Dignity of Earth and (Night) Sky

 

Well, I was supposed to be in the southwestern U.S. right now, but a myriad of things that came up unexpectedly put a stop to my travel plans. Typically, if passing through South Dakota on my way out west, I would stop and visit the Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture in Chamberlain. It is such a beautiful sculpture.  I've stopped and visited it a number of times now but I'm still drawn to it. On my last trip I wanted to photograph it after dark.  I arrived just after it got dark and was able to photograph the sculpture with Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) just to the left.  

Home under the stars

 

The Milky Way over my home in northeast Minnesota. I've been stuck at home for much of the past week due to illness and my sleep patterns have become pretty erratic, as I sleep when my body tells me I need to.  This means I've been sleeping away quite a few of the daylight hours as well as the night time hours. This also means that I am often up for 2-3 hours in the middle of the night. So, I've been trying to make the most of it and setting my tripod up in the yard for a timelapse or a quick photo.  In last night's case, it was for a quick photo. Even though its late October now and the most photogenic part of the Milky Way is leaving our sky, it is still a marvelous sight. If you haven't checked it out lately, please do.  You won't be disappointed. 

October Night Sky over Pete's Island

 

A beautiful star-filled sky accented with thin, fast-moving clouds made for some nice conditions to sit and take in the view over Pete's Island on Lake Superior last night. This is essentially the view from my front yard and one that I never tire of, not even for a minute. 

Milky Way over Bears Ears East and Bears Ears West

 

Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah. One of the most incredible places that I've had the pleasure of watching the Milky Way make its nightly march across the sky. At elevations just shy of 11,000 feet, the Bears Ears peaks have a view of the night sky that is hampered much less by atmospheric haze than lower elevation locations.  The Bears Ears area has been a place of significance for indigenous people for thousands of years and is home to countless cliff dwelling and rock art sites. Today, the monument is uniquely co-managed by 5 local tribes (the Navajo Nation, Hopi, Ute Mountain Ute, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Pueblo of Zuni, all of which have ancestral ties to the region), the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. 

Tipi camping at Upper Sioux Agency

 

From my stay at Upper Sioux Agency State Park in southwest Minnesota this past June. It was my first time visiting the park and I found it to be a very beautiful area.  Staying in one of the tipis was certainly a cool experience, and a highlight of my vacation. One interesting thing to note is that recent legislation directs the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to transfer land at Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community.  This is a pretty unique thing to occur in the state park system... land getting transferred back to a tribal community. I am thrilled for the Upper Sioux Community that a prime piece of their land will be getting returned to them!  

Hovenweep Night Sky

 

Hovenweep is a cool little park that made for the perfect place to spend the last night of my trip to the southwest back in June. I rolled into the park just before sunset, after visiting the Four Corners Monument. It was a hot day... 97 degrees.  As the sun went down the temperature was perfect for lounging around comfortably in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt while watching the Milky Way rise above the horizon. I made this image right from my campsite at Hovenweep. 

Autumn Blaze

 

It sure has been a fantastic year for fall colors so far!  Here is a scene showing a cluster of maple leaves that had some nice dramatic light when I happened across them. I love looking for details like this in the forest. 

How quickly things change...

 

This evening's sunset was pretty surreal.  We had fog for most of the day but as the sun was setting, the fog was trying hard to burn off. A brisk wind off Lake Superior was pushing the fog inland, occasionally blocking visibility of the sun. As often happens with fog, it made for some really beautiful photos. Hard to believe that the maples are well past their peak colors already, with most of their leaves now laying on the ground.  Just one week ago the forest was ablaze with their vivid colors.