Month: August 2016

More 1974 South Dakota: Pine Ridge and Wounded Knee

In the run-up to my 1973-74 assignment to study the White Mountain Apache tribe and reservation, I read — among much else by way of research — Dee Brown’s shocking and controversial book, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”. (Read it, if you haven’t already.) Wounded Knee was also the site of a prolonged and violent protest occupation and takeover by AIM (American Indian Movement) Sioux members during my Arizona Apache stint, making big news throughout Native American communities and nationally as well.  A film was also made on the subject later on.  More

After I hit the road in late 1974, I decided to make a point of seeing the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  Although I spent very little time there, expecting to give it more time on my return leg (never happened, unfortunately), I did grab some images of the mostly empty landscape as an adjunct to my sojourn through the Badlands.

rDay Five-Hundred-Eight: Unintended Consequences

This evening’s dog-stroll’s incident started with noticing that the moon was clearly visible overhead. Upon capturing that image, the next was to attempt to relate it to the markings on the field where we were walking. Then the next variation was to try to juxtapose a solitary dandelion in front of me with the moon. Even though it was fairly obvious that I didn’t have the appropriate lens for the task, I nevertheless stretched out on the grass as low as I could go to frame both the dandelion and the moon. Here’s the sequence:

That’s where the trouble began. Kim, who was walking the perimeter of the field almost exactly on the far opposite side from me apparently noticed and came running. Thinking the old guy had collapsed on the spot, I guess. When I arose, defeated by the failed photograph, she had come to within about twenty yards of me, and then could see that my prone position was deliberate.

Anyway, we did continue our walk without further complications.  And Kim brought to my attention that the whatever-it-is-flowering bush in front of the kitchen window is suddenly going gangbusters.

rDay Five-Hundred-Six: Perseid Meteor Shower

Yeah, right.   We got no further than the back yard where we had to contend with all sorts of ambient city light.  In one and a half hours, I saw three meteor streaks, none during the time that my camera’s shutter was open.  Here’s what I saw (click to un-small each):
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The second image catches the LifeFlight helicopter (we are directly on the flight path to the hospital up the street about three or four blocks) during one attempted meteor exposure.  (In case you are curious, I was shooting at a guesstimated f2.8, ISO 2000 for 30 seconds.  Using my old 1960s 24mm Nikkor lens with manual focus at infinity.  Tripod and remote shutter release, of course.  If I had been on my toes, I would have been chasing this the previous night, and would have had exposures & techniques down by tonight.  [sigh]).

For a decent capture, check out this example from space.com.  And you are sure to find many more fine images throughout the Interwebs, the Google-verse.

rDay Five-Hundred-Five

A downtown stroll and former workplace drop-in.  In excessive heat.