In the opening photo, dew on a prairie grass gathers along a single spider web and around the plant.

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Cellpic Sunday – 16 September 2018

Somewhere over southern North Dakota.

I’m writing this on Saturday evening. Yesterday we brought our Civil Air Patrol glider from its home base in eastern North Dakota to Mandan, in the south central part of the state. Our plan was to give cadets in the western part of the state orientation rides, one of many benefits that cadets receive from being a member.

Cellpic Sunday – 26 August 2018

Hawk’s Nest, North Dakota.

A few days ago, one of our communications experts in Civil Air Patrol (CAP), traveled to the northeastern part of the state to determine why one of our remote repeaters appeared to be inoperable. After finding a tripped breaker, possibly due to a recent lightning storm, and some cleanup, the machine was returned to operation. His report on the repair reminded me of a similar trip I made to another of our remote repeater sites a couple of years ago.

Cellpic Sunday – 5 August 2018

Fargo, North Dakota.

I’ve been overloaded this week on aviation. The Blue Angels performed last weekend here. I did some glider towing for one of our pilots to take his glider checkride, our glider (with that pilot) spent this weekend at the Northern Neighbors Day Airshow at Minot Air Force Base, and I spent the last two days working with Air Force and Civil Air Patrol National staff as we concluded the North Dakota Wing’s Compliance Inspection (a close-up look at our state operations that happens every four years. (We came away from that inspection looking good with only a few bits of administrivia that need to be addressed in the next several weeks.)

Cellpic Sunday – 29 July 2018

Fargo, North Dakota.

This week the Blue Angels are in town for a visit. Earlier this week I noticed #7 sitting on the ramp at the Jet Center. This aircraft is the only two-passenger aircraft in their fleet. It’s used for media rides and other special purposes. I understand it arrives early in the week to be available for such events. As this is being written, I am preparing to help at the Civil Air Patrol booth. We have our FLIR-equipped Cessna 182 and our glider on display. Expect a photo story on this in an upcoming Travel Tuesday.

Cellpic Sunday – 3 June 2018

Fargo, North Dakota.

The boys of summer started their home game season in Fargo on Memorial Day weekend. There had been a few exhibition games and their first two series were away games at Cleburne and Grand Prairie, Texas. Friday marked the first day of a six-day homestand with the Lincoln SaltDogs followed by the Sioux Falls Canaries. Lynn and I are big fans of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.  We buy their 13-game flex packs since my schedule is so variable. Those passes allow us to pick and choose our games. We could use all 13 passes at one game, or use them one at a time. If we burn through the 13 games early enough in the season, we spring for another pass. At $100 for 13 games, that’s $7.69 a game for a reserved seat. That’s only a bit more expensive than a 24-ounce beer at the game. When we see the RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field, we know that it’s summer in North Dakota.

Fort Ransom State Park – Homesteading Heritage

Fort Ransom, North Dakota.

Last summer, I featured here a journey along one of the nation’s Scenic Byways, the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway. Though the series of posts ran for a few Travel Tuesdays, I left out a few scenic points. Today’s Travel Tuesday picks up three of these byway stops along the Sheyenne River south of Valley City North Dakota. Fort Ransom was a military outpost active between 1867 and 1872. The short-lived fort protected a trail used by homesteaders and railroad builders in the area between Bismarck and Fargo.