The Black Dog’s PhotoBlog

I was up near the Isanti County fairgrounds the other day and thought I’d stop by and update the pictures I have of the old house. I was curious after my last post what updates they might have made over the past couple of years. It looks like they’ve put a nice little deck on and added some wood shutters. Looks kind of cute don’t you think? I’m dying for them to do some work on the inside of this house. I love antique furniture and vintage décor. In my next house, maybe I’ll decorate it in a vintage style. I still have a few antiques my mother gave me.

This is the home that my friend’s father grew up in. The original homestead is in Springvale Township just north of Cambridge MN. The home was built in the 1870s by his great grandparents. While his uncle still lives on the original homestead the original house has since been donated to the Isanti County Historical Society and now sits on the Isanti County Fairgrounds. 1870’s Pioneer Home Museum

Since I live near Isanti County I visit the fairgrounds on many occasions throughout the year. I look forward to watching what they do with this house and taking pictures of the progress to share with everyone.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

~

Several years back a friend of mine over in the UK told me about this celebration called Bonfire Night.

This celebration started 403 years ago on November 5th in 1605 after a failed attempt to kill King James I and blow up the Houses of Parliament. The hope was that in blowing up the Houses of Parliament they would also kill members of Parliament. The plotters were 13 English Catholics who felt repressed and persecuted by the current and previous rulers. This attempt was dubbed the ‘Powder Treason’ or ‘Gunpowder Plot’.

Guy Fawkes was one of the 13 conspirators. Guy Fawkes was caught under the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder. Within a few days his fellow allies were either dead or captured. Guy Fawkes was imprisoned, tortured and then gruesomely executed. (Publically hung, drawn and quartered.)

That same night, after many Londoners heard the news that their King had been saved, they lit bonfires in celebration. Over the years this celebration has grown larger and more elaborate. Today the event is commemorated every year on Nov. 5th. You’ll see fireworks and burning figurines or dummies of Guy Fawkes and sometimes other contemporary politicians tossed on the bonfires in the UK.

If you’re curious, you can find more detailed information at:
The Gunpowder Plot: Parliament & Treason 1605

Picture of Guy Fawkes capture, Unknown author, public domain.

I personally think it’s ironic that this political celebration in the UK follows our election day and want to suggest that us Americans get in on this. Anything for a party – huh? But seriously, why not? Let’s all celebrate with our neighbors across the pond and have a bonfire. We have plenty to celebrate. I’m thrilled that all the politically charged ads and discussions will come to an end for a while and I can eat my dinner, watch TV, listen to the radio or have a conversation in peace. I’m tired of all the junk political mail being jammed into my mail box and the politicians who knock on my door and want to talk for “just a few minutes” while my dinner gets cold or over cooks on the stove. Lets all have a bonfire to burn all those political mailings we’ve received over the past few months. Lets celebrate the fact that yet another election year has passed! Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I live in a country where I have a voice and a vote. However, I hate all the campaigning and propaganda that gets shoved down my throat in the process.

Can you smell that clean fresh air?

Being a fan of Dorothea Lange, I had to try photographing laundry hanging out to dry. My biggest dilemma in making these photos was deciding how I wanted to show the motion of the clothes blowing in the wind. Did I want to blur the motion or did I want to stop the motion and have the picture in clear focus. Ultimately, I couldn’t make up my mind so I tried a little of both.

For the first picture below I used a slow shutter speed with a tripod mounted camera which gives you the feel of motion with the blurring where the motion occurs. The second picture I used a fast shutter speed which shows you the motion but stopping it in it’s tracks.

Laundry hanging out to dry kind of reminds me of when I use to develop my own film and hanging prints up to dry. It seems like everyone can relate to the clothes line in some way or another. That’s what really fascinates me are how many people love photos of laundry strung out to dry. It seems to bring up a thought, a memory or an emotion. Maybe of their grandmothers or that clean smell of the outdoors or maybe its how nice and crisp the sheets feel to sleep in after drying in the warm breeze of autumn. Maybe it’s just remembering a time that seemed so much more simple.

A thought, a memory, an emotion, isn’t that what pictures, are about?

Every year this is one of my favorite sites. The reflection of the luminaries and vendor booths around the water after the sun goes down. I can’t leave until I see this.

A closer view of the luminaries at dark

Last night I attended the Cambridge, MN annual Relay for Life. These Relays occur all over the United States beginning in Tacoma, Washington back in 1985.

This morning I was trying to figure out what to write in my blog about this event and it turned out to be much harder than I thought it would. Now-a-days we all know someone who’s life has been touched by cancer. I could share with you my stories about the survivors I know and about the people I’ve lost but I think it would be better to let you reflect on your own stories or memories.

The man with the hat! Don’t you just love it?

This really gave us a chuckle. Hanging at one of the vendors stands, a “Redneck Wind Chime”.

I must send a special thanks to my husband’s aunt Marian for introducing us to these Relays 5 years ago and for her hard work and devotion to this cause. We have come a long way since 1985 in detecting and treating cancer but there is still a long way to go.

American Cancer Society, Relay for Life