3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

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Corn, Knee High by the 4th of July

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The old saying “corn knee high” by the 4th of July has been a moniker of farmers for a long time.  However, if the corn is ONLY knee high by that time the farmers are in trouble and won’t get much of a harvest.

Corn Field in Eastern Nebraska
Corn Field in Eastern Nebraska

This corn field just east of Murdock, Nebraska is about chest high on me, almost five feet tall. Granted it has been a very early season in the Midwest, we are about 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

Western Nebraska is not so lucky. Quite a bit of the state is still in drought conditions and if the crops aren’t under a center pivot it is withering and dying. Some isn’t even a foot tall and the leaves are curling and drying up.

The view of the Farmers Co-op might look familiar as it is the same location as my Skyscrapers post a last year.

Mother/Daughter Trip, Camping Out

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During our Mother/Daughter college visit trip we camped out two of  three nights, once at Stockton Lake Missouri and the other at Greers Lake in Arkansas. Bought this tent a few years back on a whim, it was on sale, but this is the first time we actually used it away from home. As long as I have an air mattress I’m fine. Getting too old to sleep right on the ground, back isn’t in the same shape as it was when I was a teenager.

I do have to say, we put up a pretty good tent. First night took about 15 minutes, had to look at the instructions, but the second night only took about 5-10 minutes. It’s not a “pop-up” tent, inserting poles and a fly cover are involved. Just make sure the stakes are in tight to keep it from blowing away in a stiff wind.

Camping in a tent
Camping in a tent

The last night of our trip we stayed at Greers Ferry lake at Cove Creek Recreation Area, 45 minutes northeast of Conway Arkansas, in the heart of the Ozarks.

Cove Creek Recreation Area, Arkansas
Tent Area, Cove Creek Recreation Area, Arkansas

Our tent site was at the very end of this lane, right next to the lake. We had two neighbors in this whole area. The site manager showed us were to find free firewood and thankfully the “NO Burn Ban” had been lifted that morning so we could have a campfire.

The only inconvenience was having to drive to the bathrooms and showers. But both were modern and clean, which is a plus. Not that big of a deal, just have to plan your trips.

Swimming in the Ozarks
The Water was wonderful!
Cooking Brats over a campfire
Cooking Brats over a campfire

Everything tastes better over an open fire.  I asked my daughter, “Now, you don’t care if I cook these right on the grate do you?” (some people would insist on tin foil) “No, why would we do it any other way?”  That’s my girl, she understands that we just “sanitized” that grill with 1000F fire (ok, it was hot)

Campfire at night
Campfire by the lake

Yup, no better way to end an evening, curled up laying next to the fire right by the lake.

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#22/52: Wild West Hotel, Nebraska

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1800's Western Hotel
1800’s Western Hotel

During Pioneer Days in Palisade Nebraska I found this beauty of a hotel. Not sure when it was built, but the locals I talked to thought it was sometime in the 1880’s.  It now houses JD Photography and part of the the Bostock Exhibit photography display of glass prints from the late 19th century.

Hotel Porch circa 1880's
Hotel Porch circa 1880’s

If these walls could talk what would they say about the people who stayed in this hotel? Cowboys, adventures, pioneers, politicians, or even outlaws and rustlers most likely passed through here. Some might of even stayed a while and visited the saloon across the street, which is still standing.

Processed in Lightroom 4, sepia preset with vinnette

Summer Cherries

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Cherry Tree
Cherry Tree

Cherries picked right off the tree are just a little tart. These aren’t your store bought Bing cherries, but pie cherries, they make you pucker.  Still yummy.

Taken with A Canon Rebel XS, processed with Lightroom, only decreased the exposure, nothing else. I’m learning to like my camera just a little more every day.

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Save On Gas, Use Horsepower

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I think gas prices are a little high when the department of roads starts using horsepower the sides of the road. This is a sight you don’t see very often, a team of horses mowing the grader ditches. I know the Nebraska state budget isn’t in that dire of straits, but I wonder if gas prices have just gone up a little too much?

Draft Horses (SOOC)
Draft Horses (SOOC)

My husband and I spotted these Belgian mares north of Lincoln Nebraska mowing the grass and also saw them four days later, raking the same ditch to turn the hay. They do not belong to the state of Nebraska, nor are they doing the county’s job of maintenance. Of course I had my camera with me, you never know when you will find a photo opportunity, and talked to the farmer. They had just mowed over two miles of grass and would go back in a few days to bale the hay. He believes that horses need to be exercised on a regular basis, especially draft horses, and what better way to do this than put them to work. 

 I don’t remember their names, but they are full sisters, one a seven year old and the other other eleven.

Team of Belgians Mowing
Team of Belgians Mowing

Edits were done in Lightroom 4 with a decrease in exposure, increase in clarity and opening up shadows on the horses to bring out detail. The sky was still washed out so I used the adjustment brush and decreased the exposure in the sky to get a better balanced image. Voilia! Clouds appeared.

 

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