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Happy New Year!
Like everyone else out there, we are making our New Year’s resolutions on how to make our lives better in 2012 and trying to keep up with our soon to be teenage daughter and our son.
Balance is the word for the new year.
I am glad to see the end of 2011. It has been a challenging last year. So far 2012 has been on the blustery side but there has been little cold or snow so far this Winter.
It gets dark way too early this time of year. Outside pictures have to be done before 5:00 pm or it’s just too dark out. On our way to Rachel’s girls basketball game in Ramona on Thursday night, the sunset was beautiful at about 4:45. I fee bad for the people that live in the city that never get to enjoy a prairie sunrise or sunset.
My friend Roger was combining just east of Madison on old Hwy 34 a couple of weeks ago. Someone evidently lost a wrought iron picnic table from the back of a pickup during the summer because Roger was lucky enough to find it. I came along just in time to see the damage.
Checking out the fields is the area and you can see that corn harvest for South Dakota is not too far away. The kernels are dented and sunshine has provided drying on the stalk this Fall.
One of Dacey’s entries received a Judge’s Choice Award at the State Fair for his photography. The picture of a spider web will be featured on the State 4-H Calendar.
We went out one morning very early. We were driving back to Rutland down a gravel road when Dacey told me to stop the van. He ran back to the bridge we had just crossed and captured the spider web in the early morning sunlight.
We couldn’t be more proud.
Spring has arrived according to the calendar, but the temps sure seem like Winter.
The river is running strong at Falls Park.
It’s tough getting across Dell Rapids on a few of the streets.
The sidewalk to nowhere? This park in Dell Rapids along the river is a favorite place of ours to take senior pictures. We will have to wait for quite a while before the park dries up.
If you value you car, do NOT go on Highway 34 east of I-29. There are hundreds if not thousands of deep potholes with no signage to warn you of all of the craters in the road. I am embarrassed that my state has a highway this bad.
It looks as if it will be a while before anyone will be able to use the playground at Lake Herman State Park. The water has taken over the many of the campsites and is close to going over the road in many places within the park.
Christina takes over duties from Lisa who enjoyed two years as our personal trainer at the Community Center in Madison. I’ve always found that it helps to have a trainer to push you farther than you would push yourself. They know all of the tricks to maximize your results. You too can workout with Christina during “Total Training” class at 12:15 in the aerobics room of the Community Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Christina is just one of the many trainers available to help you with your workout program at the Community Center. If you are interested in getting faster and stronger, talk to Jason Crisp upstairs in the weight room. He can find someone on his staff to help you reach your goals.
We’ve been serious about the programs at the Community Center for more than three years now. All it takes to get started is commitment and then dedication until exercise and wellness becomes a part of your lifestyle. There is no need to be embarrassed about your current shape. We all have to start from somewhere. In a matter of months, your body will change and adapt to your new lifestyle. Not only will you feel better, you’ll look better too. Hope to see you up there.
No Pictures Tonight at the Community Center. It’s too cold, windy and generally icky out, but we will be back tomorrow night to take more before pictures for the United Way KJAM/CC Fitness Challenge.
A few brave souls showed up on Friday to let us take their pictures, but we heard a lot of grumbling about not liking their picture taken and not wanting any pictures taken until they had lost the weight. Well, now, that kind of defeats the whole ”BEFORE” concept.
We made Aaron go first and then several others joined in. Brad hammed it up for us and had some fun with it.
So, really this isn’t suppose to be torture, so help me make this as silly as possible. Grab your partner. If you haven’t signed up yet, I’m sure Aaron will still let you in on the fun. Come up with the silliest, or most obnoxious get-up you can find and join us at the community center party room from 6 to 8 pm to take a BEFORE picture you can be “proud” of. How about stuffing your fat pants with pillow? Or dig deeper into that closet and find your 80′s look that doesn’t quite fit anymore. Bring your old pizza boxes, pop cans, and leftover candy wrappers. I’d love to see someone in an ugly Christmas Sweater. — You know we all have them. If you want, you can even wear masks to hide your identity.
Any way you want to do it, just come out and play along. No one’s double chin or beer belly has scared us off yet.
Then, in 8 weeks, we’ll be back to take a picture of you looking gorgeous in your new spring look. Can’t wait to see you there.
So, as I told you, Dacey and I planned to do the Freeze Your Fanny 5k Run on Saturday. We signed up on Wednesday with temperatures promising to be in the teens to mid-twenties. Immediately after we signed up, the weatherman began dropping the temperature. If you remember right, Friday’s weather was not pleasant. Blowing wind, snow, dropping temperatures, so I began to panic. Not so much for myself, but the mom in me was having fits about what I signed my son up for. Campbell Supply came to my rescue with facemasks and warm gloves, plus our favorite Aunt Linda gave us Land’s Ends vest for Christmas that seemed like the perfect layer in between four others.
Saturday morning broke with balmy zero degree temperatures, but unlike Friday, there was no wind and the sun was shining, so you didn’t really feel the cold. We headed in to Madison with a van full of happy supporters. Rachel had two friends with her, plus Mike, ever ready to be the family journalist. After we arrived at the Downtown Armory, we decided it was still plenty slippery outside with our path well covered with snow and ice. My generous husband ran out to One Stop and purchased YAKTRAKS, grips for the bottoms of your shoes highly recommended by our friends, the Waldners. We loved them. It kept us moving on the ice and snow and we didn’t have to worry about slipping.
So, as soon as we all were set to go, twenty of us braved the cold and a lot of slippery roads and ran our little journey around Madison. On a warm day, no one would have even flinched at the distance. Walking or running we basically circled the town, from Center St, to Union down to 8th St. S. up Egan and then a quick jaunt over to the Courthouse and then back to the Armory.
To get the final .1 of the 3. 1 miles we had to circle the block around Heritage High, but the cheerleaders were all cheering you on the block before. It kind of threw us for a loop, because here we thought we were to the finish line and bummer, we had a block to go. Oh well. We all had fun. Dacey stayed with a young girl the whole way and they did a great job of encouraging each other. Dacey’s friend Austin came in first — Good for you, Austin, and Nikki Troxell took the women’s race.
So, were we cold? Not at all. I came home and threw all the four layers we were wearing in the wash, because they reeked of sweat. No worries about frost bite.
Thanks to Kathy who did a great job organizing, to all of the vendors who supplied great gift certificates and silent auction items, and volunteers who fed us lasagna, kept track of our times, and made sure we didn’t “Freeze our Fannies” too much. Remember this is a fundraiser for a group going to Guatemala to help with an orphanage. Go to www.leahskids.org to find out more.
So, it’s almost a week into 2011, and I’m just beginning to think about resolutions. Just like me to be a little bit behind, but charging ahead anyway.
It’s time again for the Community Center Fitness Challenge. Last year we had a great team. We lost weight, or at least, became more fit, and raised $95.50 for United Way. Plus, it jump started a whole new fitness craze for Michael and myself. We ended the fitness challenge with a small indoor triathalon, did our 2nd yearly triathalon with the CC in April and then was challenged by our favorite trainer Lisa to keep going toward a new goal. Lisa and I completed the Sanford/Children’s Miracle Half-Marathon in Sioux Falls in September. I was impressed with myself, but also impressed with the 2000 other runners, plus many many more staff and volunteers, that were all out there having a great time and raising money and awareness for a great cause.
So, here we are again in our new year, and I’m excited about what we accomplished last year, but always feel like there should be something more. What should I be focusing on this year that improves on what we have done before? This morning I awoke, having spent days fussing over the economy and cold weather and maybe a little of the SD winter blues, to a more forward-looking attitude. This year, 2011, I look forward to more of what we’ve enjoyed the most over the last couple years. I want to do more activity and be busier than ever. Hmm, let me re-phrase that.
I want to do more with our community for those around us. Of course, I want all of Black Studios fans and friends to join in my insanity. So where do I start? Well, of course, the Community Center Fitness Challenge. This year they’ve changed it up a bit. Last year, we worked as a team with several of our clients and friends. This year the CC is asking for more teams in groups of 2. So, Michael and I will be up at the CC almost every day doing whatever we can to lose weight and stay fit. We want you to join us.
Grab yourself a partner and come sign up at the CC. Weigh in this week, and start working out together for fun, fitness and even a few prizes. Plus, the entrance fee ($15 per person) all goes to helping United Way. Another bonus! Tomorrow, Friday, January 7, from 12:00 to 3:00 pm and also on Tuesday, January 11 from 6 to 8 pm, Michael and I will be at the CC center taking pictures of anyone who shows up, but mainly groups entering the CC challenge. Then at the end of February, we’ll be back to retake the groups, and see the results of 8 weeks of working out and having fun together.
If that wasn’t enough, our crazy friends at the Wesleyan Church have come up with another way to get us all out, active and helping others. Saturday morning, 10 am, at the downtown armory, the Wesleyan group is sponsoring a FREEZE YOUR FANNY 5k run. BRRR. Temps are suppose to be in the 20′s, so why not. I signed Dacey and myself up today, so we are planning to be there. The event is to raise funds for a group from Madison who help with an orphanage in Guatemala. I guess I will be dreaming of warm and sandy locations while chilling my insides. But, they promise to feed me and give me a t-shirt, so how much more could I want! Go to www.leahskids.com to find out more, then keep clicking to www.allsportcentral.com to sign up to join me.
Join me in making 2011 a year of changes for the better, for ourselves but for others as well.
Our friend Cory posted a video on YouTube recorded during a tour of the Madison High School. Mrs. Knowlton has done a wonderful job of communicating the needs and shortcomings of the current facility. Please take the advantage of the opportunity to become a better informed voter by taking the tour and asking questions about one of the most important buildings in Madison.
Details about the project can be found at Madison High School Renovation.
To schedule a tour call the Madison High School at 256-7706.
ElizaBeth and I are proud to be MHS Alumni.
I grew up on a farm with tractors that had no cabs. Very few farmers then had four-wheel drives tractors, but now it seems as if they are the norm. It’s almost time to put the big tractors away for the season. A few are still working ground getting ready for next Spring.
It’s contest time: who is running the tractor in the field just west of Rutland.
Singers from Colman-Egan, Oldham-Ramona and Rutland spent the day preparing and rehearsing for a concert on Monday night in the Rutland gym.
Poor dog. We didn’t take pictures of the kids on Halloween, but we did take pictures of Angel in her costume. Angel was in heaven on Sunday night. She got her share of attention from kids during the Trunk or Treat at the West Center Baptist Church parking lot.
Here are a few from Saturday’s parade in Madison. Which one is your favorite?
You can lead a horse to water…
There is flooding almost everywhere in our area. Basements are being pumped out, roads are closed and anything along a creek is flooded like this pasture just to the south of Rutland. The new horse barn is very close to the water while the horses decided to abandon the dry high ground of the east end of the pasture and stand in the rising water.
It’s quite a transition to make. I haven’t gone done to the Rambler Stop convenience store for morning coffee with the guys this week. That cuts down the social interaction. When I take a break from the computer, I can’t walk down to the store two or three times a day and pick up a pop and a candy bar. Now I get up, walk around, drink a glass of water and go back to the computer. We certainly have enough computer work to keep us busy. After while though, your eyes are burning and the fun of retouching loses its charm.
Each year I go through the struggle of weaning myself off soda pop and caffeine. I decided to rid myself of the corn fructose added calories and get my sleep schedule back on track by eliminating the Pepsi I so dearly enjoy.
I am so tired. The only thing keeping me awake is the splitting headache that will not go away.
I want a nap…a 16 hour long one. Unfortunately I have obligations and responsibilities: I have a lot of retouching to do before tomorrow morning. I picked a heck of a time to give up the go juice.
We’ve been fighting this nasty email issue for more than a month. Michael’s sister Linda stopped with Anthony for a short visit on their way home last night. It only took her a few minutes to diagnose the problem and implement a remedy. Everything seems to be working fine so far.
The studio is on short hours for the week as we try to spend some quality time with the munchkins before they head off to school. We will be returning phone calls and emails as time allows as well as finishing up some retouching on a few orders. We will be back full force on Friday. Leave a voice mail and we will get back to you.
We took today off to spend with our kids as a family unit…no studio work. That’s not exactly true. We did spend a little time unloading the van and put things away from Friday’s wedding in Madison (Kevin and Audry) and Saturday’s wedding in Nunda (Laura and Anthony). All the files are downloaded, double checked and backed up to DVD. The batteries are all recharged and the cameras are ready to go for another week of studio sessions and ball teams. Only 4 hours today…
We spent this evening at Wild Water West. There is something to be said for sitting in an innertube and letting the artificial current take you round the “Lazy River”. I wasn’t as excited about the cold water being sprayed in my face as part of the experience, but that was offset by the fun of taking ElizaBeth with me. The kids had a great time on everything…even if dear ol’ Dad beat them on the go carts. It was fun just watching them laugh and play together.
I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day!
We listened on the radio Thursday night as the weather service issued a tornado warning for Lake County. Dacey and I stopped at the Lake Madison Lutheran Church on the way home from Madison to take some long exposures. We set the camera on the roof of the car to steady the shot.
Dacey did an excellent job of capturing the glow of the sun’s last rays as the storm passed to the north of the church heading east.
Only in Rutland…
Yesterday was “Drive Your Tractor to School Day” for the Rutland FFA students. FFA week falls in February and it was way too cold to bring out the tractors this Winter.
After a nice warm spell, we are not getting our share of blustery days. It spits. It blows. It’s cold out there. Not great for outside pictures.
This morning ElizaBeth called me on the way home about some bad wind erosion in a field northeast of Madison. I grabbed the camera and took a few shots for the Madison paper. Right when I pulled up in the car, it was much worse than this. I had to turn the car around so I could open the door safely. By that time the dust had settled down from what it had been.
ElizaBeth and I have debated attending Jason’s Monday night swim class for months. Tonight we threw caution to the wind, got rid of the “I can’ts”, sucked it up and got in the van for the trip to the Community Center.
Jason tells me that he can improve my swimming style by making me more efficient. Right now, I am up to “not drowning” in my skill level. I can cruise one lap of the pool and then gravity takes over. The arms grow tired, the feet sink and I gasp for air. I wonder how long it will take for those drills to make swimming easy.
I was expecting pain. I was pleasantly surprised. Jason isn’t known for easy workouts. The hour flew by. There might just be hope for me yet. I’m still not a big fan of water. I’d rather be at a wedding doing photography with my beautiful wife ElizaBeth, but it’s time to toughen up (again) and get into better shape.
I’m not a real big fan of swimming. When I was a kid, I loved the pool. As an adult that barely learned how to swim, I’m not as thrilled by it. After two years of working with a trainer at the Community Center, I’ve finally advanced to the “not drowning” skill level.
A few weeks ago, I pulled a back muscle. I laid off the training and visited the chiropractor. I didn’t get much relief until I visited Gina Norman at Touch of Heart for a massage. Both ElizaBeth and I go see Gina every month or so to take out the knots out after spending too much time on the computer. Gina worked me over good and I felt so much better.
My attitude over the past weeks has been in need of some improvement. The back wasn’t letting me get much sleep and I wanted to let it heal before running the triathlon on Saturday. I’ve discovered that I really need exercise to relieve the stress associated with life. After the triathlon, I figured I’d take it easy. I couldn’t take it any more. I needed a good workout. I was excited to get in the pool again. I woke up half a dozen times in the night in anticipation.
At 6:30 am, we were at the Community Center and ready to go. I felt so much better after an hour of Lisa’s “encouragement” in the pool. The back feels good and I’m much more productive. I realize that if I’m lazy, I’m going to feel worse because of it. I NEED to exercise every day.
It’s going to be a cold morning on Saturday when we come out of the Madison Community Center pool and run to the bike racks for our first transition. ElizaBeth and Dacey will be joining in the fun. ElizaBeth has been training with a vengance. Dacey is a little anxious about doing well. He wants to beat me and I want to crush him. The old man isn’t dead yet. I figure I’ve got a couple of years left before the magic of youth buries me. I’m going to take every last victory I can still get.
The race starts at 9 am in the pool. The fastest people go first. It’s a snake swim – you move from lane to lane as you complete a lap. What if you are slower than the person behind you? To pass someone in front of you, you just tap their foot. The fun comes at the end of the swim when you go from the nice heated pool to temps of 30 some degrees while only wearing a still wet swimsuit.
In the first transition, you have to put on whatever clothes you need along with socks and shoes. The bike portion of the race goes west on 9th street and then north on highway 81. Last year, we were blessed with strong north winds that made that first hill unfun. The crew at the Community Center have volunteers manning different parts of the course making it easier for the first time triathletes to find their way. Four miles from Pizza Ranch, the bikes turn around and head back to the parking lot and T2.
Running feels funny after 9 miles on the bike. This triathlon is one of the shorter ones around. The run is only two and a quarter miles. If you burned your legs up on the bike, you can still walk if you have to.
Who is going to win? Not any of us. Jason Crisp has made this his race. Jason has done Kona in Hawaii. Just to qualify for Kona means that you aren’t a normal human being. You have to be gifted physically, train hard and be mentally tough.
