Here--Early Summer--2014:

I am still working on those special projects that I mentioned before. I have a lot of time involved in them, and they will require a lot more work before they are both completed. In the meantime, I am going to have to resort to smaller messages and photo journeys in order to keep putting out messages.

I went on a photo journey earlier this year. I drove for most of a day around Northern Iowa, and then I decided that I had taken enough pictures of that region; so I headed for the Mississippi River. My intention was to present a photo journey from Eagle Grove to the Mississippi River. I completed the first half of the photographs in one day, and due to circumstances I had to turn back. My intention was to continue from where I left off, and then photograph the rest of the journey to the Mississippi River. That would have (and will) entailed going into the river valley counties of Iowa, which are quite different from the central plains. Together, the journey would have been about 200-250 photographs.

I was going to complete the photographs the next time I had a day off, but then I became injured and I was not able to do any photography for ten weeks. Now, I am back to work and I am quite repaired again; so I will be trying to finish this soon.

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Eagle Grove from the south.

As you may know, I wander when I take pictures. There are conflicting philosophies about picture taking.

1. You can try to plan out an itinerary, and attempt to make it happen your way. That works well with furniture, gravestones, fire hydrants (but, not always), Sears department stores, church buildings, a bottle of Sun Tea in the backyard (in the sun of course), and Satan Tubers (which always sit frozen on furniture, and stare stupidly at TV with their mouths open). It does not work well with anything alive.

2. Since the subject matter(s) are very much alive, and could not begin to care about having their photographs taken -- be very mobile and flexible in your approach, and seldom plan anything. Maybe, you can decide which area or region you want to be in.

Eagle Grove the Island.

I almost always use the second method, which has me zooming about from township to township, or slowly trolling along at twenty miles an hour looking for pictures. I zoom, when I am trying to keep up with the clouds and the light. I troll, when I am in a good place for photographs.

In this trip, I started by going here. This is the area just above Lake Cornelia. It is the rolling hills region of Wright County. The last time I showed a photograph from this intersection, this pond was not here. That is because it is not a pond. It is actually a cow pasture. However, just before I went out on this trip it had rained heavily. Indeed, one of the reasons why I went out that day was to take pictures of any flooding that was happening.

I stopped along the road to look north for signs of flooding. Then, I saw this curious bird and took a shot of it. Little did I know how much birds were going to be a part of this photo journey.

The road runs west to east, and this is looking back to the west. What I stopped for was the view from the trees that you see on the right (north) side of the picture.

 

I watched that bird for a moment, and then it chirped and three little babies appeared out of the grass; and they all ran off into the trees on the top of the hills -- like a family out of a Brother's Grimm Fairy Tale. [[Highly recommended reading by the way. Their 'fairy tales' are actually stories, legends and fables. And, there are no faggots in them at all!]]

Then, I decided to make a panorama out of that sight.

This is what I had actually stopped to see. It is one of my favorite views of Wright County, and it is typical of the county.

Further to the east, we come to the view of Belmond from the rolling hills. The pond there, is the one I have shown pictures of before. It is rich with wildlife, from frogs to deer; both of which are usually too quick for my camera.

The next eight photographs show the pond itself. If you know anything about ecology, you will recognize the richness of the environment there.

Looking north.

Looking north.

Looking east.

Looking west. There was a mommy duck and three small ducklings hiding in the reeds there. They saw me just as I saw them, and they scampered into the vegetation.

Looking northwest.

Looking down.

Local resident.

Looking up, I was surprised to see my arch enemies of Nature Photography flying in formation over my head. Yes, none other than the illustrious, elite, forever-primped, and aloof -- Great White American Pelicans. I had expected a few ducks. I had expected trying to get some long range shots of disappearing ducks. There were no ducks, not even Grand Dad Heron was there today.

These are the absolute most difficult birds in all of America to get pictures of. Period. You can always bait Hummingbirds. Nothing attracts the Great White American Pelicans, except other Great White American Pelicans.

Five of them soared about up there, high over my insignificant and lowly and unwinged head, for about fifteen minutes.

They showed no intention of landing, and I began to suspect that I was being lined up for target practice.

They came a bit lower, and I took this photograph. Notice the lower wing sections have broad black areas. The rest of the bird is pure white except for its long yellow beak. And, such a handsome beak. Maybe if I flatter them, they will let me take some closeups.

If they did, it would be the first time in the History of the Known Universe.

From the north appeared two more pelicans, and these were determined to land on the pond.

Well, I drove a bit to the east and circled around so I was north of the pond. This area has many small ponds and glacial pits. Plus, it had rained a lot recently. Not far away, I surprised the second most difficult bird in America to photograph. I stopped with a screech and snapped this shot. This is probably a grandson of Grand Dad Heron of the Pond.

Now, I began to roam about. I went over to Belmond and got some munchies at the supermarket, to sustain my further adventures. Then, I headed west out of town on a track that would take me further north and possibly into Hancock county.

At one of the farms along the road I saw these two standing under a tree. This is one of their favorite places, look at the ground underneath them. From there, they can watch all of the county go by in steel idiots.

Just a little ways to the west, I stopped again and took some panorama shots. As all of this is literally a photographic record of Iowa before it is killed by ButtUgly Windmills from New Jersey -- pictures such as this are priceless. At the far left of the panorama, you will see a black bird sitting on the telephone wires, minding its own business. Do not be fooled. That bird is watching every move I make. That, is the most intelligent and talented black bird in Iowa. Waiting for a chance to audition.

I stopped the Cashmere just beyond him, which I am sure disappointed him. But then, I bounced out of the car with my camera and began to talk to him and take photographs.

His chance at last! He had been waiting since January to show someone how well he could dance in the air! He swooped and dove and climbed and pirouetted and dove again and hovered while flapping his wings!

Then, he would land on the telephone wire again and wait for the applause. Bravo! Hurrah! “What a Great Bird!” I shouted and danced about in the middle of the road.

Seeing me dance, he shot up into the air again and swerved and spun and chirped often and dove and climbed and whirled about. Then, he would land and wait for me. I would shout approvals again and dance in the middle of the road. [[No one else on the road for ten miles in any direction, anyway.]]

The more I made sounds and danced, the more he flew about in a great display of his avian talents and chirped. Finally, I had about twenty pictures of him and I called it quits. He landed on the wire again and asked what was wrong. I just left.

I boosted all of the controls in this copy to see what he really looks like. He is literally solid black, including legs, feet, and beak.

This day was very mixed for weather. An area that was rained on one hour would get full Star Lux the next hour, as storms moved through rapidly. It was just the kind of day (and light) that makes for good photography. To the east, the skies were clear for awhile; so I headed towards Iowa Falls. Of course, when you say 'Iowa Falls' you naturally think of the Iowa River. This picture shows the Iowa River Greenbelt southeast of Dows. The water you see is flood water filling a field. The river itself is out of sight on the other side of the trees.

Now, I am strolling along the road that follows the greenbelt towards Popejoy. The Iowa River is far over its banks. These trees are usually on dry land.

As you can see, the greenbelts are where most of the forest in Iowa are.

You can see it better here. The Iowa is usually a small river at this point, but here it is about as wide as the Cedar is normally; because of the flooding.

This is flood stage for sure. The river is usually just a path of water between these trees, with grass covered banks.

Further east, towards Iowa Falls, I came across this small creek that is now up to flood stage. As I have mentioned before, this species of bird lives under the small bridges that cross the canals and streams.

Usually, that stream is only one sixth this size.

The birds are flying about because the Impala is parked on the bridge, which shakes the bridge and wakes them up. These birds are most active at dusk, when the bug activity is at its height.

This is the town of Alden, on the way to Iowa Falls. As you can see there is a considerable amount of water coming over the falls here. The next six photographs are of Alden.

This is Iowa Falls. The river runs right through the city, giving it an attractive atmosphere. I would rather travel twice as far to shop here instead of Fort Drudge.

East of Iowa Falls. This mouser looks well fed. He's a farm cat though. Otherwise, he would not look nearly so clean.

Well, one would expect that I would continue eastwards, but the weather often dictates my movements out here. This shot is far to the west again, back in Wright County.

At one of the branches of the Iowa River, this time in Hancock County to the north.

This could be a desktop background picture for someone. I use it that way myself.

I made a kind of a loop east and then north and then west again, and hit the same river further upstream. Here, I took this picture looking south and the next picture looking north.

 

So here I am, at one of my favorite lakes, thinking that this photo run is just about done; and I am going to go home and paint something in my garage -- when I walk out onto a pier and look down.

I took these pictures because of the interplay of light and water bugs and water patterns.

 

For a while, I continue west. However, as I travel I curve around again and start going east again. I cross I35 for the third time today and decide to make one big photo collection from Eagle Grove to Guttenberg on the Mississippi.

In the storm there are many downpours (cells). These are not all the same cell that you are seeing. At this small town of Aredale, with a few houses and this grain elevator, it was raining very much; because there was a cell overhead.

By now, I have decided to go home and continue this at Greene on my next day off -- which never happened. So, now I am driving southwest back to Eagle Grove and I am taking pictures of rain cells that I pass along the way.

Inside one more rain cell, and then I am clear of them and going home.

Over on Rt 69 near Clarion, I stopped and took a view of the storm system as seen from afar. From here, it looks like one single unit; but as we saw, it is actually subdivided into many cells within.

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Markel Peters 

http://www.voices-of-iowa.blogspot.com/
http://www.voices-of-iowa-concise.blogspot.com/