jdz Photography

I am still alive

2010-07-22T06:05:00.014-05:00

Bill seems to think it has been too long since I last posted. He might be right, but in my defense it's not November yet. I promised him a post to prove that I was still alive since I think the fear is keeping him up at night (or is it day when you work overnight?). Of course he could have just come upstairs to check on me but that's a lot of steps. So, for Bill I am alive and I will get to work on a couple new posts and try to get something up in the next week or so hope you can sleep at night now.

Day 30 - NaBloPoMo Is Over, Again, Again!

2009-11-30T21:00:00.011-06:00

It is over!! I am done. Do not let me ever tell you that I will do NaBloPoMo again, it will be a lie. I am not sure what I was thinking doing it again this year. I will try to update more often throughout the next year to make up for the missing 30 posts next November. Yeah, I know I have said that before maybe this time I will be telling the truth. Stay tuned to find out.

Day 29 - The Jackson Family Revisited

2009-11-29T21:00:00.003-06:00

You may remember a post I did a couple years ago about a gathering of family on my Mom's side if not you can check out that post by clicking here. This year we had another gathering of the Jackson family at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Eau Claire. The special part this time was that all seven of the siblings were going to be there. This would be the first time that all seven of the siblings would be together since my Grandma Jackson's funeral in the late 1990's. I was tasked to get some pictures from the gathering for everyone. The original plan was to be outside on the river's edge but the cool temps and threats of rain moved us back inside. The party was not affected by the move inside but it did hurt the overall quality of the photos I think. Alright, enough with the words let's move onto pictures (this blog is called jdz photography after all). I ended up taking about 375 photos so narrowing it down to a few to post was not that easy. In order to not bore my reader completely I have decided to concentrate on the seven siblings for this post, I will post some others at some point.

Ron

Bruce

Tom

Linda

Vicki

Debbie (my Mom)

Jim

The Jackson seven wearing matching shirts that my Mom and I made for them

Day 28 - Minnesota Twins

2009-11-28T05:20:00.006-06:00

As I mentioned in my post about Joe Mauer winning the MVP I was working on getting some photos from Twins games I attend this year posted. Now with only 3 days left in NaBloPoMo I am getting around to posting it.

As anyone reading this likely knows I follow the Twins closely and enjoy going to games when I can. This year I was only able to get to two regular season games. While I would have loved to make it to many more games I was happy with the two I did make.

The first game for me this year was the Twins Home Opener on April 6th against the Seattle Mariners. This game would be the last Home Opener ever held at the Metrodome as the Twins make to move back outdoors in 2010!! I had never been to the Opener before but after a great time at the game I will be trying to make this an annual tradition. I ended up having to get the tickets from Ticket King since the game had sold out before I even knew if I was able to get a vacation day at work. The seats were not the best and I had paid almost face value for them but the time at the game made it well worth it.

Banner above the Home Run Porch seats counting down the games until Target Field in 2010

National Guard troops displaying the flag during the National Anthem

After the middle of the 5th inning the banner counted down to 80 games left at the Metrodome

I do not have any game actions shots that turned out from this game. I am blaming the combination of bringing my point & shoot camera and the fact that the seats were down the 3rd base side in the corner.

The second game I attended was on August 30th against the Texas Rangers. I took my Mom to this game for her birthday while she was in town for a family reunion. We did not have tickets bought for the game before hand since we had not planned too far in advance. We ended up getting great seats in about the 7th row just past 1st base from a scalper for less than face value. These were the best seats I have ever sat in for a regular season game.

A view from our seats along the 1st base side

Only 16 regular season games left at the dome before the game started

Justin Morneau bats in the bottom of the 1st inning

Only 15 games left after the game becomes official in the bottom of the 5th

Minnesota Twins celebrate a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers

As much as I enjoyed the two games I got to during the 2009 season I am looking forward to getting to Target Field A LOT MORE often next year! Only 128 days until Home Opener 2010!

Day 27 - Nine Mile Creek

2009-11-27T00:45:00.000-06:00

Today's trip back into the archives brings us to Nine Mile Creek in July 2005.

I have a 16x20 of this photo framed above my fireplace

Vertical this time for a slightly different look

One of my favorite photos, it took at least 15 photos to get the wings just right

Day 26 - Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T21:05:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving!

Continuing a tradition I started last year I am posting a photo of my Thanksgiving dinner. I was not planning on having turkey this year until I remember that I had a Jennie-O Turkey meal in the freezer. I'll be honest, it was not that great but it was still filling. I made some stuffing (my favorite part of Thanksgiving), corn and salad to go along with it.

And for those of you that do not work with me the book in the background is CopBook by Richard Greelis. Richard served 27 years as an Officer/K9 handler/Detective where I work and writes of many of the experiences that he had during his career. I am not finished reading the book yet but I feel confident in recommending it based on what I have read. It would make a great Christmas gift for the reader on your list.

Day 25 - Spoonbridge and Cherry

2009-11-25T21:55:00.000-06:00

Continuing the search through older photos today I found these of the Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden taken in July of 2005.

Downtown Minneapolis skyline in the background

Basilica of Saint Mary in the background

As seen from the pedestrian bridge over I-94

Spoonbridge and Cherry framed by a sculpture of a backhoe

Day 24 - A Return to Minnehaha Park

2009-11-24T21:50:00.009-06:00

I was looking back through old photos again today and found these un-posted photos Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis. You might remember some others of the falls that I posted a couple years ago. These photos were obviously taken when the water levels were MUCH lower. These photos were taken in April of 2004, if I remember correctly the falls were lower that Spring then anyone remembers them being.

The water did not look too dangerous that day

Another example of my "self portraits"

Day 23 - MVP MVP MVP

2009-11-23T19:05:00.003-06:00

I was already working on a post with some photos from Twins games this season when it was announced today that Joe Mauer was named American League Most Valuable Player for 2009!! Congratulations to Joe Mauer for a history making season. Now can the Twins please get around to signing Joe to a life long contract? Give him a percentage of the team if that is what it takes.

Day 22 - From The Stone Arch Bridge

2009-11-22T19:40:00.005-06:00

As I was trying to figure out what to post today I started looking back through some of the older photos that I have taken and found these 2004 photos of The Stone Arch Bridge that I have not posted before. These photos were all taken while still on the bridge as I started a day of walking around downtown Minneapolis looking for photos.

Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam

Mill City Museum

Day 21 - The Great Minnesota Eat-Together

2009-11-21T17:45:00.059-06:00

In yesterday's recap of my visit to the Minnesota State Fair I skipped over the most important part, the food. I think we all know that the only reason a lot of people go to the Fair is to eat the food you only get a chance to eat for those 12 days a year. I had two food items that I knew I wanted to try to find, alligator and chocolate covered bacon. I of course was also going to indulge in some of the classics too. I'm starting to get a stomach ache just thinking about the crap I ate so let's get started.

Starting off with a classic Corn Dog right inside the gate

Finishing off a Chocolate Shake from the Dairy Barn

I found the alligator!

I went with the deep fried alligator and fries. I was not sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it and will get it again the next time I have a chance.

Mini Donuts shared amongst several of us

Fresh French Fries shared amongst many

Cheese Curds for dinner? What would my Mom say? Well she better not say anything since that is what she had as well.

And the finale, Sweet Martha's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never did find the chocolate covered bacon anywhere, I passed on the Big Bacon on a stick in hopes of finding it. Maybe next time.

Looking back at it I really did not have that much to eat when you remember that it was spread out over about 10 hours. But it still makes my stomach a little queasy thinking about all that grease. That being said, of course I would it all again. It is not a State Fair experience without the food!

Day 20 - The Great Minnesota Get-Together

2009-11-20T18:15:00.044-06:00

For the first time in probably at least 10 years I ventured to the Minnesota State Fair this August. It's not that I don't like the fair, but if I don't go I don't feel like I missed anything. This year my Mom and sister Amy were back in Minnesota for a family reunion during the fair and wanted to go. Amy's "friend" (it's a long story) Mike joined us for the day at the fair.

The crowds were already there in full force when we arrived

The only spot that I knew I wanted to stop by at the fair was the live broadcast of Garage Logic on AM-1500. I have listened to their State Fair episodes for years and wanted to get to see one in person. It did not disappoint, in fact it might be something that would make me consider going to the Fair more often.

Joe Soucheray talks to Princess Kay and The Lake Detective

After Mom and I watched Garage Logic for awhile we found Amy and Mike again, they had been joined by Mike's Mom Charlie and Dave. We headed off to The Midway so Dave and Mike could try their hand at winning some of the giant stuffed animals.

Mike of course was drawn to the game involving beer bottles

The beer bottle game didn't work, maybe ring toss will lead to success

While Dave and Mike continued to play different games I took a walk down The Midway to see if I could find some photographic inspiration. While I was not super excited by the photos I thought a couple turned out ok.

Success! Mike finally wins the giant animal (we think it was supposed to be a lion)

As quickly as he won it he handed it off to Amy who is not quite sure what to think

Dave had quite a bit of success too, winning 2 giant Scooby's and a couple unicorns

A newly born calf as we made a quick stop by the Miracle of Birth Center on the way out

A sheep waiting to give birth at the Miracle of Birth Center

Mike, Winston The Lion, and Amy on the way home

No, I did not forget about the food. Believe me we/I had plenty to eat, but that will have to be another post. (Give me a break I still have 10 more posts to do this month.)

Day 19 - Contest #28

2009-11-19T17:45:00.004-06:00

12 days left in November. Still not sure how I will come up with 12 more posts.
Contests always help so . . . Where am I today?

Day 18 - A Gift For Dave

2009-11-18T04:50:00.004-06:00

I was reminded tonight by Dave how he is already half way through his time on nights at work. That reminded me of the "craft" project that I made for him on our first night together in September. I thought I would share what is left of it today.

The paper chain started off with 71 links, today we are down to only 35! If you would prefer to keep track of Dave's days left he has also posted a countdown at the top of his blog.

(The real reason for this post is because Dave has been less than happy with the quality of my posts. I'm sure he won't like this one either. )

Day 17 - A Storm Was Brewing

2009-11-17T17:55:00.040-06:00

The day was Friday August 21. Storms were forecasted to hit the Twin Cities. The storm was said to be big, lots of lightning, maybe even tornadic. I was on days off. I headed West to try to find the storm before it got too dark. I arrived in rural Carver County around 1800hrs. I started my search for the storm. That's when things got interesting.....

... I found nothing but beautiful blue sky to the East and some rain clouds (above) to the West. Since I had already ventured deep into Carver County I figured I would try to find something to get a photo of since it clearly was not going to be a nice storm today. Even getting a decent photo proved difficult since the rain clouds made the sky dark early while also failing to provide lightning show for me.

I quickly gave up any hope of finding a good storm today and headed back towards Minneapolis to search out some new photographic inspiration. Unfortunately I found nothing. That is until I was leaving Minneapolis and looked off to the West to see a beautiful sunset. I did not have time to get somewhere to try to photograph. I admitted my defeat by Mother Nature today and fired off a few shots while driving down Hwy 62.

I will get her back someday, I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know I will beat Mother Nature someday!

Day 16 - Lido Beach Sunset

2009-11-16T05:25:00.003-06:00

Today we conclude the recapping of Florida for 2009 with a visit to Lido Beach at sunset. I don't think that requires much more explanation so, onto the photos.

Day 15 - Sarasota Boat Ride

2009-11-15T15:00:00.004-06:00

While in Florida I was lucky enough to be able to get a ride on my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Roger's boat. This was the first time that I have been able to go out with them in Florida. We left from the dock behind their condo on the Intercoastal and headed South towards Venice.

Roger at the helm

One of the many larger very nice boats we would pass

Mangroves covered in birds

A dolphin followed us along for awhile

Pelicans hang out on a bridge approach

At Venice we went through a pass (if it has a name I can not find it) and entered the Gulf of Mexico.

Roger opens up the throttle in the Gulf of Mexico

Roger and Vicki's condo is in the left of the two identical buildings, our trip started on the other side of them

After traveling North along Siesta Key we returned to the Intercoastal at Sarasota Bay.

John Ringling Causeway crosses over Sarasota Bay

Downtown Sarasota from Sarasota Bay

It was great to finally get a chance to get out with Roger and Vicki. I hope to be able to do it again sometime.

Day 14 - Siesta Beach at Sunset

2009-11-14T16:00:00.004-06:00

I thought I would post a few more photos I took on Siesta Beach while we were celebrating Mom and Jerry's 1st anniversary. These are a few of the "non-people" photos I took. While I have become more confident in taking "people" pictures lately I still prefer to take photos that do not focus on people.

Siesta Beach at Sunset

Space Shuttle Discovery Launching from Cape Canaveral on the East Coast of Florida

A plane flies high above the Gulf of Mexico heading West

A crowd gathering to watch the sunset

Day 13 - Friday The 13th, A Bad Day

2009-11-13T18:25:00.002-06:00

No, I am not having a bad day but these guys sure did...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Day 12 - Mom & Jerry's Anniversary

2009-11-12T23:00:00.003-06:00

I was in Florida visiting my Mom and Jerry over their first wedding anniversary this past March 15th. To celebrate we planned dinner at The BeachHouse Restaurant in Bradenton and then drive down the coast to Siesta Beach where they were married at sunset 1 year ago. Joining the three of us would be Jim and Marilyn who introduced Mom and Jerry and also stood up for them at their wedding.

The setting of The BeachHouse right on the edge of the beach complete with palm trees and the smell of the salt water is wonderful. To top it off the food is good too, and that is saying a lot since I do not normally enjoy seafood.

After finishing dinner we made a mad dash South to try to beat the sunset. We arrived right as the sun was starting to set so Mom, Jerry and I rushed to the edge of the sand to get a few quick pictures with some sunlight still in them.

Soon Jim and Marilyn joined us along the waters edge for some more pictures. None of us noticed that most people on the beach were facing the other way. Another person on the beach pointed out a large glowing cloud far off in the distance. Turns out the Space Shuttle Discovery was being launched from Cape Canaveral on the Eastern coast of Florida. I of course had to incorporate that into some photos.
Earlier Marilyn had mentioned that she had just signed up for Facebook and was still figuring out how to post pictures. I decided to get a couple pictures of Jim and Marilyn to get her started.
By the nights end Mom, Jerry, Jim and Marilyn were already talking about how they would celebrate the second anniversary next March 15th.

Day 11 - Veterans Day

2009-11-11T21:30:00.006-06:00

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Arlington National Cemetery

To all of those that have served this great country simply saying thank you does not seem big enough, Thank You and Happy Veterans Day.

Day 10 - Quick Post Before Midnight

2009-11-10T23:45:00.002-06:00

It's almost Midnight so here is a quick post.

Downtown Minneapolis at night. Photo taken from the Stone Arch Bridge.

Day 9 - Scamp

2009-11-09T22:25:00.002-06:00

While I was trying to figure out what to post today I realized that I had not posted any pictures of Scamp in over 2 years. I honestly don't take pictures of him all that often but have been meaning to get better about it. Scamp and I went to the dog park about a week ago and as I was walking out the door I remembered to grab my camera.

Now, I have never tried to take posed pictures of a baby or small child but I imagine it is similar to trying to get a dog to sit still and look in the right spot while they are more interested in the other dogs wandering around.

Scamp and I met Lisa and Kula at the dog park for the first time this year. Scamp and Kula have been going to the dog park together ever since Kula was a young puppy. They have always gotten along very well and usually walk right next to each other. This time would be a little different. While they certainly remembered each other Scamp was more interested in eating grass then playing or running around, must be his older age.
We did manage to get both Scamp and Kula to pose for a couple pictures together. While this photo is not the best it has a cute story behind it. Ever since the first time going to the park together Scamp and Kula give each other kisses before getting into the cars to leave. It has gotten to the point that if Scamp is in the car and Kula did not get a kiss she will not jump into Lisa's car to leave and Scamp gets back out to give a kiss goodbye.
A more posed photo of the two of them.

Day 8 - Unbelievable!

2009-11-08T02:15:00.007-06:00

A few important numbers to remember from Saturday:

1,990=pages in the Pelosi Heath Care Bill

$1.2 Trillion=Cost of Pelosi Health Care

220-215=Margin of victory

359=days until Mid Term elections

1094=days until 2012 Presidential election

A few different media stories:

Remember Peggy Joseph from last year? I wonder what she thinks tonight?!

Day 7 - Contest #27

2009-11-07T19:35:00.004-06:00

Another day, another contest. Where am I?

Day 6 - Spring Training 2009

2009-11-06T18:45:00.001-06:00

As I have mentioned, I went to Florida in March both to see my Mom and Step-Dad and to go to a few Twins Spring Training games. I was able to get to three games in the week that I spent in Sarasota. This is the second year that I have been able to go to Spring Training and certainly seems to be on the path to becoming a tradition. Don't ask what would happen if the Twins moved to Arizona like so many other teams have, Mom did not like my answer when she asked.

For the first game of the weekend Mom and I made the 30 minute drive up to Bradenton to McKechnie Field the Spring Training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jerry was working and unable to join us for the first game. This was the first trip for both of us to McKechnie Field, it is a much different setting than Hammond Field in Ft Myers. It is right in the middle of the city with parking in private lots and on the streets in the area. From talking to others at the game we learned that the stadium is only used for the Pirates and then sits empty for the rest of the year. It is an older stadium (built in 1923) but has obviously seen some more recent renovations.

One thing I enjoy about Spring Training games is how relaxed most people seem. By the middle of March when I was there most players have a good idea of wether they will make the Major League team or be heading for a Minor League team. The players that know they will likely be sent down still play as hard as anyone hoping for that chance to go North with the team in a couple weeks.

The mascots have a lot of fun interacting with the smaller crowds. The attendance at this game was only 5,215, compared to around 25,000 at an average Twins game at the Metrodome. Here the Pirates mascot "Pirate Parrot" makes a phone call on a giant mascot sized cell phone.

A view of the game and field. I honestly did not remember who won the game but found it online, the Pirates won 6-4.
On Friday afternoon all three of us made the drive South to Ft Myers. The plan was a game on Friday night followed by a Saturday afternoon game.

Hammond Stadium was packed as the Twins hosted the Cincinnati Reds in front of 8,076 mostly Minnesota fans. It probably did not hurt that fireworks were planned after the game ended.

Francisco Liriano took the loss in a close 1-0 loss for the Twins. The fireworks made it a little better, but just a little. Unfortunately I did not get any photos even close to acceptable of them.

On Saturday we arrived at Hammond Field early so that we could walk around the training fields that surround the stadium. The Twins have built a wonderful facility that they use year round for both Spring Training as well as the Class A Ft Myers Miracle. Before the games start hundreds of fans are free to roam the outer fields and watch the lower level players get in daily practice. I never thought it would be all that entertaining to watch people take fielding practice but it gives you a good sense of how much work they are putting in.

Here pitchers are practicing pickoff moves to first base and doing pitchers fielding drills.

After going into the stadium we were quickly greeted by Twins Mascot TC Bear entertaining the crowd before the game started.

Joe Nathan getting an inning of work in as the Twins suffered another loss on Saturday, this time to the Florida Marlins 9-5.
Saturday would be the last game we would go to this year. We had a wedding anniversary to celebrate on Sunday back in Sarasota. But that is a story for another post.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot . . . What was my answer when Mom asked what would happen if the Twins moved to Arizona for Spring Training? I don't remember exactly what I said but I know it consisted of me suggesting they consider relocating to Arizona if they would like to continue to see me in the Spring. I tried to save myself by claiming I was only partially kidding. Not sure if that worked or not, but I have already been invited to come back next Spring.

Day 5 - Contest #26

2009-11-05T20:45:00.002-06:00

I am quickly running out of time for getting a post done today and I am not done with the one that I was planning. Therefore I am returning to a contest post. This one will not be hard at all for at least one person I know, and no I am not talking about Bill (aka: The Contest Champ).

Where am I? GPS coordinates required to be right.

I should have time to tomorrow to finish off the post I had planned for today.

Day 4 - Trying Something New

2009-11-04T22:45:00.001-06:00

In an effort to make this month of blogging easier I am trying
something new today. Today's post is being written on my iPhone and
sent in as an e-mail to blogger. It is then auto posted as a new entry
(at least that is the idea). I am not sure how well this works but if
it does this could make future blogging much easier.

--------------------------------------------

Update at 11:35pm: Turns out this system may not work so well after all. Part of the text in the original e-mail was cut off below the picture which was already supposed to be below the text. So let me explain the picture a little more.

The picture was taken on my trip to Florida for Twins Spring Training earlier this year. This particular photo is of the Friday night game that I attended at Hammond Stadium in Ft Myers which is the year round home to the Twins and the Class A Ft Myers Miracle. I will have some more pictures from this game as well as from the other two games I attended this year in a future post.

Day 3 - One Year Later

2009-11-03T04:35:00.002-06:00

Fair Warning: This turned into more of a rant than I had intended, I won't be offended if you skip it all together. I promise a lighter topic for tomorrow.

------------------------

You might remember that on Election Day a year ago I posted a reminder to go vote. At that time we were choosing the next President of The United States as well as the next Senator from Minnesota. If you know me, you know that I was not exactly pleased with the results of either of those races.

I am going to avoid going on a long political rant about all of the ridiculous policies that have been implemented under the Obama administration and the Congressional leadership. As you can imagine I am not overly impressed. That being said I am equally unimpressed by the current crop of leadership on the right side of the aisle in Washington.

Maybe Obama was right... we need a change in leadership. I certainly do not think he is the person to bring us "change we can believe in" but he is on the right track. It is time for a change, time to kick out long serving politicians from both political parties and bring in fresh faces with new ideas. While people have been saying this for years with little to show for it I think there are signs that people are waking up. Everyday people are attending Tea Parties, going to town hall meetings about health care reform and just plain paying attention to what is going on. I am not sure what the ground swell will look like or what the results will be. Obviously I would prefer the results to be lower taxes and less government, but I'll settle for more involvement in the short term.

While I was not pleased with the returns on Election Night 2008 I am very pleased by the awakening I have seen in the last year. For those of us hoping for a different kind of change just remember that Mid-Term elections are just 364 days away and the 2012 Presidential Election is 1099 days from today!

Day 2 - Myakka River State Park

2009-11-02T06:15:00.004-06:00

Like I mentioned yesterday I have not been out taking photos as much lately as I would like. Until I have a chance to get out for some new pictures I am going to get the blog caught up with some of the photos I have taken since last November. I'm starting out with some pictures from my trip to Florida this past March. This was the second year that I have gone to Florida during March. The first year was centered around my Mom's Wedding, this year was centered around Twins Spring Training.

Since my time in Florida last year was mainly helping get ready for the wedding I did not do much sightseeing so that was a goal this year. My Mom and I went to Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County. The main focus of this park is the alligators that live in the river that runs right through the middle of the park. However before we drove towards the alligator infested waters we stopped off at the Myakka Canopy Walk. The Canopy Walk is a combination of two towers connected by a 85 foot suspension bridge. The walk was built as a way to study tree tops but is mainly used by tourists looking to get a view from the top of the taller 74 foot tower. The view from the top is expansive, I am not even sure how many miles you can see but it feels like hundreds. While I enjoyed climbing to the top the favorite part for me was the interesting lines of the tower itself.

After climbing the towers of the Canopy Walk we drove deeper into the park to find some alligators. I was told that there were a couple options to choose from for viewing, you could either walk paths towards the river and find them sunning or you could rent a canoe and paddle towards them. Well I am not an idiot so I chose the walking path viewing method this time around (and will choose that again if I ever return to the park). We walked a few hundred feet from the nearest parking lot towards a man made damn to find the gators sunning. There were about 6 gators in the area between the shore and water. For the most part they did not seem to mind the people watching them and you could actually walk to within about 50 feet of them and still feel like you were safe.
This guy however chose to get a LOT closer than that. The splash you see in the water is a gator that this idiot walked up to in an attempt to get a picture with it. He got within about 10 feet before the alligator decided it was being threatened and bolted back to the water. He was just lucky the gator chose retreating to the water instead of attacking.

The park also has a very nice boardwalk/dock that leads out into a lake to watch birds from. When I was there Florida was in the middle of a severe draught and this section of the lake was basically dried up. Because of that most of the birds had moved further away towards the deeper water sections that we did not have a great view of.
The dry lake bed did have one benefit though, the wild pigs had moved into the area. Here you can see an adult pig and two younger pigs. This picture was taken right before the adult pig decided she did not like the people standing around looking at her and her piglets.
This was the next picture that I took as I retreated back into the car and out of the path of the angry wild pig. After she started running in our direction everyone in the area got back into cars and the pig turned around and returned to her piglets again.

That pretty much wraps up our day at Myakka River State Park. If you ever find yourself in the Sarasota area it is certainly worth a couple hours of your time. Tomorrow we will continue catching up on some photos from Florida.

Oh yeah, I meant to include this last photo too. I don't often post pictures that I am in - maybe never - but thought I could handle posting this one. I'll probably use it as a new profile picture for awhile too.

Day 1 - Can I Do It Again?

2009-11-01T05:40:00.000-06:00

Well it is that time of year again. You are probably asking yourself: "What time of year is it Jeff?" Other than the fact that it is the first day of November and the start of Winter for 21sters (more on that in a later post) it is time for NaBloPoMo again.

You are now asking yourself one of two things...

Option A: "What is NaBloPoMo?"

NaBloPoMo stands for National Blog Posting Month. The original idea was to post something to your blog everyday for the month of November. I understand it has now morphed into the idea of posting something everyday about a specific topic and runs year round with a new topic each month. While I certainly do not post something 365 days a year I have managed to complete the original NaBloPoMo in both 2007 & 2008.

Option B: "You're kidding me, you are going to try that again?"

The simple answer is sure, why not. It's not like I have been blogging all that often anyway. In fact it has been 270 days since I lasted posted here in February. I should be able to come up with something to say or post for 30 days, right? In all honesty I am not sure what the posts will look like this year. I have not been taking nearly as many pictures as I used to. On the plus side I have a two week vacation coming up soon that may allow for some photography or writing.

As has become tradition I will challenge my blogging friends to join me in NaBloPoMo. I know that Bill was considering trying NaBloPoMo this year but I have not heard anything about it recently so I assume he is wussing out. But since he never officially said he was not participating this year he can accept this as my challenge to give it a try. I'll also challenge Dave but I know he will not attempt it. Since last year Krystal has stopped blogging on her original site but now blogs about her Daughter Mallory on My Pal Mal, I'll challenger her as well this year.

Stay tuned this has the potential to be an interesting month....

25 Things About Me

2009-02-03T07:20:00.001-06:00

I am going to "cross post" this with my Facebook page. The idea is to provide 25 facts about yourself from serious to silly. I hope you may find some of them interesting. Feel free to share your own in the comments.

1. I enjoy taking photos and wish I could do that for a living.

2. I am a computer geek and I am perfectly ok with that. You can call me a geek just do not call me a nerd, they have pocket protectors.

3. I am physically incapable of properly painting a wall.

4. I did not go to my first concert until I was 23. It was a Barenaked Ladies concert at Xcel, I had a ton of fun even though I was sick.

5. I do not like flying but love going to the airport just to watch the planes.

6. I want to be an Air Traffic Controller, I just don't like the idea of having to move to BFE to do it. (See also #5)

7. I used to be a Democrat until I woke up to the real world. I have not looked back since.

8. I think global warming is the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American people.

9. I started my first real job at Kinko's when I was 16, I worked there for 4.5 years.

10. I interned at KMSP-TV my junior year of high school. I thought I wanted to be a photojournalist until I learned what they got paid.

11. I think the people who say "high school is the best time of your life" are lying.

12. I bought my house when I was 21.

13. I did not drink until I was 25.

14. I only lost 5 teeth naturally, I had to have the rest pulled.

15. I will stop flipping channels anytime I see Office Space is on.

16. I own 245 DVD's but have only watched about half of them.

17. I have fallen back in love with baseball over the last several years. I loved it as a kid but lost interest after the 1994 strike. I am glad I have found it again.

18. I have lived in Bloomington my entire life. In fact the house I bought is just down the block from the house my parents owned when they had me. I drive by it almost everyday.

19. I work too much and play too little. I am working on flipping those around but I am finding it very difficult.

20. This is my 10th year involved in the Bloomington Police Explorers. I was an Explorer for 5 years before getting hired as a dispatcher.

21. I credit my time volunteering at BEC-TV for my work ethic to this day. I have so many wonderful memories from those years.

22. My favorite teacher in school was Mr. Eggers. I had him starting in middle school then he moved to my high school my sophomore year. I TA'd for him every term that I possibly could. It was because of him that wanted to be a social studies teacher. He ended up leaving teaching during my senior year and shortly after my thoughts of teaching disappeared.

23. I was at the Minnesota Twins game with a friend's family when they filmed a scene for "Little Big League". We were sitting on the 1st base side about 10-15 rows up, unfortunately you can not make us out in the crowd.

24. I regret having lost contact with so many of my school age friends.

25. I am thankful that I get to work with my best friend and many other great friends even if they are a little newer to my life.

My Favorite Day of the Year, Sort Of

2009-01-24T23:55:00.007-06:00

Yeah yeah yeah, I know I said I was going to update more often after NaBloPoMo. Let's be honest here, nobody really expected that at all. I am returning from the hiatus not with new photos but a rare blog rant.

My favorite day of the year is nearly over. You are now asking yourself why is January 24th his favorite day of the year. The answer is it has nothing to do with the actual date (although Apple did release the first ever Macintosh 25 years ago today). Today was my favorite day of the year because I had received all of the paperwork necessary to complete my tax return.

What he likes doing taxes? What is wrong with him? I always wondered about him, I guess I was right.

The truth is I do not like doing my taxes at all. However, I do enjoy getting MY money back from Uncle Sam. You see I have this problem with the government thinking it knows what to do with my money better than I do. I do not care if it is Democrats or Republicans, they all do it. Of course I agree that the federal government has a role in our country. However I feel that roll should be MUCH smaller than it is currently. (What to get rid of could be a whole other post and maybe will be someday but not today.)

The other problem I have is with the way taxes are collected. You see by using payroll deductions most people have no idea how much they pay in taxes every year. Most people do not realize that even though your check says you paid a certain amount in federal withholding that is only part of your tax liability. The truth is you employer pays a large sum on your behalf to the government as well. At some point a politician must have said "hey if people never see the money they won't miss it". That is a MAJOR problem. How can we hold our elected officials accountable if they do not even make it easy to know how much of YOUR money they are taking? You can't.

This is where I try to sell you on a new system to replace out antiquated income tax system. It is called the Fair Tax. I could explain it in my own words but thankfully the group pushing for the Fair Tax has a great website with tons of information on it. Here is some of the basic info:

What is the FairTax plan?
The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment.

The FairTax Act (HR 25, S 1025) is nonpartisan legislation. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities.

The FairTax taxes us only on what we choose to spend on new goods or services, not on what we earn. The FairTax is a fair, efficient, transparent, and intelligent solution to the frustration and inequity of our current tax system.

The FairTax:
Enables workers to keep their entire paychecks
Enables retirees to keep their entire pensions
Refunds in advance the tax on purchases of basic necessities
Allows American products to compete fairly
Brings transparency and accountability to tax policy
Ensures Social Security and Medicare funding
Closes all loopholes and brings fairness to taxation
Abolishes the IRS

I encourage you to visit the Fair Tax website at http://www.fairtax.org and read as much as you can about it. On the website you can also buy two books that I highly recommend (you can ever borrow mine if you want). I think you will find it very interesting no matter which way you tend to lean on the political spectrum. If you agree with the ideas I would ask you to help spread the word and get involved.

This will conclude the rare rant on my blog. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think in the comments section.

Day 30 - NaBloPoMo Is Over, Again!

2008-11-30T01:45:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-29T13:30:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-28T23:20:00.001-06:00

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

2008-11-27T21:25:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-26T22:05:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-25T01:00:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-24T13:30:00.001-06:00

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

2008-11-23T13:30:00.001-06:00

Quick contest before I go to work.

Day 22 - You're Kidding Right?

2008-11-22T13:25:00.004-06:00

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

2008-11-21T13:25:00.001-06:00

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

2008-11-20T02:30:00.001-06:00

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

2008-11-19T01:10:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-18T00:15:00.001-06:00

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

2008-11-17T00:05:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-16T05:35:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-15T21:50:00.004-06:00

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 contes t

Forum post announcing the winners

A little more about the calendar

Day 14 - Quick Post

2008-11-14T13:15:00.002-06:00

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

2008-11-13T05:35:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-12T12:15:00.000-06:00

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

2008-11-11T11:55:00.001-06:00

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

2008-11-10T12:10:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-09T01:20:00.004-06:00

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

2008-11-08T01:15:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-07T01:00:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-06T00:25:00.004-06:00

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.

Day 5 - A New Vehicle

2008-11-05T00:45:00.004-06:00

Well since I had been on a blogging hiatus I have not posted anything about my new car that I got in May. The lease was running out on the Jeep (thankfully!) and I needed a new car. After weighing the options of buy vs lease I decided this time I was going to buy my car. I had not bought a car since my first car when I got my license so I was a little nervous about what to pick since I was planning on having it for about 8 years.

After planning for months to get another SUV of some sort and studying almost everyone that was not made by a division of Chrysler (stupid Jeep) I had my mind made up. I was going to get a 2008 Honda Pilot - nice size, navigation, not a bad price, fuel economy was not too bad, liked the looks, reviews were very positive - I was happy with the decision. Since I was doing my research far in advance of the purchase when it came closer to the time to "pull the trigger" and make the purchase something bad happened. Gas prices skyrocketed, I am talking about frequent jumps of 20 cents every 10 days or so. What was I going to do, what if that kept happening and I have a car that will cost a fortune to fill up and have NO resale value at all. I was seriously afraid of $6 or $7 gas by the time the loan was up in 5 years. I had to make a decision. I decided not to risk it and to look at cars.

I now had a matter of a couple weeks to make a decision and had done virtually no research on cars. It was time to cram. I had like what I had read about Honda in general when I was researching the Pilot and drifted towards the Accord and Civic models. The Civic seemed a little small for me. The Accord had just about everything I like in the Pilot - liked the looks, navigation, great reviews - except the SUV size and SUV sized gas bill. But since this was an almost $30,000 purchase I had to keep looking just to be sure. I looked at the Ford Fusion, the Nissan Murano, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Impala and others. After all the research the decision was made, I was getting a Honda Accord. After waiting for about a week for the right configuration to become available locally I took delivery of my new car, a 2008 Honda Accord Sedan V6 w/ navigation and leather.

These photos ended up serving as practice when I took the photos of Bill's new car, I gotta say his turned out a lot better. Might have to go and try to get some better photos with the Accord.

I am very happy with the car and hope to enjoy for at least another 7 1/2 years.

Day 4 - GO VOTE

2008-11-04T00:10:00.001-06:00

No photos today, just a reminder GO VOTE!

No matter who you plan to vote for it is your duty. Remember if you do not vote you do not have the right to complain about the government.

Of course if you have not yet decided who to vote for yet, what have you been doing for the last 6 months. If you still can not decide though allow me to present the Jeff endorsed candidates:

President: John Mccain/Sarah Palin

MN Senate: Norm Coleman

MN 3rd District House of Representatives: Erik Paulsen

MN State House District 41B: Jan Schneider

Now, GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!!!

Day 3 - Explorers

2008-11-03T00:45:00.003-06:00

Something I don't remember ever writing about here on the blog but has been part of my life for a long time is the Police Explorer program. I have been involved with the program in one way or another since 1998. I started as an Explorer my Sophomore year in high school and continued until I was hired as a dispatcher in 2003. Since being hired I have become an advisor for the current Explorers. It is a program I truly believe in. I could explain the Explorer program in depth if you are interested but for basic info you can visit this page.

One of the main activities the Explorers are involved in is competition with other Explorer posts. They compete twice a year at the State level and then every other year at the National level. A couple weeks ago we took 9 of our Explorers to the second competition of the year in Duluth. This was my first time going to the Duluth conference (we did not go when I was an Explorer) The Duluth competition is much smaller than the main conference in April, but still a great learning opportunity. Since the advisor who is usually the photographer did not attend I brought my camera along. I was able to take photos during competitions, the awards banquet and also when we went to an indoor amusement park in the canal park area. It was a fun three days and to top it off the Explorers won two awards in the competition and got lots of good practice in different scenarios that hopefully will help in the Spring.

Since I am not going to post the photos of the Explorers here (obviously) here are a couple photos I took from near the chalet at Spirit Mountain (where the conference was held). As you can tell the setting is beautiful, even if we missed the peak of leaf change by a few days.

Day 2 - Dave is shocked

2008-11-02T01:30:00.002-05:00

So as soon as I posted the Day 1 acceptance of Dave's challenge my pager starts to beep. Sure enough it was Dave - who should be working, not blogging or reading blogs :) - shocked that I actually accepted the challenge. It read:

"DUDE!!!! You accepted my challenge!! I did not think you would! I AM IMPRESSED!"

Just goes to show you how great of a "friend" Dave is, he had no faith in me whatsoever! Even after everything we went through together. I AM DISAPPOINTED!! I think the truth is Dave knows that there is no way he could do it, must suck being shown up huh? What nothing to say Dave? Come on! I officially and publicly challenge you to complete NaBloPoMo too! Can you do it?

Disclaimer: If any of Dave's readers have wandered over here to check out the challenge let me make something very clear. Dave and I are good friends and you have just been let it on what is like every time we work together, see each other, talk, or otherwise communicate.

Day 1 - NaBloPoMo Again???

2008-11-01T12:30:00.000-05:00

Well I did manage to do a post a day for a month last November. Dave has decided to challenge me again. Apparently he does not think I can or will do it again. I think Dave knows that I have trouble turning down challenges and that I will again accept the challenge of posting every day during the month of November.

Now, how to approach the challenge this time? Last year it was lots of photos, maybe this year no photos for a month? No, that would be kinda lame for a blog called JDZ Photography. I do have a new phone that could allow a photo a day kind of post, maybe that will be the tactic. I have considered writing a 30 word story and posting a word a day, but even Dave would not read that (and let's face it Dave will read pretty much anything that is on a blog). I have many options to consider, but that is ok because day 1 is done, 29 days left!

Bill's Trans Am

2008-10-16T23:20:00.003-05:00

Well despite what many of you may have thought I do remember that I have a blog and yes I remember how to update it. We now return from the unplanned blogging hiatus.

As many of you know Bill recently bought his dream car, a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Now I am not a car guy but it is a pretty cool car and in amazing shape considering it is 28 years old. Bill asked if I would be interested in taking some pictures of the new car for him, I of course agreed to do it. Below are some of the photos that I took at Bush Lake Park and Beach.

I also took the opportunity to take one fall color photo out at the Beach.

Mom's Wedding

2008-03-21T03:25:00.001-05:00

I am back from Florida where I went to attend my Mom's Wedding. It was a very nice ceremony on Siesta Beach followed by a reception at her home. In addition to walking my Mom down the aisle with my sister, I was asked to be the wedding photographer. It was my first time taking wedding photos but I think it turned out okay.

My Uncle Bob performed the ceremony.

Instead of the typical lighting of a unity candle they did a "sand ceremony" where sand of three different colors (white representing God) are poured in layers into a single vase.

My Step-Dad Jerry and Mom.
My Mom and sister.
My sister and my future brother-in-law Mike (it's a long story).
My Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob.
The cake that was setup back at the house for the reception.

Hello from Florida

2008-03-14T00:05:00.003-05:00

In keeping with the recently started tradition of posting when I am in another state (and ONLY when I am in another state) I wanted to post a quick hello from Sarasota, Florida. I arrived on Wednesday afternoon and will be here until next Wednesday afternoon. I have not been out to take any pictures yet but I am sure I will be soon! I would post some more but my sister's flight gets in at 5:55 AM today and the airport is an hour away . . . I should sleep.

Hello from Nebraska

2007-12-02T23:45:00.000-06:00

Hi all, I finally made it to Nebraska. It ended up taking a little longer than I thought it would, about 7.5 hours or so. No, it was not farther than I thought it was but I was really tired.

I worked until 0300 this morning and then went home to pack. I did not get to bed until 0630. Then to top it all off I was wide awake at 0930 this morning. I tried to fall back asleep for a few hours before giving up and getting ready a little earlier than I had planned. I got Scamp off to his temporary home and then to work to pickup the vehicle I was assigned for the trip. I was assigned a 1998 Dodge Durango, on first look it is a nice car. I learned quickly though that it is not as quiet as I am used too, also the heater leave a little to be desired.

The drive was not bad, the roads were in good shape considering the snow/ice storm that came through yesterday. I made it all the way to just North of Ames, Iowa before I stopped for gas. Then it hit me, I was TIRED! I ended up driving a little further before I pulled of to a rest area to try to take a nap. Turns out that would be the first of three nap attempts, delaying me by about 2 hours. In the end I am glad I stopped, because I was ready to fall asleep a couple times while driving, that is not a good feeling.

The hotel I am staying at is very nice, the beds look really comfortable. I have class starting at 0800 tomorrow so I am off to try out the bed now.

Day 30 - NaBloPoMo is Over!

2007-11-30T23:45:00.000-06:00

A few last thoughts on NaBloPoMo:
*Who knew November was such a long month? Couldn't NaBloPoMo take place in February, I mean come on!

*You didn't think I could do it, did you? Don't lie, you did not think there was any shot I would actually complete 30 posts in 30 days. Lets face it before this month I only had 36 posts in over a year. You were not alone.

*It seems very appropriate that I have just about run out of words to say and nearly photos to post tonight.

*Since none of my blogging friends decided to even try NaBloPoMo I don't want to hear anything about my blog not being updated until March now! (just kidding, but seriously it might be late December)

*Does this count as full filling my New Years Resolution to post more often? I am going with yes.

*I have noting further to say on NaBloPoMo at this point.

Looking Ahead, I am going to same training in Nebraska in a couple days I might have some free time to take a few photos that might make up the first non-NaBloPoMo post, we'll see.

Day 29 - Red Wing

2007-11-29T23:45:00.000-06:00

Only 2 days left!

Here are some photos from Red Wing. You have seen 1 of them before, I hope that is alright.

See you tomorrow for the FINAL NaBloPoMo installment of the blog!

Day 28 - Minnehaha Falls

2007-11-28T23:25:00.000-06:00

Only 3 days left!

I am REALLY tired right now so all I am going to say is: here are some photos of Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis.

Thank you, I am going to bed now!

Day 27 - Cathedral of St Paul

2007-11-27T01:40:00.000-06:00

Only 4 days left! Bill left a comment on yesterday's post asking me if I was getting bitter. I do not know if getting bitter is how I would describe it but I am getting a little tired of having this "assignment" everyday. I can assure you that I will never accept a posting challenge like this again, I may however issue them until someone finally accepts!

Here are some photos taken of the Cathedral of St Paul. It is a neat church in a fantastic location on a hill just across the freeway from downtown St Paul and the State Capitol.

Day 26 - MN Valley Wildlife Refuge

2007-11-26T00:20:00.000-06:00

Only 5 days left! Today I present some photos taken within the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge somewhere between Shakopee and Jordan. I would try to give you more details but quite frankly I don't really want to. Feel free to ask if you care.

Day 25 - Downtown Minneapolis

2007-11-25T00:35:00.000-06:00

Only 6 days to go! This is getting tedious.

Here are some pictures I took in Downtown Minneapolis. I took the train from Bloomington and then walked around for a couple hours, a lot cheaper than parking.

United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
Minneapolis City Hall

Not that this is a great picture but it is a great subject!

Day 24 - Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial

2007-11-24T00:45:00.000-06:00

Here are a few photos from the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol.

Day 23 - State Capitol

2007-11-23T23:30:00.000-06:00

Some quick pictures from the Minnesota State Capitol today.

Day 22 - MSP Airport

2007-11-22T16:45:00.000-06:00

Today in honor of all those people who are travelling all over the country for Thanksgiving I have some pictures taken at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport.

While I am not a very big fan of flying I thoroughly enjoy the airport. I remember being a young kid and asking my Mom to go watch the planes. We would go to McDonald's on Nicollet Ave to get lunch and then drive over to Post Rd on the South side of the airport to watch the planes land and takeoff. To this day I will still go over the the parking lot on Post Rd every once and while and just sit and watch the planes.

Day 21 - Normandale Lake

2007-11-21T04:40:00.000-06:00

Another by request post today. The other day I asked what you wanted to see pictures of. Bill requested photos from Bloomington, but buildings more then parks, I hope this works!

These are some photos taken at Normandale Lake in Bloomington. In the background you can see the office buildings of the Normandale Lake Office Park and also the ski jump at Hyland Park.

Day 20 - NaBloPoMo Blues

2007-11-20T23:50:00.000-06:00

I know how this guy feels.

Check back tomorrow for a real post!

Day 19 - Water Power Park

2007-11-19T16:30:00.000-06:00

A return to pictures today. These pictures were taken from Water Power Park in Minneapolis. The park is located in the middle of the Mississippi River right at St Anthony Falls. You can get close enough to the falls to feel the water. Getting that close to the river is cool except the water in the Mississippi River smells REALLY bad, I believe this is might be the origin of the term "Mighty Mississippi".

St Anthony Falls in the foreground, Stone Arch Bridge on the left, Guthrie Theater and Mill City Museum in the background
St Anthony Main in the background

Day 18 - A Problem

2007-11-18T04:00:00.000-06:00

Alright I am starting to run low on pictures. I did not really think this month long posting out long term . . . sure I will have a post everyday for 30 days but then what will I post? This might be a problem. . . I should probably get out and take some more pictures. The only problem, overtime, I just can't seem to turn it down. I am here at work at 0400 on what was supposed to be my first day off. To be clear I am NOT complaining about being here, I love my job and (as you all know) love overtime even more! Tonight I am working dog watch (2300-0700) because a co-worker called in sick for the shift, later this week it's 4 hours in the afternoon. That leaves me with 2 days that I have all to myself to do what I want, but wait, the house needs to be cleaned, Scamp is lonely, dishes are dirty, clothes are dirty, I have not worked out in a long time, and oh yeah did I mention I need to clean the house (I mean I REALLY NEED to clean the house it is bad!). So why am I complaining about all this, why do you care? Well you probably don't so I will stop complaining and ask a question instead.

I am asking for your ideas of what you want to see pictures of, whether they are pictures of some place you know I have been before or some place you think I should go see let me know what you are thinking! Leave your ideas in the comments, I will see what I can do!

Day 17 - University of Minnesota

2007-11-17T00:25:00.000-06:00

Today we leave St Paul and head West. These are pictures taken on the campus of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. There is a very nice mix of both old traditional buildings and many new modern buildings on campus.

Pedestrian bridge over the Washington Ave Bridge as it crosses the Mississippi River
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum as seen from the pedestrian bridge
Coffman Memorial Union
Nils Hasselmo Hall
Tate Laboratory of Physics
I really should get back down to the U soon for some more pictures, lots of cool buildings left still.

Day 16 - Wabasha Street Bridge

2007-11-16T02:55:00.000-06:00

2 things today.

First, I have now managed a post a day for the first 16 days of November. In all reality I am as surprised as you are!

Second, sticking with the recent theme of photos of the "saintly city" here some photos of the Wabasha Street Bride over the Mississippi River. I was at Harriet Island taking pictures of the St Paul skyline when I wandered over to Raspberry Island to take some more pictures. I think this bridge has got some neat lines and the sun setting in the West made the colors look nice.

Day 15 - MN Peace Officer Memorial

2007-11-15T22:00:00.000-06:00

After the recent death of Minneapolis Park Police Officer Mark Bedard I thought some pictures from the Minnesota Peace Officers Memorial would be appropriate. It is a very nice memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol. Every year on National Law Enforcement Memorial Day Officers from around Minnesota stand at the Memorial to honor fallen Officers.

Peace Officers Memorial as seen from near the Wabasha Street Bridge with the Capitol dome seen in the background.Looking back towards the Wabasha Street Bridge. The inscription reads "Their Sacrifice Can Never Be Forgotten As They Did Not Die In Vain"
The Memorial at night The Thin Blue Line.
"In Memory of Minnesota Law Enforcement Officers Who Given Their Lives In The Line Of Duty"

Day 14 - The Jackson Family

2007-11-14T20:25:00.000-06:00

As you know my family is spread all over the country, my Mom in Florida, my Sister in California with my Dad and I holding down the Northern front (for now at least). This seems to be a theme for our family though. My Mom was born and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, my Dad in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. While my Dad does not have any Brothers or Sisters, my Mom has 6. My Mom's siblings are spread all over the Eastern half of the country. Because of the separation of the family and the shear size - I have 28+ cousins, ranging from over 40 years old to as young as 8 - we do not get together all that often. We have only ever had one real family reunion - since I was born at least - it was a surprise party for my Grandma's 80th birthday (it might have been 75th, oh well you probably don't care that much...). It was huge success with everybody in the family showing up! The only other time that we had that many family members show up was for my Grandma's funeral several years later.

My Mom's oldest Brother Ron lives in Massachusetts and makes a couple trips a year back to Wisconsin for different events. This past August he decided to try to organize a small gathering of family at my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Roger's house in Eau Claire. I was able to get some time off work (thanks again Sherri!) to attend and represent my portion of the Jackson family. Considering we got together on a weekday afternoon I was impressed we managed to have 20 people show up. It was a good time, I was able to see people that I see about once a year and some that I see maybe every other year. Of course I brought my camera with so here are some more of the dreaded people pictures (I am kidding of course, I actually kind of like taking them now).

This was only second time I had seen my Second Cousin Jennalyn. Not only did she like posing for pictures she really like playing with my camera. The minute I started taking pictures of her she reached out and tried to grab my camera from me.

My Cousin Matt playing with a bubble machine designed for kids 3-7 years old . . . it was actually kind of fun.Uncle Ron was also playing with the bubble machine.
The bubble machine in question being used by my Uncle Jim (who did not want his picture taken).Cousin Amanda and Aunt Sherri were not as interested in the bubble machine as they were with the crochet work being done.
Uncle Roger and Cousin Abbi in one of Roger's Kayaks on the Chippewa River
My Cousin Jesse and his son
My Cousin Adam
It was a very good time and I was glad I made the drive over to be there. Maybe we can try to get an actual reunion organized some time soon, just don't put me in charge . . . there are WAY to many people.

Day 13 - Word Games

2007-11-13T01:00:00.000-06:00

I was reading another blog that Bill sent me a while ago. The blog (Sam: Unwritten) is written by another dispatcher from Utah who is also into photography. I have been reading it for the past couple months and I'm kinda hooked. She does not talk much about her dispatch job but when she does it amazes me how every dispatch center is so similar. She is also a good photographer, her and a friend have recently started a photography business. Today she had a link to a game with a purpose.

The Game is called FreeRice, the idea is that for every question you get right the site donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations to fight hunger. While I normally do not support much of anything the United Nations is involved in, it is a fun game. The site gives you a word and then 4 other words, all you have to do is pick the synonym for the first word. If you get the question right it advances you to the next level, if you get it wrong you go down a level. I played on and off for a couple hours tonight and managed to reach vocabulary level 31 and donate 2,000 grains of rice to the hungry. While I don't think 2,000 grains of rice will save all that much it is fun. Give it a try, let me know how you did.

Day 12 - Winter's Coming

2007-11-12T19:40:00.000-06:00

OK so Winter is going to come no matter what I think about it. I am not a huge fan of Winter, but I am not one of those people who hate Winter either. Of course I hate driving in the Winter, not because I am afraid of crashing myself but because I am afraid someone will crash in to me!

I actually enjoy the time right after a big snowfall when the trees are still covered in the heavy wet snow. It can really make for some nice photos if I am in the mood to venture outside. Here are some pictures I took after a storm in March of 2006. It was a very heavy wet snow, the kind that even shuts the Twin Cities down. I think I drove around for about 4 or 5 hours that afternoon going all over the South Metro trying to find just the right picture. Not sure if I ever found "the picture" but got a few that I liked.

Hyland Park in Bloomington.

Near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.
On East River Road near the University of St Thomas in St Paul.

Day 11 - A Return to Como Zoo

2007-11-11T20:30:00.000-06:00

Today a post by request. After posting the photos from Como Zoo on Day 5 I was asked by Krystal where the Polar Bears were. I did not have any pictures of them ready to go then but I do now. If you have ever been to Como you know there are 2 Polar Bears in the enclosure.

The first Polar Bear seems to think he is an Olympic swimmer and does "laps" in his pool, the sad part is the pool is only a few feet long, he seems to enjoy it though.

The other Polar Bear always seems to be stuck at the bottom and walks back and forth looking rather depressed.
Near the exhibit there is also a statue of Polar Bears, some how I think they are having a lot more fun than the real life Bears.
While I was looking for a link to info about the Como Zoo Polar Bears I came across a WCCO story from 2006. Looks like the Polar Bears and the Primates will be getting $9 million worth of new enclosures . . . hopefully a bigger pool is included!

Day 10 - St Paul Skyline

2007-11-10T06:20:00.000-06:00

Sticking with yesterday's St Paul theme, today I have posted some photos of the St Paul skyline. I have tried taking photos of Downtown St Paul from about 8,000 different spots (OK . . . more like 18 but you get the point), it is a hard spot to get a good photo. The problem as I see it is the Mississippi River, while it makes for a good photo it also means the shooting spots are either at river level (too low) or on a bluff on the other side of the river (often too tall). To top it all off I want to be able to take a picture with 3 things in it; Downtown St Paul, the State Capitol and the St Paul Cathedral, that I can tell you have after many years of trying it is not easy!

In the first 2 photos I am on the bluff on the opposite side of the Mississippi upstream about a 1/4 mile.

In this photo I am underneath the Wabasha Street bridge.

This photo was taken from Harriet Island on some steps that lead right into the river.
The next 2 photos were taken on a bluff on the same side of the Mississippi about a 1/4 mile from Downtown.

The last photo is 1 of my favorite Downtown St Paul photos, it was taken from a walkway along the Mississippi on Harriet Island. I really like the reflection of the lights on the river and the steam coming off the building near the center.

Day 9 - Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

2007-11-09T21:40:00.000-06:00

Alright I promised photos from the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park in St Paul. The building itself is very nice but of course the plants are the main reason to visit. Flower photos are not usually my favorite but I am happy with how these turned out.

Day 8 - Lake Pepin

2007-11-08T23:30:00.000-06:00

Since we took a trip South of the metro yesterday I thought we would continue the trend.

Here are some pictures I took at the Marina on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota. I had taken photos at Lake Pepin several years ago while on my way down to Winona to take pictures with a friend. I had some days off and wanted to go some place I had not been for a while. Thankfully my days off fell during the week and I was able to get down to Lake Pepin again. I really like how the marina looks with all of the boats still in the slips.

If you have never been down to Lake City I would recommend making the trip. It is a neat little town that is right on Hwy 61 which is a really nice drive, especially in the Fall.

Day 7 - Mankato

2007-11-07T23:50:00.000-06:00

Quick post today since it is almost tomorrow. Here are some pictures taken on a Fall colors trip down towards Mankato in 2005.

Day 6 - A Trip South

2007-11-06T01:00:00.000-06:00

Well, this whole pictures of living things thing is kinda bugging me. I mean come on these are not my most frequent targets with my camera. I will get back to those pictures of the Conservatory some time this month but not today.

Yesterday was the first day of kinda cold temperatures this Fall. While it was not too bad it was defiantly jacket weather. So to put us back in the warm weather mood we are going to take a trip about 1,600 miles South. These were pictures taken when I went down to Florida in September 2005.

My Mom had moved to Sarasota, Florida in May and had been staying at my Aunt and Uncle's condo. She had found an apartment and needed to get the rest of her stuff out of the storage unit and down to the new apartment. I was able to let the moving company into the storage unit and then a couple days later I flew down. The idea was I would have a couple days of vacation time and then could help get her settled into the apartment. Turned out I timed my trip just right though, the truck took a little longer to get to Florida then we thought it would and arrived the day after I left. This turned out to be ok, the movers did all of the lifting and got everything right where my Mom wanted it.

Not having to deal with moving anything gave us plenty of time to do a little site seeing. I had not been to Florida since I was about 9 years old and then we were at Disney World in Orlando. While I did not fall in love with Florida like I think my Mom would have liked (sorry Mom!) I did have a good time. I think my favorite thing about Florida though was the beaches, not because I enjoy swimming (I don't) but because it made for some really cool photos.

The first 3 photos were taken at Siesta Beach on Siesta Key.

The last 4 photos were taken on Bradenton Beach which is North of Sarasota.

While Florida is a nice place to visit I just don't think I could deal with the heat and the seasons never changing. I am sure I will go back again sometime soon, just not sure when.

Day 5 - Como Zoo

2007-11-05T03:40:00.000-06:00

Keeping with yesterday's theme of pictures of living things, today I present some photos taken at Como Zoo in Saint Paul. Before going to take these pictures I had probably not been to Como Zoo since I was a very little kid going to watch Sparky the Sea Lion do amazing tricks. For anyone who does not know Como is kind of the lesser of the two zoos in the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Zoo (as I remember it at least) is much nicer, bigger and has more animals. The down side to the Minnesota Zoo though is the $12 admission and $5 parking fee. What can I say, I am cheap so I spent the afternoon walking around the Como Zoo and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. The Conservatory photos will have to wait for another day though (lets face it, November is a long month I still have a lot more posts if I am going to prove Dave wrong!).

Day 4 - People Pictures

2007-11-04T21:05:00.000-06:00

Chances are you have heard me say that I am not a big fan of taking pictures of people. I am not sure why I have never really gotten into "people pictures". It might have something to do with not having a readily availbale victim.

The couple times that I have taken people pictures my sister has been my willing victim. Considering it is not my favorite tpye of photos to take, they can be kinda fun. These photos were taken when Amy (my sister) came back to Bloomington from California to go to Homecoming with her boyfriend Mike. I was pretty pleased with how these photos turned out.

Day 3 - The Start of an Obsession

2007-11-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

Day 3 of NaBloPoMo. I think Dave may have been right, I am not sure I can post once a day for a month. I just do not have that much going on in my life that other people would want to read about, and since I have been instructed to include more words on the blog just adding pictures might not quiet the critics. Since nothing new is happening how about a story from the past that I talked about a year ago in my first entry.

I had never really had any interest in photography until I started High School and had to take an elective. One of the possible classes was Black & White Photography. It sounded a lot better then most of the other electives. I ended up really enjoying the class. We were first taught how to develop film and then taught how to print the photos. I did not have a camera of my own yet so I borrowed my Mom's 35mm camera which was already rather old and outdated. The teacher gave us all of the assignments at the beginning of the class and would give you more film when ever you needed some. I ended up finishing all of the assignments within a few weeks and then was just printing pictures for fun and helping other people in the darkroom. I really had a lot of fun helping out my classmates and now that I think back on it this may have been the first time that I ever really thought about becoming a teacher (as you know I did not, another story for later maybe). I really had a lot of fun with the class, unfortunately I never got to take the advanced photo class that was offered. A few years ago I looked back at the photos that I took and developed in this class. I quickly realized how bad they really were, at the time I thought they were good and I remember getting a pretty good grade in the class. I sure would like to think that the photos have gotten better since then! I still have all of those pictures in an album, I may have to take some time to scan them on a day off just to prove that practice does make better (I would not call my photos perfect by any stretch of the imagination).

Day 2 - Getting Started

2007-11-02T04:45:00.000-05:00

Well it is day 2 of NaBloPoMo, I have accepted Dave's challenge to post something to the blog once everyday for a month. And while it has only been a couple hours since the first post in the challenge it is a new day and that means another post.

Today I have decided to go with a photo of Saint Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis.

Dave, I will try to come up with a text heavy post sometime soon.

Day 1 - A Challenge

2007-11-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well, Dave is at it again. He has now challenged me to participate in "NaBloPoMo" or National Blog Posting Month. The idea is that you make a blog entry everyday for the entire month of November. Dave does not seem to be to pleased with the frequency of my post's so I will show him. Starting today (Thursday, November 1, 2007) I will post something everyday this month to the blog. I am not saying I will write long diatribes each day but there will be something new here everyday! Since Dave does not think I will complete this task I will challenge him to participate and see at least who lasts longer! Good luck my friend.

p.s. Krystal and Bill feel free to participate too!

I have been hijacked again!

2007-10-28T03:05:00.001-05:00

Lets have fun with this hijacking....

Leave a comment describing how you feel about the frequency of updates on this blog....

Since Jeff probably won't read his own blog because of the infrequent updates, this post might be up here for a while "undectected!"

HAHAHAHA

Fall

2007-10-22T02:40:00.000-05:00

Fall has been my favorite season since graduating High School. I am sure if it had not been for school I would have always enjoyed it most. The weather is perfect - not too hot, not too cold - and usually it is a great time of year to take photos.

This year I had a stretch of seven days off in the middle of October, I was really hoping to hit peak time for leaves to be changing around the Twin Cities. I was pretty close to the right time, only it rained for six of my seven days off (the down side to Fall). Unfortunately I was not able to get out for leaf pictures this year but was still in the mood. Here are some pictures I took in 2005.

State of the Blog

2007-10-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

It is now time for the first annual State of the Blog Address (not as intriguing as the President's State of the Union Address, but hopefully just as fun!).

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Loyal Readers,

I come to you today to report on the State of the Blog. It is hard to believe that it has already been one year since the start of the blog. To be honest I kind of figured I would post a couple times and then forget about it. While the posts have not been the most frequent it has become more than I thought it would.

I have completed 33 posts including abut 110 photos. The blog has had over 1,000 page visits with nearly 2,000 page views. The blog has featured everything from my desperate attempt at painting to 15 photo contests. This would be a good time to congratulate the contest King, The King of Clubs. I am saddened to report though that the blog does have a 3% crime rate as we experienced a earlier Hijacking this year, I plan to fight crime harder this year (read: don't let Dave "fix" my template for me!).

Overall citizens of blogland I am pleased to report that the State of the Blog is good! I hope with more writing by me and more reading by you we can continue to progress forward in the great land we call the Internet.

Thank you for your time.
Jeff

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We can now return to regularly scheduled blog updates (read: not regularly updated)