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We went to the season opener of the UFL Las Vegas Locos last night, it was a lot of fun! We met a bunch of fun people that we look forward to seeing again at the next home game. I had always wondered what really goes on at the stadium during the football games. Sure, it is a lot of fun to hang out with your friends and watch games on TV. You all play armchair quarterback and listen to not-always-so-good-commentary. The UFL even takes the camera and a reporter in a suit (yuk, it was in the 90s yesterday) and interview players during the game. Reporter “you carried that ball over 10 yards, how do you feel?” Player ‘I feel like we are really having a good game.” Or Player “It was AWESOME!”
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 200 f/4.5 30mm 1/20th sec
So what exactly happens during commercial breaks on TV. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The players stand around, the water is run out to them. They joke around with the refs. And the fans, well – they spend their time doing what people do at home. Drink beer. Lots of it.
The guys sitting behind us we are blast! And the more they drank, the funnier they got. It started out as a simple wall of beer.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 200 f/2.8 6mm 1/10th sec
Then, they made the first of many beer-amids.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 200 f/2.8 6mm 1/8th sec
Towards the end of the night the group had consumed the contents of over 40 of these shiny cans.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 400 f/2.8 6mm 1/8th sec
The last beer-amid they tried to build even included donations of shiny cans from others around them, but alas….not so steady hands…..
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 200 f/2.8 6mm 1/25th sec
Unfortunately, the Locos did not win their season opener – but there is always next time. Looking forward to the next game.
We hung around at my mothers house on day 4, for a much needed relaxing day. It rained! This is an awesome sight for us desert dwellers – where rain usually comes in the form of mud spots as the sprinkles only seem to pull the dust out of the sky (half way). A nice steady, light rain that you could watch for hours.
We did venture out to do some shopping. First stop was the local drug store in Hoyt Lakes. One of those kind of stores (kind of like Walgreens) where you can find some of the strangest things. We purchased vanilla and chocolate milk straws. They are ‘straws’ that have little beads of flavor stuffed in them and when you ‘drink’ (aka suck) the milk through the ‘straw’ it changes the flavor of the milk. Strange. We also headed to the local shopping mall in Virginia, MN. Again, I am always amazed at what you find in small towns. Like a book store that is also a yarn store (below). How does that happen?
©320photography Canon G10 ISO200 f/2.8 6mm 1/25th sec
Being from Minnesota, I miss the grand scale extravaganza known as the Minnesota State Fair. Up until last year I was not aware that there is an annual county fair in Logandale, which is roughly a hour north of Las Vegas. The scale isn’t terribly grand, but the concept is the same. There are juried competitions for growing food and flowers, knitting and quilting, science projects and art and photography. I entered four images to the photography contest (one in this post) – I received two blue ribbons and two red. Besides the competitions, there are; exhibits and shows, a midway with games and rides, small animals and livestock and PLENTY of food. The Clark County Fair also has a rodeo, which someday we hope to make it long enough to be able to stay and attend.
The shows this year included pig racing, dogs and frisbees and a lumberjack show. I didn’t lug around a lot of equipment with me this time around – next year….likely to be a different story. My focus of the day was spending time with family and having a good time. The biggest mistake was not bringing sunscreen (yes, I live in the desert and totally forgot this one important item).
The first image here is one of the ones I got a blue ribbon for. I had it printed on metallic paper, so it had a really cool shine.
©320photography Nikon D300 ISO200 f/5.6 60mm macro 1/250th sec
In the food competition area were these prize winning beets, I couldn’t resist the bright color.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO250 f/2.8 6.1mm macro mode 1/4 sec
The ‘dog catchin frisbee’ show was really fun. It was really bright out there and really windy, the dogs and trainer had quite a workout. I have never seen dogs jump so high so fast….. But the one that really catches everyone’s eye is a dog that acts like a cat (kinda looks like one too). She slinks up, low to the ground as if she is hunting like a leopard. I was in the right spot at the right time to capture how focused she is.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 10.8mm 1/800 sec
©320photography Canon G10 ISO80 f/4.5 30mm 1/500th sec
The lumberjack show was new this year and was certainly entertaining. The two lumberjacks are well versed in the lumberjack competition world. The one on the left is a Junior champion from Oregon. The one on the right has been world champion three times and currently resides in China – where lumberjacks shows are all the rage right now.
©320photography Canon G10 ISO80 f/4 21mm 1/640th sec
By the end of the afternoon animals and humans can have something in common…..
©320photography Canon G10 ISO200 f/2.8 6.1mm 1/30th sec
Sweet dreams.
One of the major construction projects that is of interest not only to Las Vegas locals, but nationally and internationally, is the Hoover Dam bypass project. The project itself broke ground in 2005, but my photographic memories for purposes today begin in 2008. The bridge is an architectural marvel and it is going to be very exciting to drive over the first time – which the news reports say should be in November 2010. Additionally it has been reported the public should be able to walk over the bridge in addition to traffic. It will provide an awesome view of the dam and of the surrounding canyon area.
The bridge is officially named the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. The namesakes represent important people from both sides of the bridge. Mike O’Callaghan is a former Nevada governor and an editor at a Las Vegas based newspaper. Pat Tillman was a member of the Arizona Cardinals, but gave that up to join the military after 9/11 and was unfortunately killed in Afghanistan. The construction of the dam has been the subject of at least two TV documentaries run on the Discovery/Science Channel – Megabuilders and Build it Bigger with Danny Forster (I say at least because I think there is actually another one, but I cannot find any evidence to support that theory). According to the official project website (http://www.hooverdambypass.org/) the bridge will span nearly 2000 feet and it will be the third highest bridge deck in the country – over 800 feet from the canyon. The entire bypass, including the land based aspects of the project, will be 3.5 miles long.
The looming question for the local economy is how much the bypass will affect visitation to the Hoover Dam visitor’s center – which has yet to pay for itself. Also, how much commerce might spring up along the new route. Only time will tell on this, but it will be an exciting day when traffic is finally diverted onto the new roads and bridge.
May 2008 ©320photography Nikon D300 ISO200 f/18 36mm 1/100th sec
May 2009 ©320photography Canon G10 ISO 80 f/4 6mm 1/800th sec
October 2009 ©320photography Canon G10 ISO200 f/8 6mm 1/500th sec
March 2010 ©320photography Canon G10 ISO80 f/4 9mm 1/320th sec
I don’t necessarily agree with the use of the word resolutions when describing what essentially is a goal. I resolve…..I much rather prefer to plan it as a goal (is this the result of too many time management seminars?).
So my goal for the year is to read all of those photography books I bought last year but didn’t have the time to actually read…and there are a lot of them (including a few that I was on waiting lists on Amazon for and totally had forgotten I had ordered them by the time I received them). Cheers (click of the glass) to catching up on reading.
My focus this year is to absorb as much info as I can and turn it around into something useful. I also have a few photo essay projects underway and will start sharing them with you soon.
Here is to a great new year! And new decade….or is 2011 the first year of the decade? It is funny how this is something that is debated every 10 years….
I really have started to look for those “National ….. Days” and I stumbled on this one I think on an architectural website (unable now to remember which one). I thought I would share a quick couple of pictures from one of the great cities of the US and one that is very well known for its skyscrapers. These were both taken from Sears (ah hem, I mean Willis) Tower. First looking out over Lake Michigan and the other looking due west. It was incredible to be up there at sunset, I highly recommend it.
From Sears Tower - Lake Michigan
From Sears Tower - looking west
This sunset shot is also on jpgmag.com
Okay, so this one is not specific to Las Vegas, but this has to be the biggest sandwich I have ever seen, at least in person. This is the Motherlode sandwich from Claim Jumper. Claim Jumper is very much the ‘order based on what you want as leftovers’ kind of place. Same goes for desserts – I order one with the intent of taking four to five days to eat it.
Been really busy so have not been updating blog as much as I would like, but will get back in the swing shortly.
I am always amazed at what you can find in your own backyard..
This guy was hanging out in our backyard this morning, Praying Mantis Jr. (he may very well be fully grown, he just looks so small to us)
There are many types of this insect, I read somewhere once that the Praying Mantis is the “Ogre of the desert”. I dunno, doesn’t look much like Shrek to me…except maybe the color.
Backyard Visitor
This is what my week has been about.
Work never ends
