Last night we camped at Wallace State Park. It’s very nice except for the heat and giant, yucky disgusting bugs. We went swimming last night in a lake and Mom and William got bit by something. Mom and dad did the laundry so we have clean clothes now. Some raccoons got into our trailer and ate our food. They made a mess and left their footprints all over the trailer. Since they ate what we were going to have for breakfast, we had a very strange meal. We had cereal with some warm milk, bananas, carrots, and big chunks of cold turkey ham. I didn’t like eating the ham. They have nice showers at the campsite, so we’re all clean until this morning. We’re all soaked in sweat again.
– April
The lake water was very warm. There was no shock or ajustment going in. The beach went out at least 100m before it got to over 5 feet deep. At that point, you could feel a cool layer at your ankles.
– John
We are at Spring Hill (Near Jameson, Missouri) near the crest which is named Adam-ondi-Ahman. (D&C 116)
Tower Hill vally overlook. Then we went to Far West to see the corner stones of the temple that didn’t get built.
It’s very hot 37 deg. C. We filled (re-filled) the air conditioning this morning before we left the campground.
We went to Liberty Jail in Liberty Missouri. sister missionary guide was from Virginia. She has been a member for 11 years. Previously she was baptist.
We went to the Independence Visitors Center and Sister Walters was our guide. We ate our dinner in the parking lot before going in. (Bananas, strawberries, grapes, and a wrap (Lettuce tomato, cheese, deli meat) and cookies). I enjoyed the visitor’s center. I’ve learned much more about LDS history. Across the street is the site for a temple (plot). Also across the street was the headquarters and temple for the Church of Christ.
The battery in our van died but by the time we finished our tour, it worked again (Had a solar charger plugged in).
It is 9:15 pm CT and it is 33 deg. C and it actually feels much cooler than 37 deg. C.
– Victoria
We entered Nebraska at 8:30 am local time. We crossed the Missouri on the Mormon Bridge.
10:06 am MT / 11:06 CT
Just finished going through the Mormon Trail Center, cemetery and looking at the Omaha Nebraska temple. When we arrived, a van from Utah pulled up too. As we left, some people from West Virginia pulled in. It was very nice going throught the center and we went into the basement to see a photography exhibit of Christ’s life. Lovely pictures! Our guide was Sister Lawlor. Douglas was upset that we went into the center, probably because he was hungry (we haven’t eaten yet). We found 2 Hatch names in the Winter Quarters cemetery under the statue of a man and a woman mourning over a grave. I can’t remember the names, but I think one of their names was Elizabeth and one of them died at the ripe age of 79. The other middle aged. I think they were both women.
Oh yeah, the temple is about as big as the Edmonton Temple, maybe at tiny bit taller. Oh – and at the Mormon Trail Center, we were challenged to hand out a pass-along card each before we return home.
11:10 CT – Passed back over Mormon Bridge into Iowa.
1:48pm MT / 2:48pm CT
We are now leaving the Kanesville Tabernacle in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The main focus was on the Mormon Battalion, of which we have at least 3 ancestors who were part of it. Information was printed off for the 3 we were sure of with at least 2 pages and a picture for each of them. We will be reading them soon. Our challenge from our guides ( a senior missionary couple, Elder and Sister Michaelson) is to have an uncluttered mind and be receptive.
– Kristina
We were able to fill up our water containers at the Mormon Trail Center. Which was good because the water at honey Creek Campground was awful. We cooked our brunch in the parking lot at the Kanesville Tabernacle. There were picnic tables. We had hashbrowns, eggs, ham and cereal. We’re full and Douglas is much happier now.
– Victoria
2:15pm CT 36 deg. C
We entered the state of Missouri at 3:50pm CT.
Air conditioning ran out in Missouri and it’s 35 deg. C and very humid.
We were passed by a convoy of 6 Corvette’s at about Rockport, Missouri. One lisence plate read “4U2C”! All Corvettes were from different states.
Ate dinner while travelling – carrots, grapes, bananas, 1/2 peanut butter & jam, slice deli meat, lettuce.
The high today was 37 deg. C. We are hot and seaty in the van. You can see the sweat patches on the front and back of my shirt. The backrest of my seat in the van is wet because of perspiration.
– Victoria
Bank Midwest is a fancy bank, with pllars, plantation look (facade). We saw this bank in Cameron and another town.
– April
We leftt Tracy at 9:30 am central. We are headed for Walnut Grove. We ate oatmeal, applesauce and cinnamon for breakfast. It is already 26 degrees C.
We drove over to Plum Creek and we are entering Walnut Grove (pop. 599) at 9:45 Central.
We went to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum. It was interesting. Them we went to see the dugout site along the banks of Plum Creek. Kristina walked across Plum Creek and got stuck in the mud. We also saw the Bick Rock and swimming hole.
We ate lunch at Nellies Cafe.
Saw erratic boulders in Pipestone, MN. considered sacred by the natives. We drove through Jasper, Minnesota.
Crossed back into south Dakota at 3pm Central.
Sioux Falls, SD at 3:10 pm Central. Lots and lots of tall leafy trees
– Victoria
4:30pm Central – Stopped in Vermillion, SD for bathroom break and filled our water bottles there. When we came out to go back to the van, we discovered Dad stretched out on the trailer. I asked him if he was lying there to embarrass us. He said yes and asked for Mom. Mom came over and he said he could only be awoken by a kiss from a fair maden. So she kissed him in the middle of the parking lot there! Funny, but it really was the slightest bit embarrassing
32 deg C currently
– Kristina
Stopped in Sioux City. Bought some food at Walmart and a new portable DVD player.
Stopped just outside Sioux City at a rest stop that had free wireless to post all this stuff! Will need to update with pictures later.
– John
About 5pm CT we crossed into Iowa, but didn’t see a sign so this is an estimate. We also bought a portable DVD player and Owl City CD today.
7pm MT/8pm CT – Mom tried to feed me a twist-tie in my sandwich when we stopped at a rest area outside of Sioux City. Of course, it wasn’t on purpose.
– Kristina
Honey Creek Campground (In Iowa) 9:30 pm CT. – It had a lot of mosquitos and frogs and not a pleasant smell. The bathrooms weren’t the best. Lots of iron in the water. It was hard to sleep it was so humid. We didn’t even use our sleeping bags. I accidently killed a frog. When it jumped into the bathroom and I went to close the door to bump the frog out, instead it smeared the poor frog. In the morning I had a show, WITH A FROG! I just about had a heart attack. I also smell like iron and my fingers are turning black dude to the high iron content in the water.
– Victoria
Honey Creek Campground had a swamp next to it, due to flooding from heavy rains this year. The creek is high, so it won’t drain off. I made for some nasty mosquitoes. The caretaker also said that he had just finished some repairs in the bathrooms but hadn’t had a chance to clean it all up yet.
– John
Had a pancake breakfast at the KOA: $3/person for all you can eat. William had 8. The record is 28. April thinks you have to be insane to eat that many. William was still hungry, but was getting sick of just pancakes. The guy that makes them has been doing it for 21 years. He made custom pancakes for Douglas and William: Spongebob Squarepants on a skateboard, Slam dunk basketball, Mt. Rushmore on a skateboard, a frog with a basketball, and a knight chess piece.
– John
We stopped at Wall, South Dakota, to see about “free water” as advertised on the billboards. That’s how they entice tourists to this small town (pop. 818). It has a block-long drugstore/museum/mini amusement park. Oh, yeah – we didn’t find the free water.
– Victoria
12:06 – Filled up in Murdo, SD. Saw an old-fashioned car perched on top of a building here.
– Kristina
2:38 pm – Stopped at Woonsocket to take a picture of a Catholic church. They have a nice lake there. Oh, we also saw a little frog!
2:58 pm – I saw 3 Llamas at the junction going on to highway 37 from 34. I don’t think anyone else saw them. 45 minutes away from De Smet
Got kind of lost on the way to De Smet. Luckily, a sheriff happened to drive by and was able to assist us. Dad said it was an answer to a prayer that we hadn’t yet given.
– Kristina
Arrived in De Smet at 4:02 pm (5:02 Central)
7 pm – Stopped in De Smet to see a Laura Ingalls site. There were a bunch of original buildings that we got to see things from their family in. If you read the Little House on the Prairie series or watch the shows you can learn about them. One of the buildings was an original of their house with super steep stairs. We also ate dinner at a park across from the site. We had a black bean wrap.
– William
7:51 pm – We are in Brookings. We love the beautiful homes here! The towns in South Dakota are so nice to look at. They also have a huge, fancy brick bank. No wonder this country is in debt!
Entered Minnesota at 8:17 pm just haver passing a dairy farm.
-Kristina
Camped at Tracy, Minnesota. found the campground at 10:30pm central. We were by a lake and a corn field. It cost $8 and it had showers. North on hwy 11 after Tracy and just before the airport. We know this because we drove past it. It was called Swift Lake Park.
We ate dinner in De Smet after we had the laura Ingalls Wilder tour. We ate at the park across from the gift shop. We ate wraps (black beans, deli meat, tomato, lettuce, cheese). Then we drove until we found a campground closer to Walnut Grove, which was in Tracy. We saw lots of corn fields and wind turbines. John stopped to take a picture of the sunset over a corn field. We didn’t notice the sign to say we were entering minnesota.
– Victoria
Three thunderstorms last night. It was so exciting! (for me at least) April said I was like a dog and I would be barking at every flash and boom. But it couldn’t get any better without hot sauce. Still a little wet in the morning so we had to pack damp sleeping bags.
Everyone except for me washed their hair and we all washed our faces in basins of water. We ate oatmeal for breakfast.
Dad want’s me to say that there weren’t any tornadoes and hail.
– Kristina
8:50 am
Entered South Dakota. Couldn’t stop to take a picture of the sign – in a construction zone, escorted by a pace car.
– William
9:36 am
Stopped in Buffalo to leave a DNA sample. Buffalo is a stagecoach station on route 85 from Regina Saskatchewan to El Paso, Texas.
– Douglas
10:40 am
Belle Fourche – stopped to get gasoline.
11:55 am
While driving around looking for a grocery store, we saw a bright yellow lemonade stand – not cardboard, but made of wood! So cute! And it had a closed sign. As we drove away, I saw a handmade Sign (painted) advertisement: “Lemonade Downtown.”
– Kristina
Boy Scouts of America, troop 368 of Williston, North Dakota have their own van. We saw this as we were leaving Belle Fourche.
– Victoria
1:17 pm
Drove by Black Hills National Cemetery. Lots of graves that look the same.
– Kristina
1:40 pm
We saw a girl on a pink scooter wearing No helmet and flip flops. Crazy! Don’t they have helmet laws here? This is in Rapid City, South Dakota.
– Victoria
We saw a guy driving a truck. It was missing the driver’s door.
We went to Sheels (Outdoor store) to buy a new tent. An 8 person, 2 room Eureka! tent. Our old one nearly broke in the wind/rain storm last night – plus the tent is about 14 years old. John and I bought running shows that are similar to running barefoot.
Right now it is raining big heavy raindrops in rapid City. We are on our way to Mount Rushmore The road is actually flooding. The water is just running/gushing down the street. And it is hailing pretty hard and there is lots of rain (BIG raindrops!) It looks like it’s flooding in the streets!!! It’s so exciting!!! We are in a parking lot under a carport at a motel to escape the crazy weather.
– Victoria and then Kristina
We went to Mount Rushmore today. People like Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore is small.
– Douglas
Mount Rushmore is something you should see, regardless about how you feel about it. It’s much easier to see when rain (weather) is not threatening to kill you. (A severe thunder and hail storm was approaching. The one we just finished driving through in Rapid City) Way too many things to see in an evening. Way too commercial (We were expecting to see only plaques to read info from and just maybe a parking lot).
– John and Victoria
Historic Rockerville ghost town. We took pictures.
We stayed at the KOA in Rapid City. We had hot dogs and beans for dinner. Douglas and I went for a swim. We had a bit of trouble setting up the new tent, but eventually figured it out after we found the instructions.
– John
9:45 AM
Drove through Willow Bunch, which is in a valley. This is funny because Saskatchewan is supposedly flat.
– Douglas
10:30 AM
We have now crossed into the USA into Montana State. Some of us have never been to the US before. The border guards are nice.
– William
Since we didn’t go to church today (it was an hour and a half drive in the opposite direction), we have sang a song, read a talk from “The Friend” and the May 2010 conference, Kristina paraphrased revelations received in Far West Missouri , an intermediate hymn, more paraphrasing.
We’ve come across an abandoned train near Redstone, Montana.
– Victoria
Saw a guy on a unicycle in Plentywood just as we pulled in to get gas.
Strange using imperial system. speed limits are also much higher here and mom doesn’t like it: especially when they don’t have many warning signs of things ahead on the road.
Three vehicles near us have license plates from Montana, Colorado, and Texas.
There are lots of doubles of name of towns and cities. I saw a sign for Regina and some other town in Alberta (But these signs were for Montana)
– Kristina
We stopped at Medicine Lake and took pictures. Sadly, shortly after we crossed the border into Montana, a flock of birds hit the front of our van.– Victoria
Between 1:30 and 2:00 pm, we stopped at a rest point at Culbertson to go to the bathroom and cook 2 cans of pea soup. We me an Albertan couple there from around Red Deer.
2:33 pm – Saw someone getting a speeding ticket.
Entered North Dakota at 2:36 pm. Highest temperature recorded a few minutes ago was 87 F/31C
– Kristina
Stopped to look at the view of the Little Missouri River. Crossed the river, went up the toher side of the valley and discovered the highway was missing. It is just a dirt and gravel road. Some parts are really rutted and soft. It’s the weirdest “construction” project we’ve ever seen. Kristina took a video of it.
– John
6:15 pm
We stopped and camped at the Lions Club in Bowman. Fee is a donation. we are cooking chicken, rice, and carrots as a stir fry for dinner.
– Victoria
Our destination is Paris, Arkansas. We’ve packed everything in the van and trailer this morning, including 4 big kids. We had to make sure we had some extra space for the stuff we’re buying in the states. Tonight’s destination is Assiniboia, Saskatchewan to visit my nephew Mike.
We’ve created a travel journal that we update throughout the day. Each of us takes turns writing and then we can compose them easily for the blog.
At noon, we stopped for gas at small and weird Husky station. While sitting in the vehicle, I can see another husky station. We first stopped at a Shell gas station across the street and it was out of gasoline, and it said on the sign “Welcome to Medicine Hat, The Gas City.”
There’s also a huge tepee here, worlds tallest apparently. So we stopped to see it. There was an older vehicle (from B.C.) that was loaded down. There was a guitar without a case strapped to the top of the car and a car topper, and an army duffel bag and other duffel bags. It seemed to hippyish. The people who own this car are driving across the county.
There were some tame gophers as well. One was standing and looking as if it needed to go to the bathroom (restroom in the states). Douglas loved the gophers. William saw a license plate that spelled HAT. He thinks that’s neat since we are in Medicine Hat.
– Victoria
We chased a shadow down the road from a cloud. It made it look like a hill was burnt. It was moving fast, and went another direction when we went in it. There are more shadows on the hills.
24 degrees Celsius, air conditioning still working.
– William
Video machine doesn’t work. We discovered this when we stopped at a rest stop at the Alberta/Saskatchewan boarder.
– Victoria
Switched driving with Victoria. Lots of gusting wind going south.
– John
Arrived in Assiniboia at 6:14 pm. We met Mike at the Peavy Mart where he works and we followed him home. We met his wife Ai and they fed us dinner. We had a salad, shepherds pie, and garlic bread. We slept in their backyard in our tent.
– April
I thought I could tell it was spring. This year has been unusually wet, so when we planned this photo session, we were hoping for the best and trying to deal with the worst. I was hoping not to have to deal with snow though. Brent and Carol braved it well. Since it was snowing, it was obviously cool out, but not so bad that we couldn’t go without coats for longer periods. The tough part is keeping water spots off the lens.
Having family from different towns, they wanted a neutral location that didn’t favour either town. We picked a cozy location at Big Hill Springs, just NE of Cochrane, AB. There are some beautiful waterfalls and the overcast sky made the lighting perfect. The early spring foliage, really complemented the water. Slowing the shutter gave us the silky water effect that made this a feature photo for their wedding invitation.
We spent a good amount of time just wandering from place to place and taking photos as we went. They’re a dynamic couple with a sense of adventure that made the photos more relaxed and fun.
Tags: Big Hill Springs, Engagement, outdoor, Photography, Portrait
Photographing Bella was an amazing amount of fun. She’s a very dynamic child with a lot of personality. We made it easy for her by letting her play in the grass and explore. The experience of freedom for her made it easy for her to ignore the camera and just be herself. When she started to tire, we coaxed a few more poses by following the same rule: let her play.
What helped is that the day turned out to be perfect weather. A bit cool, but warm and bright enough to get some beautiful contrasts and natural expressions. We’ve been fighting bad weather all spring.
The composite set was my favourite. The posing is a bit random at first, but later, when I put it together, I discovered some poses that led to a “King of the Mountain” interaction in the background. Bella’s parents were absolutely pleased and excited about the results. That’s the part that makes photography so much fun.
Tags: Calgary, children, Family, outdoor, Photography, Portrait, Prince's Island
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| From Calgary Temple Groundbreaking |
I was asked to volunteer as one of the official photographers for the groundbreaking of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint`s Calgary Temple. The LDS Church News and Calgary Herald articles explain what went on. My purpose was to take photographs, but I also had opportunity to marvel at the experience.
This was an exciting event for those in attendance because this new building means a great deal to Latter-day Saints in Calgary, both spiritually and physically. The nearest temples are in Cardston and Edmonton, so it will mean a significant convenience for members to have a local temple.
I was able to move freely around the front to get whatever angles I needed. There were 6 official photographers from among church members, plus at least one Calgary Herald photographer. In addition, it seemed most everyone in the congregation had a camera. The entire event was also being broadcast live to at least a half-dozen church meetinghouses scattered in and around Calgary. So, I tried to be considerate of both my fellow photographers and everyone else.
When shooting events, inquire of dress standards. This was a shirt and tie event. I wore an older suit that I didn’t mind getting dirty if I needed to get a low angle. Being the nature of groundbreaking ceremonies, we were in an open field with plenty of opportunity to get dusty. Make sure you have something to clean your lenses with.
I took over 300 photos that day. I tried to cover everything: speakers, dignitaries, the size of the crowd, participants turning the sod, and of course, anything I thought was interesting. I used a telephoto most of the time and switched to a wide-angle lens for shots of the choir and the groundbreaking.
The hardest job is afterwards when you have to narrow down the set of photos to just 3 or 4 that you’ll submit to the article. There were only 2 photos chosen out of probably 2 dozen submitted. I would have been ecstatic to have had one of mine published. I’m just glad to have had a chance to participate.