A photographer's blog.
Missouri River Flooding - 2019 In mid-March, over two months ago, the Missouri River got out of its banks from Sioux City, NE down to Hamburg, IA, flooding towns and cropland. Hundreds of people lost their homes, thousands of acres of prime farmland was destroyed, and I-29 was closed for six weeks. This picture was … Continue reading Iowa Rice Paddy
Graske Crossing, Elkhorn River A month after the Elkhorn River left its banks and unleashed Nature's fury on nearby towns and farmland, I visited Graske Crossing, a popular boat ramp near Elkhorn, NE. A small area with half dozen picnic tables, a couple grills, parking for 15 and a very nice concrete boat ramp was … Continue reading Flood Aftermath
Brady, NE My favorite childhood memories include visiting my cousins that lived on Jeffrey Lake, 5 miles south of Brady, NE. Especially in the summer, when we could swim three times a day (60 minutes after each meal), play baseball and explore the County's junk yard. What made this all possible was my uncle, who … Continue reading Favorite Memory
Propane Tank Rescue Flooding along the Elkhorn and Platte Rivers destroyed many cabins, homes and farms. Everything was swept downstream, including propane tanks, some hissing as they floated by. When the water finally retreated to its channel, the clean up began. This photo was taken near the public boat ramp on the Platte River near … Continue reading Tank Rescue
Platte River Bridge - Louisville, NE. - 2019 The Platte River crosses the entire state of Nebraska, collecting water from several small rivers and streams, and finally dumping into the Missouri River near Plattsmouth, NE. -- about 10 miles downstream of this photo. It has the reputation of being "a mile wide and a foot … Continue reading Raging River
Journey's End After living through 105 cold Nebraska winters, Adela Tikalsky was laid to rest in Niobrara, just a few miles from where she was born. Adela was born in the original farmhouse on the the Holan Homestead (parent's) and lived there for 65 years. The farm and family was her life. She never had … Continue reading Journey’s End
Twin Towers of Neckties The Strategic Air Command's Aerospace Museum, located near Ashland, Nebraska, has over 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibit and restoration space. It has actual airplanes, fully assembled on the exhibit floor: bombers, fighters, transporters, helicopters, missiles, etc. But the most unexpected exhibit I saw was a tribute to casualties of the terrorists … Continue reading Twin Towers
Sky Tram Tickets It was warm for February in Nebraska, 15 degrees with hopes of reaching the high 20's. That was balmy compared to the previous two days and predictions for the next week. So, we bundled up and went to the zoo. There are plenty of inside exhibits at the Henry Doorly Zoo, like … Continue reading Winter Zoo Trip
Nebraska Winter As predicted a powerful snowstorm hit Nebraska Saturday night; 8-10" of snow with winds gusting 40-50 mph. Thankfully, we have a calm sunny day to dig out. Uggh! Using the words of the Nebraska State Tourism Board's latest slogan: "Nebraska, it's not for everyone."
Umbrellas - Cape Cod Nebraska's winter has been the worst in a long time. January was bitter cold with light snow, now two heavy snowfalls in the last five days and another heavy snowstorm on the horizon. I thought this picture might cheer things up. Nothing special about the photo itself; I just like the … Continue reading Umbrellas
Less than six months until the College World Series -- "The Greatest Show on Dirt". That's the name of this sculpture that sits outside the front entrance to Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. This tournament has been held in Omaha since 1950. Maybe this winter won't last forever, but we need something to look forward … Continue reading Ameritrade Park
My first field trip of 2019 was to the Henry Doorly Zoo, the most popular tourist attraction in Nebraska. School was out so we took our granddaughter and braved the winter weather. The highlight of this trip was seeing the African animals in parkas, mittens and snow boots. No. Wait, that was the elephants and … Continue reading Nebraska Tourism
Mid-September, and we're getting pretty close to the end of late summer blooms, but these Coneflowers still look pretty good. Taken at Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, NE. Thought for the Day: I hate flowers -- I paint them because they're cheaper than models and don't move. … Continue reading Coneflower
Nebraska schools open in mid-August now, even the colleges are starting before Labor Day anymore. In Europe, however, September 1st is the "standard" opening day of school. September 1st is almost like a national holiday. Kids dress up, families dress up for formal pictures and escort their kids to school. Flowers are presented to the … Continue reading Back to School
Log rolling is a popular sport among lumberjacks, but what about pelicans? It looks like these two are "on a roll", so to speak. The one on the right seems satisfied with its position, but the one on the left seems unsure of its next step. This was taken in Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland, … Continue reading Log Rolling
I've been working on low light shots. Getting sharp focus is a challenge, and this one could certainly be improved. More patience would help, taking the time to raise the mirror, zoom in and manually focus. Practice, practice, practice. This shrine can be seen from I-80 near Gretna, NE., and is open to the public. … Continue reading Holy Shrine
This is a "So What?!" shot; a fallen tree with a boring railroad bridge in the background. Well, whoopee-to-do. Not so fast, my friends. From a distance, this looks like any other railroad bridge crossing the Platte River, known to be a mile wide and a foot deep. At one time it was the Missouri … Continue reading So What?
We found an old mailbox at the entrance to the Bone Creek Art Gallery in David City, Nebraska. It was in such good condition that it might have been a replica. The mailbox was solid cast iron; the lid on the mail slot alone must have weighed a pound or more. The tube at the … Continue reading Old Mail Box
I never get tired of looking at Old Glory, but get real excited when I see her flying in various formations. Five sets of three flag poles line each side of the drive at Valmont Industries' Corporate Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Valmont's center-pivot irrigation systems are sold world wide, and these flagpoles typically fly flags … Continue reading Memorial Day, 2018
Snake River Falls is in the top ten list of scenic sights in Nebraska. It's located on private land southwest of Valentine, NE, but the landowner allows the public to visit the sight for $1.00. Just put your dollar in the mailbox. This photo was taken in early spring during maximum flow of snow melt. … Continue reading Snake River Falls
