April Pictures

I have some pictures here taken during recent escapades that I have been meaning to share. The first set are some taken in Buffalo River State Park, east of the settlement of Glyndon, Minnesota, taken, oh, toward the beginning of this month. The second set, meanwhile, are some more photos – this time without snow on the ground, however – of Banning State Park, near Sandstone, Minnesota. In addition, I also have some photos taken within the city limits of Sandstone as well as along the very scenic part of MN highway 23 that runs northeast from Sandstone to Duluth. It’s kind of interesting to see these two sets of pictures juxtaposed, since they were in such divergent parts in the state. Buffalo River State Park, being very close to the border of eastern North Dakota, is on the edge of prairie and flat, former-Lake Agassiz land, and Banning State Park, being very close to the border of western Wisconsin, is in softwood forest and rather hilly land.

And while I’m on the topic of photography, I will soon be the owner of a telephoto lens for my camera! Actually, per UPS, it should arrive sometime today (Friday), which means, if the weather cooperates on Saturday or Sunday, I will probably be out experimenting to see what sorts of pictures I am able to take. If this were an ideal world, I would have gotten an entirely new digital camera, something along the lines of the brand-new Canon Digital Rebel XT. However, because the cost of a professional EOS (SLR) digital camera such as this one, without calculating the cost of the extra lenses that would indisputably have to go with it, can easily set a person back more than $1000 (Canon’s MSRP is $1499.99), I will have to be happy with my current camera for probably at least a year or two more. So that’s why I decided to upgrade to a 252mm (in 35mm film camera terms) telephoto: because I will have my current digital camera for some time into the foreseeable future.

Pictures
Buffalo River State Park – officially, the day was April 3, 2005:


Inside the park, at the visitors center, looking toward the entrance of the park


I've always been fond of spring scenes like this one, where the all the snow has melted to uncover brown grass and bare trees


Welcome to the prairie! Actually, from this point to end of the straight trail is a distance of over 1/4 of a mile


A very brown pairie that will soon turn green and fill with lush vegitation


Another prairie scene

Banning State Park – April 9, 2005:

Another shot, albeit this time without snow on the ground, of the railroad bridge in Banning State Park - compare to my February photo


Another vantage point of the bridge - notice how blue the water of Kettle River is


Likely a member of the Geomyidae family


Another shot of the Kettle River - notice, once again, how blue the water is


The mandatory sign of Sandstone


A non-mandatory sign of Sandstone, made out of, uhhuh, Kettle River Sandstone


The former high school, current elementary school, of Sanstone, made out of, uhhuh, Kettle River Sandstone


Highway 23 just north of Sandstone, between Askov and Bruno


Highway 23 is definitely in pine and birch country once you venture north of Sandstone


About 20 miles south of Duluth on MN 23


A closeup of the setting sun, nearly 17.43 minutes before sunset

Next time I post pictures, I do believe I will share some I took at night at Cragun's during the state Knowledge Bowl meet last week.