March 2021

Sunset beyond a old country school

The first part of March was quite difficult to get out of doors and into the great wide open for photography. The weather was fine, but I was swamped with work at the day job. A couple images shown here are composites of time lapses I created for said day job. The traffic light photos of downtown Sioux Falls were created from around 20 to 25 minutes of multiple long exposure traffic shots. These images were all pulled together into time lapses used to support Midco Sports Network's basketball tournament coverage. Later in the month I found the first blooming pasqueflowers (for me) of the young spring season. Then at the very end of the month I took a trip to the Fort Pierre area to sit in a blind in order to watch the Greater Prairie-chickens dance and boom for their hens on a lek in rural Stanley County. All in all, it was pretty photogenic month as far as Marches go. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

About 20 minutes of traffic on 6th Street in downtown Sioux Falls

Traffic composite looking north over Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls

Spring equinox sunset in rural Lincoln County

Frost melt reflects the sunlight and trees above a newly blooming snow trillium wildflower in Newton Hills State Park

Snail shell found in the leaf litter of Newton Hills State park

First pasqueflower of the year in rural Hanson County, SD

A bouquet of South Dakota's state flower

Sunset in rural SE SoDak

Greater Prairie-chicken dancing to impress a hen

Greater Prairie-chicken at Fort Pierre National Grasslands

Pronghorn in the morning light

 

October 2019

A regal American Bison roaming the high plains of Wind Cave National Park

October of 2019 seemed to be a moody month. Early snow and intermittent rain showers kept the green around longer than normal. Just as the trees started to turn, cold and windy days swept over the northern plains. The result was a feeling that the autumn season seemed to barely touch down this time around. I was able to get out to the Black Hills early in the month for my annual trip to look for fall beauty. Later in the month I spent three evenings along the flooded mud flats of the Big Sioux River near Brandon to play around with fall color reflected in still water.  All and all, it was a fun month for photography. Here are twelve of my favorites from the excursions. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Yellow coneflowers were still in bloom in early October in Custer State Park 

A cool morning mist over Legion Lake

With the temperature hovering around freezing, the rain that fell along Needles Highway in Custer State Park began to freeze on the fall foliage

Frozen water droplets on red underbrush at Custer State Park

A late season aster with raindrops in the Black Hills

Fall color along the south fork of the Grand River in Perkins County

Early snowfall at the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls

Autumn reflections at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon

Autumn reflections at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon

Autumn reflections at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon

Autumn reflections at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon

August 2019

Sunset light beaming through a wild sunflower patch in Lake County, SD

This August a good chunk of my free time was spent walking through our Nature Conservancy Prairies in Eastern South Dakota... Usually with both my telephoto and macro lens at the ready. The summer of 2019 has been extremely wet and the prairie's responded with tall, thick grass growth, prairie flowers, butterflies and bugs galore. I tried my hand and finding and photographing flowering tall grasses as you'll see with the vibrant Sideoats Grama blossoms in the photo below.  While checking out these tall grass preserves I found plenty of other cool things to photograph too. You'll see these detail shots make up the majority of this month's favorite 12 photos. As the month waned, so did summer it seemed. It is a bittersweet time as we move into fall, but also filled with beauty. One of my favorite things to do in late August and early September is monitor the Monarch Butterfly migration as they gather then move south.  The last few photos show what I've seen so far... one evening's view on the prairie hills of Lake Vermillion Recreation Area even inspired a few words... It is the last image of the batch. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Sideoats Grama grass flowers

Prairie onion blooms

Skipper on a thistle bloom

Melissa blue on white clover

Whitetail fawn on the edge of a cornfield

Late summer thunderstorm

Lightning of the Falls of the Big Sioux River

Dragonfly darter on Bottle Gentian flowers

Regal fritillary, skipper and stinkbug on a prairie blazing star 

Monarch roost

Monarch on a blazing star in the early evening light

Summer's End

July 2019

The setting sun painting storm clouds above Belleview Lutheran  northeast of Howard, SD

July of 2019 wasn't boring. Abundant rain, storms, heat, humidity all made for explosions of color and growth in this part of the world. I was fortunate enough to be able to chase a couple pretty amazing storms on two different weekends that provided amazing rainbows and sunset painted clouds.  My favorites from those trips are here for you plus a few more bits of July goodness. As usual, click on an image for a larger photo to view and thanks for checking in!

Close-up of Yellow Goatsbeard going to seed (we called them giant dandelions as kids)

Summer sun over Eminija Burial Mounds

Rainbow road north of Carthage, SD

Brilliant rainbow over cattle north of Carthage, SD

Double rainbow with abandoned house north of Carthage, SD

Belleview Lutheran with rainbow

Belleview panorama after the storm

Baby killdeer

Highland Lutheran with building thunderhead

Full rainbow over Immanual Lutheran west of Dimock, SD

Rainbow and lightning above Immanuel Lutheran

June 2019

Dames rocket delight

Another June has come and gone. It is easy to fall in love with June and I will miss her. Long days, new life, sunshine, thunderstorms, rainbows and road trips. This June was a little different than others with more rain than most liked or needed and a little cooler weather overall. Even so, June is June and I find it hard be angry with her.  Here are 12 photos from the month to express my affection. From wildflowers to fawns, storm clouds to snapper turtles, what more could you want in a month?  Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Prairiesmoke wildflower

American Avocet

White-tail fawn

Rain chasing the tractor

Memories of the past

8 miles of road

Sterling Methodist under a building storm

Codington county rainbow

A snapper's smile

Meadowhawk at rest

Country road double rainbow