Not So Festivus

Just a short Holiday post for the end of the year 2019.

2019 has been a pretty lousy year overall for me, career wise and personally as well in a number of ways. All in all, I'm very glad its about over.

And I'm really hoping 2020 turns out to be a MUCH MUCH better year. For everyone!

Another of my series of playing around with Christmas lights on the tree. Kinda like the spiky look of this one.

I'm always trying to come up with something different with these light photos. This time I shot from pretty close up, but way out of focus. Got some interesting colored blobs.

Another of these. I think I like this one the best.

Head In The Clouds

Interesting cloud formations and colors are something I've always liked. And as luck would have it, I have a few from this year I haven't posted elsewhere, both from my old homeplace and my current new home. So here they are to enjoy!

A glowing sunset at my old place. Quite a beautiful sky that night.

A oddly colored sky, from not long before I moved. I didn't really alter the color, it really was kind of a strange reddish tone that stormy evening.

Fall heading into winter. The fence won't keep winter at bay, but looks good against the dark and menacing sky.

A brilliant sunset in the early winter. Just enough clouds to give a colorful backdrop to the evening sunset. Maybe the power lines 'sparked' the color?

A solitary watcher as the colors fade.

Falling Flat

Fall has been a bit flat here. No big changes, new jobs or other events. And the fall colors weren't the best, kinda spotty, just didn't get much this year.

But I still got some interesting photos to post!

A field of dried weeds, on a cloudy fall evening.

A closeup of a wet barbed wire fence. Old and rusty but still hanging on. I'm feeling more like that myself some days.

Some black and white drama! The railroad bridge across the Missouri river in fall. In the summer this place is a beehive of activity with lots of boaters, people fishing, cyclists and walkers along the trails, you name it. As it gets colder, that pretty much ends except for a few hardy souls on the trail. 

The fall season changes to winter too quickly here farther north. And the winters are definitely too long and cold. I'm used to milder winter weather for sure.

Pack It Up

Finally getting a post uploaded. Been busy with a big move and all kinds of fun.

After about 25 years, relocating to try a new location. Due to changing job situations, and helping out with some family needs back home. So headed from the mountain west to the prairie.

There were several ways I could have moved. Several different vehicles I could have used. But ended up going with the big Orange Uhaul. The BIG one.

And a tow dolly for my little car. Plus I recruited my little brother to come down, drive my little pickup back as well. And help with packing and unpacking, of course.

Trip went fine. It was a LONG day. Weather had been pretty warm, being mid August no big surprise. But moving day was cooler with a lot of clouds, and some showers all day. For the ~600 mile trip. 

Saw a lot of this. The trip took all day but we made it fine. Started unloading the next day. Used a little over $200 worth of gas for the trip and the big V10. Next begins 'life in a northern town'.

Lots of things to do. And I don't even know if I'll be staying here. I'm here for now, but depending on what comes up next for me, I may be staying here. I may not. We'll have to wait and see, I'll update more on that when it happens! With more photos along the way...

Double Tramps

or, 2 hikes, 1 day.

Last ones for a while too.

Why? Well, due to the work and family changes this year, I'm relocating back north to Dakota country.

I usually like to go for hikes to a couple spots in the fall, getting some nice fall color photos. But this year I'm leaving in August. Won't be here for the fall colors. So I did a twofer - went to my two most favorite hiking areas in one day. Did some quick hiking and photo shooting to see them one last time.

Since it's August, everything is green. But hey, that's ok too. Was a pretty warm day overall, even though it was somewhat cloudy.

A shot from the top of a high rock I like to climb up on. Gives a nice view of the area. I'm probably 75 feet or so above the ground level. Nice, as long as its not too windy!

A rock spire and lots of trees along the trail. There were a lot of people out hiking on the loop trail today. Pretty green, but the little creek with waterfall was almost bone dry. Odd, as its been a pretty wet year.

Finished up here, moved on to my second hiking spot-

A final big 5 shot panorama. From the 'scenic overlook'. You can see the interstate and traffic in the distance on the center right. Was pretty breezy up here, but the clouds were breaking up at least.

What's that? A rock cairn I started building in a secret spot, years ago. Every year I go back, and rebuild it. Usually its a collapsed pile of rocks. I'm not sure if the weather is doing it, wildlife or somebody coming along and knocking it down. This year it was completely in pieces. Though a few times in the past it was pretty good. And once it was nearly intact! But I rebuilt it for what is likely the last time, for a long time. Someday I'll get back to check on it. And rebuild it again!

Can't fence in that wide open sky...

Done hiking, time to head out. Not nearly as many people hiking at this trail today. 

Nice to get one last visit in. Was hoping maybe one more moose sighting, but wasn't to be. Too bad I can't see the fall colors this year. But perhaps I'll get some for a post from the north country.

Coming up soon - the big white and orange truck...

War Birds

During the Annual Cowpoken Daze Festival (Not the actual name. But one I have used for years, for a variety of reasons), one of the only interesting events of the whole thing happens (in my opinion) -

The Air Show!

Headlining every year is the Air Force Thunderbirds. This year, for the first time in ages, I went to the Air Guard base to see the static (parked old planes) show, along with the Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds on the ground, ready to start the show. The actual air show WASN'T over us, for safety reasons since there's too many homes in the area. But we saw them flying around a lot as they did their routines.

The weather was very nice for it. Too many years we had clouds or stormy weather which greatly reduced what they could do.

It sure can be loud when that many F-16s go zooming over your head.

But just as interesting was the static air show. Some interesting and iconic older prop planes, many veterans of WWII.

P-51 Mustang, one of the most famous fighters from WWII. Probably one of the most recognizable planes from that era.

A F4U Corsair, another famous fighter plane, often used in the Pacific against the Japanese. Made more 'famous' by the 1970s TV show Black Sheep Squadron. I saw this plane as it flew in, but didn't get any good photos of it. A very good looking aircraft, IMHO.

A Grumman Avenger, a plane designed to drop either bombs or a single large torpedo.

This is a T-6 Texan, a trainer aircraft used to train military pilots before going off to war. This plane was also flying and putting on a few shows.

Doing lots and lots of loops.....

Something a little newer - an A10 Thunderbolt. Also known as a Warthog. Not the best looking plane, but very formidable on the battlefield.

It wasn't all war planes though. There were a number of stunt and private planes, and biplanes like this one-

This plane did several flight shows, including one with another smaller biplane.

A very good day, seeing a bunch of really well preserved old aircraft, along with the big Thunderbirds show. It stormed later in the day, but it held off long enough to give everyone a great day.

Surreality

July 4th. Independence Day! BBQs! Parades! Fireworks!

Actually it was kind of a strange day. Very warm and very humid. Kind of cloudy much of the time. Though it cleared off later, seemed like weather would be good for the night's big fireworks show.

Got my gear and went to the park. As I was getting closer, I could see big dark clouds coming. Lightning and thunder too. And I didn't bring a raincoat!

Biggest surprise was how deserted the park was. It's usually a big crowd of people waiting for the show. But with threatening weather and sprinkles I guess people went home early. Then it started really raining and thundering, lots of lightning. I got to a safer place to hide out. Was seriously thinking of calling it and going home. But waited it out.

Rain tapered off to light sprinkles 20 minutes later. I could hear cheering in the auditorium where they put on a music show. So I figured stick around, might get a show after all.

And we finally did!

 I decided to experiment a little this year. Everything was pretty much shot with me changing the focus during the couple second exposures. Usually in focus to getting out of focus. Got some interesting results overall.

Pretty colorful one here. I think this is one of my favorites from the night.

I think this one looks like a big green dandelion.

So the show ended. And I, along with the maybe 15 other people in the park headed out. It was very humid, still wet from the rain, and a bunch of lingering drifting smoke from the fireworks.

Just created a perfectly surreal environment to finish off the day.

High Voltage!

Took a little summer trip, to do some family stuff and other things as well.

Got an assortment of photos, most of which were not worth posting anything about.

But one night, we did have a pretty strong late night thunderstorm with lots of lightning.

I've never gotten many lightning photos, so though it was time to give it a try. I shot through a window from inside, and all my shots were handheld. But I picked out a couple I liked.

There were lots of lightning flashes, lighting up the clouds. This one captured a pretty good burst. No lightning bolts, but lots of light.

There it is! The best lightning bolt I got. And it was a nice dual fork shot. Almost symmetrical!

That's probably my best ever lightning bolt shot. I got a lot that night, but since I don't have a lightning trigger (that is something you can buy for a camera) and had to just keep shooting and hoping to catch one, its pretty random. I missed a few good ones, and had a ton of bad ones or plain black images to throw away. But glad I got at least one good shot.

This isn't happening...

It's been a long, cold, wet spring.

With a never ending cycle of sloooowly warming up, followed by a overnight fall off the temperature cliff. Followed by another sloooooow warm up, fall of the temperature cliff, repeat, repeat.

But hey, it's late May. That cycle is finally over, its almost Memorial day and summer, right?

Last week was pretty nice. Other than kind of windy, it was upper 60s and well into 70s. Finally. For days! I was enjoying it.

But no, it was another Mother Nature fake out!

It got very cold, and a major winter storm hit us. I measured about 9 inches of very wet heavy snow. Really weighing down all the trees and plants that are leafing out. Had to get the snow shovel back out!

It's LATE MAY. Not March. Not February.

Not even Christmas. Though it sure looks like it.

Temps will get back to normal. In a few days. Till then, more cold, with chances of snow and rain.

This is beginning to look like a summer without a summer!

Invisible Iron

Is it possible to make a 78 year old, 1,200,000 pound steam locomotive disappear?

To an amazing degree, YES! Allow me to elaborate...

Yesterday was a BIG day. A Big Boy day...

After 5 years, the Union Pacific rolled out the Big Boy 4014 locomotive. Restored and back to operating condition. The biggest steam locomotive ever made.

I've posted on it a couple time in the past, in 2014 and 2018. You can find the links at right. The good news is they got it back together and working! At least well enough to go to the big 150th Transcontinental Railroad Anniversary event in Utah, as they had planned.

Saturday morning, they sent the trains off after a brief christening ceremony. Big Boy 4014 leading the way, then the 844 Living Legend locomotive behind it (doing most of the work I think. 4014 is really still being broken in and tested), followed by a Diesel and a number of cargo and passenger cars for this special trip. Here's a link to a short video (not mine, ~2 minutes) of the trains pulling up to the UP Depot in town:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cofv2msLz-0

This train has been the subject of huge interest. For years. Especially in the railfan community.
Here's a good UP video (~3 min) summarizing the train and the beginning of the journey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrqzaSDiM-A

People from all over the US and foreign countries as well were here to see this monster take to the rails again, for the first time since the early 1960s. There were cars and people EVERYWHERE for MILES. The tracks run parallel to a main road for a long way heading west from the Depot, and it's pretty unobscured once you get near the edge of town. Other than more train tracks. Therein lies the problem. Today in particular, a BIG PROBLEM. Which I still cannot believe they didn't plan for.

As I drove down the road, there was a very looooooong, loaded UP freight train. On the rail closest to the road. Parked. Blocking the view of the rails the steam train would take. There were tons of people there, waiting, hoping the train would move I guess so they could see. They were unfortunately mistaken. The freight train just sat there. Never moved.

I went farther west, past the parked freight. Out into open country, near the tracks with clear viewing, with LOTS of additional people. All waiting for that train. And finally, we could hear it coming. Just as it cleared the parked train, guess what happened? Another UP freight train came rolling in, eastbound. And TOTALLY blocked our view of the steam trains, as they chugged by behind it. Stealth technology on the cheap!

So THOUSANDS of people in Cheyenne waited to see the train leave town on its maiden voyage. Instead, they got to look at freight trains with something behind it puffing smoke. After years of stories and news, waiting for the big day. And a parked train and a UNBELIEVABLY poorly timed second train blocked the view of almost EVERYONE! Great job of planning and thinking ahead UP.

Many people WERE in a better spot and DID get to see it. But WAY WAY too many got the invisible train I saw. I'll include a few links for people who had a much better day seeing the train than I did.

This may qualify for the Outstanding Performance of an Epic Fail in the Competition for Epic Fails. CBG has something to say about this at the end of this post...

Not only were the trains steamed, now so was I! My option was to give up, or chase it. I chased a bit. Where it was going was kind of vague. Unless you really researched it. There is quite a spaghetti mess of tracks west of town, and exactly which one it was on very few people seemed to grasp. I knew one stop it was making, and as I travelled west and checked my map, realized I had to change where I was going. Everywhere I was driving, I saw lots of people parked along different tracks. They were all at the wrong tracks and would not see the train. Sorry folks! Again, if the UP wanted more people to see this, they should have been a lot more specific of which route it was taking. Because very few people seemed to know from what I saw.

After about a 30 mile drive, I turned off and did another 10 or so miles of dirt road. A small collection of vehicles were all caravanning to this same spot. Which was on private land. No problem, the landowners were there, letting cars in. For $10 /person. Paid it, cause I'd already come this far.

OK, FINALLY going to see the train. Shooting pictures and video, trying to run two cameras at once. Which is really one too many for one person. I got some photos and video, but both would have been a lot better if I had been able to do just one.

Here's a panorama of the landscape, before the train arrived-

I was waiting maybe a half hour, before the puffs of steam and smoke were visible. And as if out of nowhere, the trains suddenly appeared!

(All the wind noise in the mic - No Extra Charge! You're welcome!)

Pretty awesome sight. Video could have been better. And less wind noisy! But like I said, its hard to pan a video camera while shooting a SLR camera at the same time. I needed a helper! Wouldn't have hurt to get a little closer to the tracks also, in hindsight.

All that work, chasing, etc. And in 30 seconds its gone...

Here's what turned out to be my best photo from the day-

So then, I took a long trip home. My train chasing done. I've since seen some video from other stops the train has made on its trip. Search YouTube for Big Boy 4014 videos, there's lots of them, and some are really, really good. Here's a couple (none are mine)-

This guy chased the train all day. And got some really good locations (~21 min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REgH3pT4IH0

Good short up close video of the train leaving after a remote stop along the way (~2 min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqgdZMTkV9Y

Awesome video of the Big Boy pumping out some steam, putting down some power (~3 min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgK3ZBajFY

It's such a rare, historical old locomotive, and they did such an amazing job getting it operational again. And it looks great. Which makes the way it was obscured most of the way out of town, disappointing thousands of people there to see it go, so very hard to fathom for me.

Why the UP couldn't have kept the rails clear for a few miles west of town for 30 minutes Saturday morning, I'll never understand. What the.....sigh...

It was a incredible event overall. With a few rough edges...

Wrap up time, with a guest summary of my overall personal experience for the day!
Take it away CBG!

Ten Years Later

The Spiritbox Studio blog. At 10 years!

Happy Anniversary!

I started this blog with my first post on May 3, 2009.

You can find it in the links at right, or you can find it right here:
http://spiritboxstudio.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-blog-new-shooz.html

Mostly, it was just talking about some new cycling shoes I got.

Well, ten years later, I still got em!

They're definitely a little more worn and dirty, but still in good shape. The laces are getting ratty, need to replace those soon. But as 4 of my 5 bikes have SPD pedals, they get used pretty regularly.

Speaking of bikes, I posted recently on the Orange Chopper project bike I built. And mentioned in the Christmas post about the 5th bike I had finally gotten - a real road bike. Since this seems to be mostly a bike stuff post, how about just a little more with a current photo of my road bike - The Fred Sled.

It's a very good bike - a Specialized S-Works bike. Which is their top end bike even today. This particular example dates to 2004. So about 15 years old. Its a very nicely finished aluminum frame with carbon fiber fork, seat post and handlebar. Current higher end bikes are usually entirely carbon fiber. Over the years, the prior owner changed a bunch of the components from what it came with. It was kind of grungy, some time with automotive polishing compound cleaned up a whole lot of seemingly permanent grime. Did some tuning and adjusting, touched up a number of paint scratches and chips. It's got new tires and tubes, pedals, bottle cages, seat bag and a cyclocomputer. Otherwise it's just as I bought it. For its age and a lot of use, it looks really, really good. 

In the future, I'm thinking of stripping it down of all the miscellaneous components, and put on matching current generation Shimano 105 parts. And a new set of matching wheels. Plus a few other minor changes like a different saddle and handlebar. Which is just about everything!

But its all functional as is. Certainly feels different from my other bikes as its about half the weight of any thing else I have. Fastest I was able to pedal up to, on flat ground with a bit of tailwind, was 33.7 mph. Briefly. Can't maintain that speed at all. 

Time to wrap up this anniversary celebration. Open the champagne!

Sneak Peek - Coming soon - Something else with wheels. Considerably larger...

Spring, Finally!

After a lengthy stretch of cold,

wind,

snow,

more wind,

Spring has finally arrived! Warm weather, robins, green grass and sunshine!

Uhhh, yeah, well, 

Spring is ALMOST here. With winter continuing to hang on. 

I AM optimistic - it's May tomorrow. Which means this Wintrex is almost over!!!! And Spring will probably quickly turn into Summer.

Super Worm Equinox

The March Super Worm Equinox Moon, that is.

It's named for a couple things. Partially for the time of year - the spring Equinox in March, and partly for Native Americans describing the time of the year the ground softens and worms begin to reappear. It's also the last Super Moon of the year.

It should look kind of familiar - my previous moon photo from the January Super Wolf Blood Moon Eclipse post looks almost identical. But it was happening, and it was a nice clear night so I figured it was worth a photo.

As before, tried several lens & doubler combinations. And got my best images with the doubler on the 300mm lens.

One Sun Sets...

One sun rises. Soon!

Just took a quick sunset shot. A nice evening sky...

Shot it as a bookend of sorts. Today was my last day as a studio photographer after many years at the same job. All thanks to corporate restructuring. Such is the world of today...

No worries, it just gives me the opportunity to move on to an even better sunrise! :)

Sulf Bloon? Suwo Blomo?

Just trying to come up with a slightly shorter version of last night's lunar eclipse.

The 'Super Wolf Blood Moon'. Really rolls right off the tongue...

Anyway, decided to try some photos. Taking photos of a moon during an eclipse is quite a job. Low light and long exposures plus lots of lens magnification make for some difficult shooting. Not to mention its a bit cold outside in January!

Used my mirrorless dslr. Because it the only camera I have that can use my long lenses. I shot with several, but mostly with my 70-300 mm zoom, and my old 600 mm mirror lens. Plus I tried using my doubler. Which could effectively make my 600 mm lens a 1200 mm lens.

The 70-300 worked pretty well. The mirror lens has been something of an issue for me. I've had it since the mid 1980s. And never use it, as it never gives me good photos. Getting sharp focus with that lens is basically impossible. All the doubler photos were big, but pretty blurry.

Took a lot of photos, many of the eclipse were ok. Due to slightly longer exposures required they're mostly all a little softer looking. Cause the earth and the moon are moving and I was zoomed in on it a lot!

This is a cheat - its actually from the night before as I was testing some stuff out. A 600 mm shot. And surprisingly sharp! Probably the best picture of a full moon I've ever taken. I really like this one. I think this was with the 300mm and the doubler. No real way to tell. If it was with the mirror lens then it is likely the best photo I've ever captured with that lens.

OK, now on to the night of the actual eclipse...

The shadow of the earth covering the moon as the eclipse is under way. A bit soft but a interesting shot.

The moon completely in eclipse. A reddish moon - the blood moon. I have lots of photos, they all look pretty similar to this one. A couple second exposure, so everything gets just a bit blurry due to magnification and things like the earth and moon keep moving during the shot! Should have tried cranking up the ISO more for a faster shutter speed I guess. Next time!

A short while later, the eclipse ended and the moon was back to normal. But for a little while, we got a good show. And a few interesting photos. And I got to warm up!