10/06/26

 While I was in Minnesota last month, I was able to get a few bird images.  This is a Wood Duck not looking quite as beautiful as some photos I have seen but still fairly colorful.

 

09/20/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  This is one f the full size locomotives that I get to fire on at the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion.  It is an ex Soo Line Switch engine and is over 100 years old and still running.  It's great fun and challenging to fire on and I enjoy my 2 hour shifts per day for 4 days of getting to do it.  In this photo it is just pulling into the station to off and on load passengers and change out shifts.

 

09/19/26

 While in Minnesota recently, there were some interesting skies due to storms around the area.  One evening I was out on my bike to possibly get a nice sunset photo and was rewarded with this exceptionally vibrant sky with neat cloud formations.

 

09/15/26

 I was in Minnesota recently and while driving I saw quite a number of Swans.  I was able to capture these 2 on the way back from dinner one evening.

09/13/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's photo is from my trip last week in Minnesota to work the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion.  I work a 3 hour shift in the afternoon with this locomotive, a 14 inch scale Wagner.  It's a fun locomotive to operate.  I took this photo in the morning on a cloudy day of it in front of the newly completed, expanded roundhouse.

09/12/26

 While I was in Minnesota, I was working the Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion.  During some times of the show, some storms were in the area but missed the showgrounds for the most part.  This was good as some areas received quite a bit of rain, like 7 inches in one spot.  Crazy.  It did make for some very interesting cloud formations.

09/11/26

 It's Friday, TGIF!  I just returned from a trip to Minnesota.  It was much cooler there than at home.  I also saw the usual Hollyhocks in bloom.  I like this pink one and the bokeh was very nice which works for today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

09/05/26

 I had to make an unscheduled trip to Minnesota recently.  I saw numerous Sunflower fields in the area but most of them were all sad and done.  I got lucky and found one field still in bloom.  Some of the flower heads were the largest I had ever seen, like dinner plates.  I was capturing this near sunset but it was rather cloudy at the time as well.

 

08/22/26

 A bit different image today.  This is a view of the field in Minnesota with the Sandhill Cranes.  Even this doesn't really do it justice as this is only about 1/3 to 1/4th of the flock that was there.  It was so cool to be able to see and photograph them.

 

08/18/26

 I had to make a trip to Minnesota this past weekend for a family issue and on the trip up I was treated to an experience that was a "lifer" for me.  I got to see and capture a very large flock of Sandhill Cranes!  They were in a harvested wheat field and some were even dancing and doing their odd call.  This is a link to their call at All About Birds:  Sandhill Crane Listen  This image is just a very small portion of the flock.

 

 

 

07/12/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back to Minnesota in June.  This was taken while I was getting it ready to head out onto the track for the day.  Behind it is the scratch built caboose.  The kids really love riding in it.  The extended Roundhouse is very nice as well.

 

07/07/26

 When I was in Minnesota a few weeks ago, I was lucky to have some opportunities for some bird images.  I even got to see and photograph a Bald Eagle fairly close.

 

07/05/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image is from Rollag Minnesota where I was about 3 weekends ago.  This image is from last year and shows the 2 locomotives that I am privileged to work on.  353, a former Soo Line Switcher and the Porter Tank engine behind.   I didn't work with these locomotives on this last trip but hopefully will be able to in September.

06/30/26

 While I was in Minnesota, I had the opportunity to see and photograph a Loon that was pretty close to me.  It was very cool to see and didn't seem very bothered by me as it stayed fairly close.  I was taking photos from my vehicle so that probably helped.  Loons have a very distinct call and it is cool to hear.  It is the state bird of Minnesota.

06/28/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  As I mentioned yesterday, I was in Minnesota last week.  I was able to be "playing" with this locomotive, the Ortner Railroad Wagner 14 inch scale.  I took a photo of it here, stopped by our station and loading area.

06/27/26

 I was in Minnesota last weekend for the first of my usual trips.  I was out walking during the early evening and came upon this scene.  There has been a recent addition to the Steam Thresher's grounds of this old granary (building to store and process grain).  I thought it looked rather picturesque across the field.  

06/07/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  This is another image from last year of the Porter and the 353 sitting outside the roundhouse while we had our safety meeting.  I'll be up there soon to help out around the area but won't really work with these two locomotives till Labor Day weekend during the annual show.

05/17/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back to August at Rollag Minnesota.  I was attending the safety meeting for working on the full size locomotives and they were both parked outside the Roundhouse at the time.  This image shows off former Soo Line Switcher 353 with the Porter off to the left.  There is even a diesel locomotive in the photo as well.  😏😂 It is used to move cars around and also if one of the locomotives has an issue.

02/08/26

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Here is another very steamy shot I was able to capture during the Labor Day weekend show this past year.  This is the Porter locomotive as it took on water in preparation to pull a train around the grounds.

02/06/26

 It's Friday, TGIF!  Today's image is from Minnesota near the shower house I use when I camp there for the show.  They have lovely Hollyhocks of various colors growing behind the building.  This was a lovely magenta colored one with some great bubbly bokeh behind it.  Sharing for today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!