Derecho storm

Yesterday in Cedar Rapids, IA we witnessed a massive, destructive thunderstorm known as a “derecho”. These are severe thunderstorms that are sustained traveling very long distances, pack winds in excessive of 80 mph, and are accompanied by torrential rains and hail. I watched the storm approach us. The lead cloud structure had a very recognizable bow,…

Blood Moon 2

Here is another shot I was able to snap of the Lunar Eclipse tonight. This one shows more of the brilliant red color. The sky was perfectly clear here in Iowa tonight, however it was very cold in the low 20s F. Apparently we are in store for 3 more of these events over the…

Blood Moon 1

Here’s a photo I was able to capture of the Lunar Eclipse as seen in North America (Iowa) this evening. This was my first memorable experience of the Blood Moon. It was an incredible sight to see.

The Winter of All Winters – 2014

I’m really sorry I have kind of been ignoring this blogging business as of late.  It’s not that I haven’t been taking shots, it’s that I have not spent the energy translating the shots into some content here.  Perhaps it’s due to the longest, most intense winter grind I think I have ever experienced here…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Eerie

The photo challenge of the week is to post a photo or photos of something that describes “eerie” to me.  This past summer, I was able to stand on my backyard patio and shoot images of an approaching thunderstorm.  Thunderstorms in the midwestern US always have an eerie quality to them.  You never really know…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon (What’s out there on yours?)

Many people struggle with the roller coaster of life’s emotions.  For some, it’s hard to be motivated or stay focused on priorities.  For others, emptiness of losing a loved one takes its toll.  Yet, others deal with life situations as if life itself were simply a walk in the park.  I know I am personally…

Mooning You

I’ve never this before.  Not like this anyway.  This evening, I let my dog, Sadie, outside tonight to “do her business”, except I let her out in the front yard this time.  I looked out and realized it was a perfect crescent moon against a perfectly clear sky.  Quick!  Get the camera!  And the tripod!…

My Heart Breaks for You, Estes Park

We have enjoyed several family vacations to Estes Park, CO and Rocky Mountain National Park.  The news and scenes of the devastating floods from this weeks torrential rainfall is heart-breaking.  Not many days go by without us thinking of our stays at our favorite lodge at the River Stone and Bear Paw resort.  With it…

Mid-summer Nighttime Storm

We had a slow moving storm approaching Cedar Rapids, IA tonight.  However, it died before it arrived.  Nonetheless, from a near distance, it put on quite a light show for over an hour.

Winter Stream Scenes

We live near the Sac & Fox Trail in Cedar Rapids, IA.  In the previous post, I captured and posted some shots I took of deer while hiking the trail last weekend.  I hiked until sunset, hoping to catch some good sunset colors bouncing off of the snowy landscape.  The sky was kind of hazy,…

Our Home in a Snow Globe

  I have never tried this shot before, but just read about this technique last night.  The technique is how to put your house in a snow globe.   First, you have to have a house, then you have to have snow.  Then, the snow has to be falling at night.  Having those conditions synchronous…

Hope for the Harvest

You plant your fields, when the Spring is tender When the Summer beats down, you pray for rain, You hope for the harvest, and the long, cold winter And then you plant your fields again. LOWERY, DONNY R. / WALDMAN-PARKER, WENDY, Songwriters -Performed by New Grass Revival