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Travel Adventures

The Legendary Musical Tunnel at Harvest of Harmony Parade

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Every first Saturday in October the Harvest of Harmony marching bands fill a certain tunnel in Nebraska with music. For years I  heard about it, my kids have told how awesome the music is when it reverberates in your ears, but I never witnessed this phenomenon until my son’s senior year in high school.

At the beginning of the Harvest of Harmony parade is a long viaduct and the sound of the and music just echos. Over the years I’ve sat at the reviewing stand and various points along the route. Last year I took video of them coming “out” of the tunnel. But being IN the tunnel is awesome!

The sound is amplified and reverberates off the concrete walls. The Elmwood-Murdock band was entry #185, so I had plenty of time to watch, listen, and enjoy other bands.

Harvest of Harmony marching band parade

The Harvest of Harmony parade, held in Grand Island Nebraska, is one of the largest marching band competitions in the country and in 1996 broke a Guinness World Record for the most marching bands in a parade.

Poster: Music Developes Mental Agility, Purchase from JW Pepper

Marching Band competition
My daughter playing the quads

This particular year, 2012, the Elmwood-Murdock High School band was one of 93 bands from across the state and received a 3rd place out of 25 bands in their division.  In years past they have received second place and even came home with the 1st place trophy in 2009.

Marching band parade in the cold Nebraska Weather
In Nebraska we march in 30F weather

The weather is anything but predictable and this day was no exception. Bundling up is the key to staying warm, as the spectator above was sure to do. The parade starts at 8 am and ends three hours later.

The full parade is not only broadcast live on the Grand Island NTV/ABC  television station, but they post videos of each band on their website in a yearly directory going back to 2008. In 2009 the Elmwood-Murdock marching band took first place in Class C and third overall.

Marching band competition in the Midwest
The last view of the last parade of my kids high school career

The Marching Band Nerds HandbookMusic Notes Black and White Knitted Fingerless GlovesSock It To Me Footnotes Knee High SocksACTIVATE APPAREL It’s Marching Band Athletic Grey Large T-Shirt

Seniors waiting for formal pictures after the band competition
My daughter (rt) with a friend
Senior marching band members after the marching band competition
Seniors being silly. I will miss these kids. (I won’t say which is my daughter, so cute huh?)

At the end of the parade the buses take the schools to the stadium for formal photos on the bleachers. It’s a tradition for a senior photo, my favorite is the “goofy” pose. Yup, this is how the kids really are, in their raw form.

Band Mom's
Band Moms, Cindy and Tracy

Band Moms Unite

Yes, I’m a band Mom. I have literally chased the band down the parade route at many events. I’ve done it for years, from Washington DC to the Nebraska City Apple Jack festival. You take video, take pictures,  run ahead, dodge people and baby strollers, and zig zag down the sidewalk, all while juggling a camera and try not to run out of breath. This time I only chased them a few blocks, found out I’m getting too old to chase bands anymore.

Band Mom Clear Crystal Heart Silver Chain Necklace Music Marching JewelryBand Mom sticker *H321* 8.5 inch wide vinyl march guitar drums kit microphoneInktastic Band Mom Gift Idea Women’s T-Shirt XX-Large Deep Royal BlueInktastic Band Mom treble clef T-Shirt XX-Large Maroon

Poster: Music is a Lifelong Experience Buy from JW Pepper

So I leave the next few years of following the bands to my friend and fellow blogger Tracy (Nebraska Wheatie). Her daughter is also a senior, but she’s lucky to have one more still in band. Yes, we both chase bands, this year I was only 5 feet behind her as we ran through the tunnel. Her husband Jim saved my hide by noticing my cell phone which bounced out of my coat pocket. THANKS JIM!!!

So while I will miss watching band performances, and yes I shed a few tears, I will NOT miss the chase. It’s been quite the journey.

Fun Facts about the Harvest of Harmony Parade and Band competition.

  • First Harvest of Harmony was held October 20, 1938.
  • 8 Schools marched in the first parade: Grand Island, St. Paul, Ravenna, Gibbon, Scotia, Central City, North Loup, and Broken Bow.
  • The parade was originally named the Central Nebraska Music Festival. Changed to Harvest of Harmony in 1946.
  • The 1st Harvest of Harmony Queen was Pelorice France of Gothenburg.
  • St. Paul has the most candidates named Harvest of Harmony Queen with 8.
  • 21 bands performed in the 1948 parade.
  • In 1996, 130 bands marched in the parade “A Guinness World Record”

Harvest of Harmony brings Nebraska’s Finest Bands to Grand Island

Fall, Football & Festivals (nebraskawheatie.com)

More Information on the Harvest of Harmony Parade

VIDEO: Harvest of Harmony Parade Trivia Tuesday

NBC NEBRASKA TODAY — Hundreds will converge in downtown Grand Island this weekend for the 2015 Harvest of Harmony Parade. People will be able to catch a glimpse of their favorite band member. It’s a Central Nebraska staple event for the last 70 …

200 to 1? No problem at GISH Where Director Gets Student Support

It’s show time. Band kids are polishing their shoes, and their marching routines. Harvest of Harmony kicks off the season in a big way. And for one big band, it wouldn’t work without students taking charge. “Stop, stop, stop,” band director Amy …

Chambers: 40 Years of Excellence

Life comes to a standstill when it’s competition time like Harvest of Harmony. Tomjack, the trumpet player said, “The last one to leave Chambers shut off all the lights, they say the whole town comes. I don’t know if that’s true, but some days it seems …

Chamber announces theme for 74th annual Harvest of Harmony Parade

“The Harvest of Harmony committee was so inspired by the enthusiasm of float participants last year,” said Tara Purdie, the chamber’s communications and events coordinator. “We saw such intricately decorated floats, and the participants seemed to enjoy …

Band Gets 4th at Harvest of Harmony Parade

The Alma band traveled to the Annual Harvest of Harmony event this past Saturday. The competed in the Class D parade competition. The band received 4th place at the competition. Here are some pictures of the band …

2014 Harvest of Harmony leaves big impression – The …

2014 Harvest of Harmony leaves big impression. 2014 Harvest of Harmony leaves big impression. By: RN Staff. It’s been this way since Grand Island’s yearly extravaganza of marching bands began in 1938: freezing morning …

Harvest of Harmony Parade, giving hope to the LGBT …

By Cody Jay, NewsNetNebraska. The Harvest of Harmony Parade, in Grand Island, Neb., is a big event for the city. While the Harvest of Harmony Parade is a celebration for the city of Grand Island, for some it is a way to show …

Harvest of Harmony A Success Despite Cold Weather

Despite temperatures hovering in the low 30s, thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Grand Island Saturday morning for the 71st Annual Harvest of Harmony parade.

Extra Info on Harvest of Harmony :: Kearney High School …

Hello all! Below you will find a link to the GI Chamber of Commerce where you can find… the order of march the parade route the stadium schedule and the Pageant schedule. Good luck to all our students and our Queen …

Photo Editing An Overcast Day in Lightroom

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For this edition of #FixitFriday photo editing I’m going to work on some of my favorite photos from last summer and in the process relive my Block Island dream trip.

My camera that year was a glorified point and shoot Fuji 1500S and I had not learned how to read histograms in camera.  I only had the option of JPS and can only dream of the possibilities if I had the RAW option. Most of the time the skies were overcast and cloudy, good when avoiding a sun burn, but I found it to be a photography challenge. The camera meter was reading the glare coming from the water and surrounding ocean. The result were photos that leaned toward the dark side, the cloudy skies were flat and drab. Although I reworked them a bit in Photoshop CS2 I still didn’t get good results.

Now that I use Adobe Lightroom  as my primary photo editing software program I have a much wider range of options with clarity, decreasing noise, saturation and tonal adjustments. I can instantly see before and after views and it is all non destructive to the original image. I love Lightroom, it is a wonderful photo editing program, every time I open an image I wasn’t quite happy with I find I can make it better even a jpg file. I can finally make a photo look like how I experienced the the scene in real life.

My goal with photo editing is realism. I’m not trying to create photo art, or make a photo look fake or something it wasn’t. The human eye can interpret a scene a the beach with so much more clarity and detail than a camera. Sometimes it takes some post production here and there with photography to return the photograph into an accurate depiction of reality.

Photo editing in Lightroom 4
Lightroom 4 screen shot (click for larger image)

I always shot on aperture priority and as a result many of my images were underexposed. These dark images took more editing than just increasing the exposure, I opened up the shadows, and eliminated the camera noise in the Lightroom detail option by moving the noise slider to the right.

On the left side of the Adobe Lightroom screen shot there are User Presets. Presets are saved adjustments you can use again for an image of the same type. For example overexposed images in bright sun is called “Dim the Summer  Sun” or “Bright and Sharp” for an underexposed image. Once a preset is saved it can adjusted and resaved under the same name. Presets save time when you have a batch of images under the same lighting that require the same adjustment.

Below is the straight out of camera shot and the resulting end photo in Lightroom.

SOOC (straight out of camera)
SOOC (straight out of camera)

Edited version, what do you think?

Edited Block Island photo in Lightroom 4
Edited Block Island photo in Lightroom 4

What is the Best Program For Editing Photos?

If you were to ask me what my favorite photo editing program is I would have to say Lightroom. There are many features I love about the program but my favorite is Lightrooms high dynamic range in opening up shadows and not blowing out my highlights. I also love the ability to edit a batch of photos in seconds with the settings from my previous photo.

But I still use Photoshop for my graphic designs involving text and layers. Adobe has a wonderful subscription program where for only $10 per month you can use both Photoshop and Lightroom creative Cloud all you want with no obligation.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (Photoshop CC + Lightroom) [Digital Membership]Adobe Photoshop Elements 13The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and TechniquesPhotoshop Elements 13 For Dummies (For Dummies Series)

 

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US Marine Corp Graduation

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A year ago this month my youngest son left for  Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and started 13 weeks of the most challenging accomplishments anyone can face. Becoming and earning the right to be come a U.S. Marine.  At the

Across the parade deck hundreds of new Marines march in their platoons as the last maneuver they will complete before leaving MCRD full fledged Marines. The Marine Band plays to open the ceremony, the chaplain leads every one in prayer and then the parade of dress blues begin. This is my second Marine graduation, my oldest is also a Marine,  but  the tears of pride still flow just as fast and my hands shake as I hold the camera.

Marine Corps Graduation, San Diego CA
Marine Corps Graduation, San Diego CA
Marine Corp Champlain leading off the graduation
Marine Corp Chaplain leading off the graduation
MCRD, India Company, Platoon 3213, October 7, 2011
MCRD, India Company, Platoon 3213, October 7, 2011 (son 6th from right)
My New US Marine
My New US Marine, November 2011

Since graduation my new Marine has attended MCT (Marine Combat Training) in Pendleton CA, Corrections training in San Antonio TX, and is now back at Pendleton as his permanent duty station. Congratulations to my newest U.S. Marine, he makes me proud.

I found this draft sitting in my WordPress folder.In evaluating my stats in WordPress my US Marine Corps postings represent 20% of views. Very popular topic, but considering every parent of a new Marine searches the internet for every scrap of information they can find to learn more about the journey ahead, I can understand.

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#24/52: Waterfall Photography

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I’ve always wanted to photograph a waterfall and finally got my chance. I’m so happy with it! Shot this waterfall photo at Devils Den State Park in Northwestern Arkansas on my Mother/Daughter camping trip. I climbed out on the rocks, quite a feat since I’m afraid of heights, and a flat rock acted as my tripod.

Waterfall photography
ISO 100, f/20, 75mm, 1.3 sec Canon Rebel XS (click for larger image)

Only took two photos since the sun was going behind the trees and after looking at the results in the camera I was more than pleased. Being from Nebraska I don’t have much of an opportunity to practice waterfalls photography.

Editing notes: Almost none, opened in Lightroom 4, straightened a few degrees, adjusted white balance for a little more warmth, that was it!

Tips For Good Waterfall Photography

  • Set your camera on Manual or Shutter priority
  • Experiment with long exposures starting at 1/2 second and going up from there. The longer the exposure the smoother the water effect
  • Increase your aperture as high as it will go to reduce over exposure in sunny conditions (this photo was taken on a cloudy overcast day)
  • Use a neutral density filter on sunny days for really long exposures
  • Use a tripod and a shutter trigger
  • If you don’t have a tripod, or a good place to set up find a sturdy rock
  • To avoid blur if you don’t have a shutter release set the automatic timer

 

What Equipment Do You Need to Photograph a Waterfall

Photography doesn’t need to be complicated, nor does it need to cost a lot of money. The shot above was done with a very simple DSLR Canon Rebel camera sitting on a rock on shutter priority and the self programmed timer. You know the setting, set it for 2-10 seconds, run and get in the photo. It was a cloudy day so I didn’t have to worry about sun glare. The conditions were perfect, I had a perfectly placed flat rock and perfect weather.

However, conditions are not always perfect and having the right photography tools on hand can make it easier to get the photograph you envision. I’ve always wanted a Gorilla pod, one just because they look cool, but other reasons is they are so very flexible and you can wrap them around a tree limb.

I have since purchased a Neutral Density filter and this will act lessen the sun glare and bright spots and enhance the ambient colors. Works great for sunrises and sunsets to bring out color.

Manfrotto BeFree Compact Lightweight Tripod for Travel PhotographyJoby GP1-A1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod (Grey)Hoya 62mm HMC Neutral Density ND8 Multi-Coated GlassNeewer LCD Timer Shutter Release Remote Control for

Learn More About Waterfall Photography

Beginner’s Guide to Waterfall Photography – Digital Photography …

Beginner’s Guide to Waterfall Photography – Learn the tips, tricks, and techniques that will help you improve your waterfall photography.

Waterfall Digital Photography – Digital Photography School

Timing – pick the right time of the day to do your waterfall photography and you can definitely give yourself more options to use longer shutter speeds. Around sunrise and sunset are obvious times as light is less bright. Also overcast days are …

5 Steps to Waterfall Photography (Guest Post) | eQuipping for eMinistry

This is the final post in a series on outdoor photography for Cru staff attending IBS and national staff training in Fort Collins, Colorado. Many staff will head to Rocky Mountain National Park on their free time, hoping to find great …

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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