Day 1 - Storm Chasing Lost Images

The inside of Hart's Diner, located on 54.

Outdoors at Hart's!

The setting sun on Day 1 as we headed north to catch the big storm.

Day 1 included a great drive from Des Moines, IA to the south central part of Kansas to Pratt. A smaller town with all of the charm, we actually ran into some "professional" storm chasers that were waiting for the ignition for all hell to break loose. Professional or not, we were all losers there. For some reason or another, the storm decided not to flare up while we were there. So, we grabbed a bite to eat at the soon to be world famous Hart's Diner which had all of the charm of a 1950's diner. The food was great, the people were friendly, and the bill was cheap. Who could ask for more?! From there, we decided to venture north where the energy rolled out of the Rockies and was already producing some sizeable funnel clouds. Unfortunately, we knew we were going to get there late, we just didn't know how or what we would see.

Catch up ....

Simple HDR image of lightning looking south toward Princeton where the storms hit the hardest.

More Lightning.

My mom on Mother's Day at my sister's house, working at the kitchen sink.

Finally, a smile!.The enemy, the elusive pest known as the Japanese Beetle. Notice his snapper as he devours my pin oak tree.

A full view of his backside. If you ask me, he looks chubby and needs to be squashed.

More of the damage he causes when he eats my trees.

Two Japanese beetles in a different life stage. Did you know that these creatures can eat and mate at the same time?
The devestation to one of my dwarf apple trees, known as skeletonizing. This happened only in a matter of hours. This is why the Japanese Beetles have been classified as enemy number 1 and must be destroyed.

More bad storms ...

Storm Chasing ....

Garden of the Gods.


Field in northern Kansas.


Pikes Peak.

Chalk Monument, Kansas (soon to be famous)

Abandoned house, northern Kansas

Starting Thursday, April 24, I started on my mission to storm chase in Kansas or wherever the storms would be for the next few days. I did manage to see one tornado and live, thus I consider that a success. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to photograph that tornado as it was at around 1 a.m. and only viewed by lightning. Location: just outside of Concordia, Kansas. After that date, the storm chasing trip turned into a road trip since blue skies dominated the nation. Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and the not-so-famous (yet) Chalk Monument in Kansas were some of the main attractions. All in all, after about 2600 miles in six days, I feel it was a great exploration. Thank you to my friend, Rich, for accompanying me and keeping me grounded! I can't wait until the next storm!

Spring renewal ....

Upper 70's and I am so enjoying the sunshine! I carried the camera with me this weekend as I went for a walk around the farm, lake, and around the countryside. The sunsets are ripening and the smell of rain and freshly disced dirt is in the air. Outside, the birds are chattering louder as each day passes and finally, my lawn is beginning to turn green. Spring is a great time of the year!

Beautiful Day!!!!

Today, it was sunny and 73! This was the best day we've had thus far this year. Sure, it was a little windy, but the skies were blue and the sun was shining. Welcome Spring, don't go away any time, soon!

In case your not one of the natives viewing this blog, this is an image of the Rock River looking south toward the power plant, hospital, and the rest of Dixon. The river is a little high at this time of the year and the forecast calls for more rain in the coming days!

"Boss, the plane the plane ...."

For those of you who don't know what that quote is from, it's from that magical show in the 80's called Fantasy Island. The above images are of the pelicans that graced the Rock River near Dixon for the past few days as they have done for the last couple of years. These birds are likely on their way to the upper Wisconsin area. They only stick around for a few short days, but according to Wikipedia, each pelican consumes around (4) pounds of fish per day. We must have some good fishing in that part of the river! Different from other pelicans, this sub species does not dive for its food, instead it eats while swimming. In fact, these birds swim together as a colony, circling their prey, netting it with one another, and feeding. These fowl are absolutely huge, weighing up to (16) pounds each. But when they fly, they are so graceful and precise, and very, very quiet when they glide in for a landing.