Super Blood Moon from Blue Mounds State Park

Panoramic from Blue Mounds State Park getting ready to shoot the moon.  My shadow is in the picture also.

I read that there will not be another Super Blood Moon until the year 2033.  This was a unique time to practice photography and reflect on the significance of this event.  I have seen headlines of supernatural events associated with this time in our history.  While these theories are intriguing, what can I do about it if an apocalypse were to come to pass?  My only thoughts were recording this historical time in pictures, being creative, inquisitive, thankful, and enjoying these moments God provided.  

Trail starts just beyond this tree.
Used my sunglasses as a filter for this shot.

We drove about 45 minutes to Blue Mounds State Park in Minnesota to hike the ridge and discover a spot to take pictures. We brought water, a flashlight, camera equipment, and jackets. The sun was bright, the sky was clear, and the wind was strong, As we entered the hiking trail, a huge tree rustled leaves and swayed with the wind.  The trail was cool green grass with scattered boulders and rocks to the sides.  The ridge was treeless for the most part; just tall grasses and a sky that goes on forever.  After a few minutes, we stopped to admire the distant lakes, corn fields, farm houses, silos, and country roads below us. There was a small quarry from the 1930's. An information post told of its beginnings and history.  The rock was blasted out and shipped to a nearby crushing plant for use on roads and other projects in the local area. Another information post recorded this: 

In 1836, making his way to the Pipestone quarry, George Catlin described the vegetation of the prairie. "There is not a tree or bush to be seen.  The eye may range east and west to a boundless extent over a surface covered with grass.  The grass is green at one's feet but changes to blue in the distance like the blue and vastness of the ocean.  Man feels here, the thrilling sensation of unlimited freedom."

I repeated the words "unlimited freedom", took a deep breath, and looked out across the land imagining what early explorers must have felt when they crossed this way and realizing too that we are explorers ourselves in so many ways.

Farms, cornfields, and lakes from the trail.

The trail is soft grass.

Pipestone quarry.  Our shadows holding hands.

On the other side of the ridge a herd of bison contained by a fence grazed below in an open field.  A woman taking her daily run was silhouetted on the ridge. A rabbit jumped out between rocks as the sun was setting. We set up the tripod and camera on a shelf of flat rock and watched the sun set and the super blood moon appear. We discussed the science of this event, where the little puddles of water came from since we have not had any rain and warnings of the spindly cactus growing along the rock. We took selfies with our remote and tried the popular pose of appearing to hold the moon up in the air with our own hand.

Moon finally comes out after the sun sets below the horizon.

The moon finally appeared as the sun settled under the horizon and it was unusually majestic with an rusty orange glow, effortlessly hanging in the sky.  I practiced taking photos every few seconds with different settings.  I kept having to adjust the tripod because the moon was moving.  Eventually the moon went behind clouds in the darkness creating an eerie night sky.  I saw the beginnings of the eclipse but soon the clouds were too dense to see anything.  We gathered our things and walked by flashlight back to the car avoiding the little water puddles and stumbling hazards.  This was a great evening.

The moon is hard to capture.  A regular small camera only captures a small white dot.  A camera and lens kit such as what I have captures some detail and I was using the far edge of my camera abilities this night.  I feel I am ready for a better, longer reaching lens...  and some more training and practice. Learning and exploring is what makes photography fun.

Ghost at Oxbow Lake

Smaller trail for the adventurous

     Jeff and I decide to take a late evening walk at one of the popular parks in Sioux Falls called Sertoma Park.  As we approach the entrance, an adorable bunny surprises us as it hops around a large tree.  It is a baby bunny and tries to hide by flattening its body against the grass. After admiring this small creature, we continue walking across the road and into the park. Many fireflies light up the trail and woods all around, signaling the approach of darkness.  Perhaps this should be a fast-paced walk. It has been a long time since we have seen so many fireflies.  An eerie feeling comes over me as the trees on the trail hide the daylight. We see smaller trails leading off into the darkness of the woods.  Little fluffy white tufts have fallen from a large old Cottonwood tree nearby covering our path with a wispy film.  The stagnant Oxbow Lake can be seen through the brush.  It has no definite shore and has evaporated and formed areas of mud with critter footprints throughout. 

 “I wonder if there could be ghosts here.” I asked.

Resident Deer at Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls, SD

Jeff smiled and replied, “You know, there is an old Sioux legend about a warrior who wanders these woods looking for his lover.  He died in battle and was never given a proper burial.  So, he appears after sunset making all these trails with his continual roaming.” 

I know Jeff made up this story, but what if there is some mysterious presence lurking in the woods.  It is getting dark and we are not prepared for an overnight stay on the trail or getting lost and the trail seems longer than I thought.  I am the practical one, as you can tell.  We rounded a bend into an open field.  I unexpectedly see two eyes through the dark brush.  I realize we have come upon a deer.  We are so close to it, yet it is not afraid.  The deer wanders over the trail behind us and into the field and continues foraging.  A couple of rabbits hop in front of us and hide in the tall grass. 

We continue our walk and cross over Oxbow Lake on a sturdy wooden bridge.  I see another old Cottonwood tree at one end. Jeff and I begin light playful banter:  “The trail is this way.” “No, the trail goes that way.” “It is not far to the end now.”  “No, we go this way and have to walk all around this field before we are done.”  “That cannot be, you are wrong.”  “We are going to need a flashlight!”  “No, we won’t; we’ll be alright without it.”  “Oh yes, we can use our phones to light the way.”  “We need to conserve the batteries.” 

   

Charming  wooden bridge over Oxbow Lake

Suddenly, dark objects appear in the open field in front of us  Rabbits, lots of rabbits darting away here and there and hiding, except for one huge rabbit standing upright.  I am thinking this must be the old wise one that waits to see if there is a real danger before he abandons his activities.  After all, not many rabbits have been killed in this park as you can tell by their sheer numbers.  Unable to resist, I take off running toward that fat rabbit.  It runs away faster than any of the others.  I chuckle, but ahead there are more rabbits…invasion of the rabbits!  Rabbits might be dangerous in numbers if they decide to attack a human.  Remember, I am the practical one, and I like to plan ahead just in case.

We notice that some canoes are stored by a small pond and discuss how fun it might be to come back and rent one.  However, we see that the canoes are charred and broken and destroyed by fire. “This could be the doing of that restless Indian warrior that wanders the park at night,” I mused. Jeff grins.

Oh! Something touched my ankle!  Before I have a chance to react, it happens again.  I jump away and scream.

“What’s wrong?” Jeff asks concerned. 

“Something touched me!  Something hairy!”

Jeff and I look around to see if rabbits are there.  I look back from where we came and saw a light… no a torch!  I see the Sioux warrior carrying a torch coming towards us on the trail.  Jeff sees that I am distressed and asks again, “What’s wrong?”  I point, but he does not see anything.  I look again…  I do not see anything either.

“Let’s go.  I am getting thirsty.”  Jeff said.  I take another glance back to make sure we are not being followed.  The light fades, the trail becomes more difficult to follow, but we are close to the end.  As we step into familiar surroundings and street lights, Jeff exclaims, “You sure do walk fast!”

NOTE:  Most of this is true.  We did discuss a possible ghost while we were walking as part of our bantering.  Sure made the walk interesting, along with all the wild life and trails. This park has so much to offer that I will post more pictures.  Here is more information:  Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls, South Dakota