Outdoor Classroom

Students from Lake Mills watch on as reenactors demonstrate fighting techniques used during medieval times. Students from Iowa and Minnesota converged on Charles City (Iowa) on Friday for the annual Military History Days event.

Speaking From Experience

Bob Hill, of Albert Lea, Minnesota, talks to students from Hampton-Dumont about his personal experiences in the British Army. Hill, along with his fully restored British Army Ferret Scout Car, participated in this years Military History Days in Charles City, Iowa.

If all goes as planned, I should have additional photos from MHD posted soon!

Sunshine on a Stem

A patch of bright yellow daffodils, found in Mill Race Park along Riverside Drive, bloomed just in time for Easter in Charles City, Iowa.

High Above

Firefighters extend the bucket of the Charles City Fire Department’s aerial truck high above the flag pole in front of the station.

Photo © by Allen Murray

Stormy Night

I was watching the thunderstorm move in and it occurred to me that I have never tried my hand at shooting lightening before. The rain was starting to come down pretty hard and I didn’t really want to subject my camera to the rain. (I heard something once about electronics and water, and how they shouldn’t mix.) I ended up propping the door open and pulling up my desk chair, keeping my finger on the shutter release. Beginner’s luck I am sure, but I actually I managed to capture the first bolt after I got set up. At first I wasn’t real happy with the shot, but the more I looked at it the better it seemed to get. Well, I waited for a while longer (I am not real patient) and most of the “good” lightening was occurring in ever area of the sky except where my view was limited by my dry seat. I figured living in Iowa will undoubtedly provide many more opportunities at photographing lightening.

Volunteer Firefighter Tryouts

An obstacle course, starting with a simulated attic crawl and ending with the dragging of a fire hose from one end of the fire department to the other, challenged both seasoned firefighters as well as those hoping to become the newest volunteers. The Charles City Fire Department’s physical agility testing was held Monday night as applicants gave it their all to complete the various testing stations.

According to Eric Whipple, the department’s public information officer, the fire department is looking for additional volunteers to fill in vacancies due to recent retirements. There are approximately 30 volunteers who along with a staff of full time firefighters serve the city of Charles City and St. Charles Township.

Existing members of the fire department completed the course as well and offered advice to the newcomers. In addition to the attic crawl and the hose drag, participants needed to swing a sledge hammer 50 times, open a fire hydrant, drag a 140 pound “body”, and lift and carry a ladder. Participants completed the obstacles wearing a bunker coat and air pack.

More photos of this event can be found here.

A Ride Into The Night

Rain Drain

Water from a light rain shower drains off the Main Street bridge and into the Cedar River.

Cameron By The River

My daughter, Cameron, enjoys accompanying me while I am out shooting photos. She often manages to make it in a few of my shots.

Heavy Rains Raise River Level

A large tree gets hung up on a dam in the Cedar River in Charles City.

Heavy rains in Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota prompted the National Weather Service out of Des Moines, Iowa to issue several flood statements. As of 11:45 AM today, the Cedar River in Charles City was at 9.56 feet and falling. The flood stage for the river is 12 feet.

I was out shooting some train photos today and noticed a message on the inside of one of the cars. I climbed up inside to read what was on the wall. I was surprised to see that it was from “Iowa Poet Blackie”. I had never heard of him until I seen a story and some photos from Bryon Houlgrave on Hobos. I thought it was kind of an interesting find.