Day 30 - NaBloPoMo Is Over, Again!

I did it again!  I finished my 2nd NaBloPoMo.  I know nobody thought I would finish it last year, who ever thought I could finish it twice.  On the last post from last year I joked about not posting again until March.  Turns out that other than 1 post from Nebraska I was right.  I do not think I will go that long this year, but you never know.

This year was MUCH harder than last year.  I had a busy summer with work and did not take nearly enough time to go out and take some new photos.  I am planning on trying to make more time for photography in the coming months and hopefully will have more photos for next year.  No, I am not saying I will try NaBloPoMo again, but I fully expect that Dave will challenge me again so I might as well be prepared for it.  In fact I will say right now that I will do it again next year if Dave, Bill or Krystal also try it.  If I can do it for 2 years in a row I am sure they can do it once!

Well that is all for NaBloPoMo 2008, see you back here next year ;)

Day 29 - Contest #25

I have got to say I am looking forward to December.  I am running seriously low on blog ideas and photos for contests too.  I managed to find a photo for today though.

Where am I?  What is this?

Just 1 more post left in NaBloPoMo!

Day 28 - National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

As most of you reading this know I work very closely with law enforcement officers on a daily basis.  It is a career field I have been interested in for a long time (just ask my parents).  I think I can trace it back to my Grandpa on my Mom's side who was an officer in Eau Claire, WI.  While I did not have the opportunity to ever get to know my Grandpa well it was still an influence on me.  I still have my Grandpa's patrol hat, winter hat, patches and baton.

While I always had the desire to become an officer I kind of fell into dispatching and have been doing that for over 5 years now.  While I am not an officer I have a connection to them that the general public does not.  I have had the opportunity to ride along with these officers on shifts to see how they perform professionally under conditions most people would not believe.  In short I have a huge amount of respect for what they do everyday.

I had the opportunity to go on vacation to Washington DC in 2004.  Of the hundreds of memorials, museums and statues in Washington there was one that I knew I had to see.  I wanted to go the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at Judiciary Square.  I had been to the Minnesota Peace Officers Memorial several times and I thought I would be nice to be able to visit the national memorial as well.  I was not let down, the memorial is a magnificent tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their city, county, state or country.

Entrance to the Memorial

Pathway of Remembrance along one side of the Memorial

The names of over 17,500 officers who have died in the line of duty are inscribed in the marble walls

At each end of the pathway are statues of adult lions protecting their young.  Below each statue a quote is engraved on the wall.

"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion"

Proverbs 28:1

"Carved on these walls is the story of America, of a continuing quest to preserve both democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream."

President George Bush

"In valor there is hope"

Tacitus

"It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived"

Vivian Eney, Survivor

It is a very moving memorial that I would encourage anyone to go to see and pay respects for those who have died in the line of duty.

Day 27 - Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving today.

For the first time in 5 years I did not work.  I was able to have a nice home made Thanksgiving dinner at home.  And, yes I made my own Thanksgiving dinner.  I tried looking for a photo of a turkey to post in honor of the holiday.  The closest I could find was an ostrich or a flamingo from Como Zoo.  Instead you will have to settle for a iPhone picture of my Thanksgiving dinner (the veggies and cornbread did not make it into the picture).

Day 26 - Contest #24

Bill has been right again for the last couple contests.  Good to see he is back on top of his game.  Since I am assuming Bill will get this one right too lets see if anyone can beat him.

Day 25 - Contest #23

As of now there have been no guesses for the last contest so I will not give the answer yet.  

Can you tell me about this statue?

Day 24 - NaBloPoMo Blues Again

The NaBloPoMo Blues are setting in again.  It is hard to post something new everyday.  This year has been even harder than last year.  I did not spend nearly enough time taking photos since last year and therefore do not have many new photos to post.  Only 6 days left......

Day 23 - Contest #22

Quick contest before I go to work.

Day 22 - You're Kidding Right?

I know the election is over but I just got sent a link to this YouTube video.

I wish this was a joke! I sure hope she ends up being disappointed, but I am afraid she might not be too far off!

She won't have to worry about putting gas in her car or paying her mortgage?!
Who does she think is going to pay it?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

Day 21 - Gas Prices

I stopped to get gas on the way home last night and I have to got to say I was rather pleased.  Whatever the reason is behind it, I am enjoying gas prices that are now solidly below $2.oo/gallon in the Twin Cities.

The lower prices got me thinking about having purchased my Honda Accord as opposed to an SUV.  While I still love my Accord if gas prices had been $2.00 in May, I almost certainly would have got an SUV.  As I thought about it more I remembered the comparisons I made at the time and decided I am still happy with my choice.  I am getting about 30% better gas mileage with the Accord compared to a Honda Pilot.  My average fuel economy has been 23.626 mpg since getting the car.  While that does not sound great you have to remember I drive on city streets for maybe 70% of my miles.  The best tank I have had was 25.095 mpg with lots of highway miles.

Either way it was nice to fill an almost empty tank last night with 17.029 gallons for $1.779/gallon for a grand total of only $30.29!  I could get used to driving a car for that price.

Day 20 - Contest #21

Well I feel like I have accomplished something.  Bill called me last night stumped on the answer to the photo from yesterday.  It is only the 3rd or 4th time that he has missed a contest question.  The building featured in the contest yesterday is The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.  The photo was taken from underneath the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.

On to the next contest.  Today I will give you 3 photos to study for your answer.

Day 19 - Contest #20

Can you name this building?

Dave - I have a feeling you might have a chance with this one - to beat Bill at least.

Day 18 - The Winning Photo

I believe I have figured out which photo won the Trans Am calendar contest.  It was not one of the photos I had posted before.  That does not really matter, but it does mean that I did not think it was one of the best photos from the day.  I guess I must have been wrong.

The Winning Photo

The website has already announced plans for a 2010 calendar and is supposed to be posting guidelines soon.  Maybe Bill and I can make another run at it next year.

Day 17 - Contest #19

Another contest today.  In order to be considered right today I will need:

The location of this photo (GPS coordinates preferred)

The name of the statue

Who it is in honor of

When it was built

Who dedicated it

Who the artist was 

One additional fun fact about it.

Good Luck Bill!

Day 16 - Contest #18

Another contest photo today.  I will give a small hint, this photo was NOT taken in Minneapolis, but has sort of made a prior appearance here.

Day 15 - A Contest Win

Well Bill did it again, he won another contest.  I am not talking about one of my photo contests though.  I got a call from Bill tonight to let me know one of the pictures I took of his Trans Am had been selected to go into a calendar.  I do not know much about it yet.  I am kinda of excited even though it is only a calendar printed by a small (I think) website.  He sent me a couple links about it that I will share here.  I will be sure to update with more info about the whole thing after I have a chance to talk to Bill tonight.

The site hosting the contest

Forum post announcing the winners

A little more about the calendar

Day 14 - Quick Post

Quick post before work today from my new phone.  I took this picture with my new iPhone at the Apple Store in Edina.

So far I have no major complaints about the iPhone.  I do have some complaints about what things the wifi network at work will not let me do with it though...

Day 13 - Contest #17

I like doing these contest posts.  It makes me go back and look through thousands of photos to come up with some that are not obvious.  Where am I today?

Day 12 - Contest #16

I thought I would try posting some more contest photos.  It seemed to go over well before, and quite frankly it is an easy way to get a post done for the day.  The "rules" remain the same, post your guess in the comments section, first person to guess right (aka Bill) wins the pride of being right.  With all of the rules out of the way, where am I?

Day 11 - Thank You Veterans

It is the soldier, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag.

Father Dennis Edward O'Brian, USMC

"Freedom Is Not Free"

Korean War Veterans Memorial

"Here We Mark the Price of Freedom"

World War II Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Tomb of the Unknowns

To those who have served this country THANK YOU.

Day 10 - Japanese Garden

I have posted a couple photos in the past of the Japanese Garden at Normandale Community College.  I thought I would post a couple newer photos.  It is very well maintained and a nice place to go for a walk.  I especially like a waterfall that is near the entrance; the only problem I have with it is I have never been able to take a photo I really like of it, they are always too dark or too bright.

I think this visitor to the garden may be Canadian, not Japanese.

Day 9 - Lido Key

While I was in Florida for my Mom's Wedding I had a chance to take some photos on Lido Key.  I walked around a park for a couple hours, but for some reason I just could not seem to take a decent photo.  There is a very cool looking bridge you take from Sarasota to get to the Key but I could not find a spot to get a photo I liked.  

This was the best I could come up with for water photos.  While the photo is ok I feel like I should have done better.

After wandering to the other side of the park I found a boat launch and fishing docks.  It was a good thing I did since it would produce the only photos I really liked from the couple hours there.  The birds would let you walk right up to them, almost to the point you could have touched them.


Overall I felt it was a disappointing outing but I did get a couple photos of birds I would never see in Minnesota, so not a total loss.

Day 8 - A Return to the MN Peace Officer Memorial

Last November I posted some photos of the MN Peace Officer Memorial on the State Capital grounds.  I had heard that a new "thin blue line" had been installed and that it was now much brighter.  While I have always really liked the memorial the "thin blue line" had always been a bit disappointing.  The lights were very dull and in some parts it seemed they were burned out.  I was out taking photos one night and decided to swing by the State Capital to see how the memorial looked now.  I must say I was very impressed with the new lights.

To be honest I am not as happy with these photos (compared to those posted last year).  I really like how the sky was still a little bright in the other photos.  The ones I posted last year were taken during and right after sunset, while this year it was about 2 hours after sunset.  I think I will have to make a point to get back to the memorial again soon, maybe a little closer to sunset this time.

If you have never stopped by the memorial I would encourage you to do so.  Take some time to walk around the Peace Officer Memorial as well as some of the other memorials on the grounds.

Day 7 - Not Again

Earlier tonight I went to check the forecast on my new iPhone (post still upcoming) and this is what I get:  

Not that I have a say but I REALLY do not approve of this in the beginning of November.  Parts of South Dakota got over 40 inches of snow on Thursday.  I gotta say I am a little disappointed.  I was really hoping winter would forget about us this year...

Day 6 - Storm Damage

Today I am sticking with the catching things up tactic I have been using for the first few NaBloPoMo posts.  This past summer was a relatively quiet weather wise in my neck of the woods, no major storms or damage to report.  That is except for the huge evergreen in my front yard.

On the night of June 14th and thunderstorm came through the area, it was not a big storm, in fact I do not think it was even a severe storm.  I was at home watching a movie not even thinking about the weather.  At one point during the movie I heard a loud noise but figured it was part of the movie.  After the movie I was off to bed.  I woke up the next morning and let Scamp outside like usual, only to find that the loud noise from the movie was not from the movie at all.  It was my evergreen tree in the front yard (well it was now laying partly in the side yard).  

The roots of the tree and literally been ripped right out of the ground.

After contacting the Homeowners Association the tree was gone in 2 days at no direct cost to me.  They say I "should" get a new tree next year, depending on the budget.  I sure hope I get one soon though, the front yard looks kinda bare.