Bishops, Cardinals and Trick Plays

I started working with kids in the summer of 1976 when I was the Assistant Summer Rec Director for the City of Chamberlain. Eventually I was the director and went on to coach baseball, basketball and football. I have worked with kids in some way ever since - some forty plus years.

When my wife and I moved from Omaha to Des Moines in 1984, I volunteered to coach a baseball team. The boys were 12-14 years old and we had a good summer. I enjoyed working with them and I believe the boys had fun. We were respectable - I think we were about .500.

Toward the end of the season, one of the fathers asked me if I'd be interested in coaching the St. Theresa's Cardinals. We belonged to St. Theresa's Parish and several of the boys on the baseball team would be on the football team so I agreed to coach them.

So later that summer, I went to an organizational meeting at one of the other Catholic churches in Des Moines. I could tell from the minute I entered the room that this was not going to be like my baseball experience earlier that summer. The room smelled like testosterone and I think I saw guys keep getting up and peeing in the corner!! This room was full of guys determined to relive their football glory days!

Kruising on the Krawdaddy

These  moments  we're  left  with

May  you  always  remember  

These  moments  are  shared  by  few  

And  those  harbor  lights,  lord,  they're  coming  into  view 

We'll  bid  our  farewells  much  too  soon  

So  drink  it  up,  this  one's  for  you 

Honey,  it's  been  a  lovely  cruise  

“Lovely  Cruise”  -  Johnathan  Baham,  1977

The Kradaddy sits in Cedar Shore marina

In the spring of 1999, as I was frantically trying to secure tickets for the Final Four in Tampa, I was concurrently bidding on a boat. I had looked at the boat before leaving town and had set a limit for my proxy bidder. When I learned I was the high bidder, I wasn't sure if I was the winner or the loser!

This is the story of that boat and the ten great summers on Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River that followed. 

Explorers Win 2016 Volunteers of the Year

The CMS Explorers won the 2016 Volunteers of the Year Award from the Chamberlain-Oacoma Chamber of Commerce. The group accepted their award at the annual Chamber luncheon on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Each year, the Chamber gives the award to a person/group that makes a difference in the community by volunteering.

The Explorers Club is a service club for 6-8th grade boys. For more than sixteen years, the organization has served the Chamberlain-Oacoma community and school through fundraising and various service projects. In 2011, St. Joseph's Indian School students joined for the first time and now are active participants in the club.

Since its inception in 2001. the group has raised over $100,000 for their community and school. While that is a significant sum of money, Chamberlain city engineer, Greg Powell,  has said in the past, the Explorers have helped start and fund over $500,000 in projects for Chamberlain including ball fields, playground equipment, swimming pool equipment, fishing piers and other infrastructure.

That money has been used for a new baseball field, scoreboard and lights, a new soccer field, new playground equipment, a new picnic shelter, trees, new slides and other equipment for the municipal swimming pool, a fishing pier in the municipal campground, audio-visual equipment and an AED device for the school, the "Meals on Wheels" program,  Relay for Life, new flag poles at Avenue of Flags, playground equipment at American Creek Park, equipment at Tri-County Veterans Park and a disc (or frisbee) golf course among other things.

Going Deep

It was the bottom of the 17th inning, scored tied at 31-31, bases loaded and two men out. Suddenly, in deep left center field, a light began flashing. It was completely dark in the backyard field except for the light mounted on the house behind home plate. The flashing light in the outfield was a distraction to the hitter who was digging in for the critical at bat. At first no one noticed, but eventually, that light (in combination with my mother's calls) drew everyone's attention.

I don't remember how that game turned out. I don't even remember if I got to play until "the end" - perhaps because it is scrambled with so many other memories of summer evening neighborhood wiffle ball games, which were a nightly ritual in my neighborhood growing up.

I was reminded of such summer activities as I recently read Harper Lee's classic "To Kill a Mockingbird". While there are many complex and serious themes in that book, the tales of summer antics and playing outdoors until dark reminded me of my favorite childhood games.

Though my neighborhood had a vacant lot suitable for ball games, it was not mowed sufficiently most of the time and it did not have any (yard) lights (for those late night, extra inning classic that occurred at least six nights each week!). So we played most of our games at "Hutmacher Field", which was the largest backyard in the neighborhood.

Shaped a little like old Polo Grounds in New York (very short distances to the left and right field walls, and an unusually deep center field), it was a classic ball park. Just like every classic old ball park, it had its own characteristics.

Polo Grounds

There was a five foot drop off a retaining wall behind first base (which led to more slides into first), a cottonwood tree belt line created the boundary behind third base (sometimes a high fly to right field didn't come down!) and "the wall" in center field was a drainage ditch (leaving us to trust the outfielder's call as it got dark!). Visiting players were consistently flummoxed by the grounds rules!

Of course when I look at "Hutmacher Field" now, it's not nearly as big as I remember it when I was 10 years old.  The entire area between second base and the center field "wall" is now occupied by a blue spruce tree that no 10 year-old could ever appreciate then but that every South Dakota adult marvels at now! In its day, though, "Hutmacher Field" was a very spacious ball park. Like Polo Grounds, it served double duty as a football field in the fall.

Our neighborhood was full of ball players - both boys and girls. Some were regulars, other played only when there was nothing else to do. But the core of both teams remained pretty consistent.

Just like Major League Baseball teams, we played virtually every night. Our games, however, rarely went just nine innings. Often we would play a doubleheader and sometimes, as more players joined, we would play tripleheaders! I am certain that we played as many games in June-August as those big leaguers played in April-September.

There were no umpires. Get in the box and swing the bat. Swing and miss three times and go sit down. Breaks evened themselves out over the course of the summer. There were no adults to interfere or hand out participation trophies. We learned how to work it out and get along or the game would disintegrate.

Evenings in late June and early July were particularly busy as the summer solstice offered us daylight until almost 10 pm. Games lasting 25-30 innings were common then. BONUS BASEBALL! I still think of the wiffle ball season starting to wind down when I hear the dry, undulating buzz of the cicadas in late July and August.

It seemed like my Mom broke up every game. Though I know this wasn't true, her beckoning from the back door of our house in left center field was pretty hard to ignore - though I did my best!. I had determined that I could get in at least 2 innings from the first call to the "there's gonna be hell to pay" final summoning.

As I look back fondly at these summer games, I realize how lucky we were back then that there was no X-Box, Facebook or Snapchat. We had sweat, grass stains and mosquitoes instead! How lucky we were!

Another Point of Views

South Dakota adopted the slogan "Great Faces, Great Places" in 1990. It refers to the famous faces of Mount Rushmore and all the other interesting people and places across South Dakota. The slogan is seen on license places, promotional materials and some road signs.

The Chamberlain-Oacoma area, my home, has some of those great places. I have chosen my five favorite views in our area. It was difficult to narrow it down to just five. We have many spectacular views and I reserve the right to add to this post at a later time!

I need to point out that the most difficult part of this post was in choosing just one of the many photos that I have of each of these views. It seems that regardless of whether they come from my phone or my DSLR, these great views cannot be spoiled!

(I encourage you to click on each of the photos.)

Sunrise from my Deer Blind

The only thing that would make that sunrise better is the silhouette of a big 5x5 buck on the right or left side of that horizon. There is nothing like being reminded of the majesty of God's creation first thing in the morning. I admit to being a bit drowsy on some of those early mornings but a sunrise like that snaps me out of it better than a strong cup of java! (as does the silhouette of a nice rack of antlers!)

Chamberlain-Oacoma Bridge from ANY Angle

The Chamberlain-Oacoma Bridge (Old Highway 16 Bridge) has an interesting history. Perhaps, more importantly, it has personality. One only needs to look a mile to the south at the Lewis & Clark Memorial Bridge (Interstate 90 Bridge), which was built in 1974, to see a comparably functional, but completely vanilla bridge spanning the Missouri Bridge. The lights make it a great model 24 hours a day. Trust me when I tell you that I have many, many photos of this bridge taken at all times of the day!

Any Fireworks Display Over the Missouri River

If you've ever watched a fireworks show near water, you understand this one. The show is magnified by the reflection in the water. Chamberlain's "Rock the Bluffs" show is one of the area's best every year. Sometimes (as above) Mother Nature contributes to the grandeur.

Cliffs North of Chamberlain at Sunset in Summer

I've told many people that this is my favorite view in our area. Most have seen it from the the deck of Cedar Shore Resort. While this is a spectacular view, the best venue for this view is on a boat in the middle of the river. Ironically, I do not have photo of this view at my favorite time. The best time is when the sun has begun its descent behind the bluffs on the west side of the river casting a shadow on the water. The cliffs are still lit by the setting sun and are glowing in contrast to the deep blue of the water and the emerald green of the bluffs on the east side. This lasts about for only 12-15 minutes. I will have to capture that vista on pixels this coming summer!

 

 Any November, December, January Sunset from my Backyard

This is my favorite despite what I tell people! Those who visit us in the summer tell us how spectacular our sunsets are. They are right...kinda. While our summertime sunsets are great, our sunsets in the late fall into winter are the best. They are even better from our our backyard because the sun sets behind the bridge straight down river which gives us the most reflection possible. I am partial to the orange and red sunsets but the purple and yellow one are equally amazing.

I have learned over the years to identify when we will experience one of these breathtaking sunsets. We need a few clouds in the southwest sky later in the afternoon. The reflection in calm water adds to the splendor as does an ice covered river.

I literally have thousands of photographs of sunsets from my backyard. It took me a half hour to narrow them down to the six photos above. I can't help myself. When I see one of these glorious panoramas, I have to get a shot.

Follow me on Instagram (@DougKnust) for more #SDsunsets!

Update 2/15/2018: How about this one - absolutely untouched! November sunset from Amreican Creek Campground in Chamberlain.

Basking in the Sun

Our local paper, the Chamberlain-Oacoma Sun, as part of their "From Behind the Sidelines" series, featured a local automobile dealer in their October 14, 2015 issue. I was honored to be included with Chamberlain High School football announcer Donn DeBoer.

From the Sun:

DeBoer, Knust discuss what it's like being the 'Voice of the Cubs' 

There are voices that everyone recognizes and remembers - the voices of your mother and father, best friend, a son or daughter. For Cubs fans, there are two more that ring through clear as day: Donn DeBoer and Doug Knust. 

They've been dubbed “The Voice of the Cubs" for their game and other school function announcing, which when added together racks up over 30 years of talking, yelling and cheering. 

"It's been a longtime... I guess it’s a good thing I like to hear myself talk," joked DeBoer, who has announced Cub football games for approximately a decade. He’s also dabbled in basketball, track, the prom grand march and other school events whenever he's requested. 

All that talking has made his voice recognizable - even to strangers he doesn’t even know. 

“Sometimes it’s as if I can’t all anyone on the phone without them already knowing whoit is before I tell them,” said DeBoer. “There’s no disguising this voice." 

Knust keeps his vocal chords ready as well and calls basketball games during the winter season. He's been a Cub announcer at the Armory – the very same gym that he himself used to play in as a Chamberlain High School student while his father’s voice rang through the speakers for close to 23 years. He said  it seems like just the other day he started taking over the announcing duties from his father, Harry. It’s only when he starts doing the math that time is put into perspective. 

“I remember sitting with my dad as he was announcing games for the Cubs - probably hitting him up for a quarter for some popcorn or whatever it was I wanted," said Knust, smiling at the memory. "It's been pretty special." 

It's fitting the two men who perform the Cub announcing have voices with hear like qualities. Each has a deeper voice and one that can roar when necessary, like when there's Cub touchdown or the winning shot for the home team just went swish. Although part of the art of announcing is that announcers are supposed to show neutrality to both teams. But, diehard Cub fans like DeBoer and Knust say that rule doesn't apply to them. 

"I'm definitely a ‘homer.' I want my home team to win and get excited when we do," said Knust, who estimates he's called at least 450 basketball games for the Cubs. "Because it's those home games that are special for athletes, parents, students, and so on. The bleachers are packed. The band is playing. The fans are roaring. This all added together creates the perfect storm for announcers. They feed off that energy and get excited - especially when a win is in reach." 

"Like those Homecoming games - now those are the games you really want to win," said DeBoer. "You can't help it. Your voice gets louder and louder and more excited when home team does something good." 

But announcing is more than just running a play-by-play of the court or field. Every year athletes come and go and it seems like just as they start getting a handle on the athletes' names, the students graduate and new students step-up in their place. It's a never-ending cycle. But, both Knust and DeBoer admit that, for them, it's a bit easier than it looks because both are very active in the community and other Cub events. But, there's always the visiting team that comes with its own, unfamiliar athletes and a few last names that can trip-up even the greatest speakers who can conquer anything during a battle of linguistics. 

"Sometimes you have to get out your phonetics on the tricky ones," said Knust. There's also the aspect of time. It seems to slip by so quickly and both men put in hours and hours during their respective seasons. Although Knust owns Harry K's Chevrolet in Chamberlain and Winner and DeBoer works at Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center, the two don't seem to mind putting in a second shift for the Cubs. It's that and several other traits that make them so important to the Cubs. 

"One thing that both Donn and Doug bring to the events is a great deal of enthusiasm for the Cubs. They are truly Cub Fans. This enthusiasm spills over to the crowd and helps create the atmosphere that I envision our venues having during the events," said CSD Athletic Director Todd Palmer. "The second thing that both bring to the table is knowledge of the game. They help the crowd understand what is going on during the contest by explaining to them officials signals, giving stats out at half time, etc."Palmer said they also bring professionalism to the game and always are there to help out whether it's announcing or another task. 

"They are two individuals that I can count on thus taking that specific stress off of me," said Palmer. 

Neither man does it for the recognition, nor do they do it for the money. Rather, the two fanatics of football and basketball say they do it for other reasons. 

"It keeps me young," said DeBoer. 

"And really why wouldn't I keep doing it?" said Knust. "I've got the best seat in the house."

As the article mentions, I took over for my father. He was the original Cubs basketball announcer and started in 1963. I succeeded him in 1992. That's over 52 years of Knusts at the microphone announcing Cubs games.

I've enjoyed it immensely and am grateful to Sun editor Hannah Ruhlman for her thoughtful article.

The Fish Warriors

I grew up a block from some of the best walleye fishing on earth. As a kid, I loved to fish. Up to
about age 15, I fished a lot. Almost all of my fishing was off the rip rap (rocks) just in front of our house.

I would walk down to the river with my fishing rod and reel, tackle box and minnows and fish until (at least) dark. Building a driftwood fire was part of the experience so coming home smelling like smoke (and fish if I was lucky) was a regular occurrence.

I cannot remember my Dad ever fishing with me. He loved to check in on me when I fished and would always brag about the fish I caught. But he did not have the patience to fish.

So when I bought a guided fishing outing for two at a benefit auction, I had a plan to have my son, Alex, and my Dad do the fishing while I played videographer to capture the memories. It was perfect for both because our guide provided all necessary equipment, baited the hook and even took the fish off the hooks. All we had to do is show up at the marina on time!.

I knew Dad would agree to go because it meant he got to spend the day with Alex. He was a typical grandpa - whatever he could do to spend time with his twelve year-old grandson was a worthy activity.

So on a crisp May morning in 2001, we headed to the marina to meet our fishing guide. He was unloading the boat as we arrived and we were on the river and fishing less than twenty minutes later.

The video shows it better than my words can describe it but what you will see here is a grandfather and his grandson (both dressed in the obligatory Nebraska Huskers gear) enjoying a South Dakota tradition.

My only regret is that this is the only time these two did this together. Though they spent quite a few days together afield pursuing the South Dakota state bird, this was their only day together walleye fishing on the Missouri River.

Jimmy Houston may have more dramatic fishing footage but he doesn't have anything that comes close to this video to me.

Kindness, Like a Boomerang, Always Returns.

Our local paper, the Chamberlain-Oacoma Sun, recently did a feature story on volunteering and local volunteers. I was flattered to be interviewed for the story along with my friend, Susie Geiseler, who is a wonderful servant of our community.

Because volunteering is something that I am passionate about, I thought I would share that interview and the article from the paper. Because my space here is not limited, I have added some additional commentary that was not part of the interview. Those comments are italicized below.

Sun: What are some of the ways you volunteer?

HDK: I coach, teach religious education, serve as advisor for Explorers (junior high boys service club), serve on several local, state and national boards and various other things around our community and in church.

Sun: How or where can people volunteer in Chamberlain?

HDK: There are many organizations that are always looking for volunteers. Schools, churches, hospitals and retirement homes are good places to start. It depends somewhat on what you would like to do. Find someone who is volunteering in an area that you are interested in and ask them how you can get involved.

Sun: How did you get started or find information about how to volunteer?

HDK: My parents were both good examples to me. Both volunteered in the Chamberlain area and on statewide boards and projects.

My father was civic minded. He started the Chamberlain Chamber of Commerce in 1963. Dad realized the importance of a small community working together. He served on the city commission for nine years (anyone who has done that in a small community will recognize was a service that is!). He organized the school's athletic banquet for many years and taught religious education at St. James Catholic Church. 

My mother belonged to a local ladies service club, taught religious education at St. James and served on the South Dakota Easter Seal Board of Directors. She volunteered in many other ways at our church. 

Both of them showed me, by example, how to serve others long before the Jesuits ever got a hold of me.

In high school, they encouraged me to volunteer and to look for ways to serve others. I carried that interest in serving on to college. I went to school at Creighton University where volunteering was encouraged by the Jesuits. I had many opportunities at college to volunteer - through the school, the church and my fraternity.

After college, I really felt a need to serve others. I remember I started coaching a tee ball team in Omaha. I have some priceless stories from that time. That tested my patience but I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed serving as a Big Brother in Des Moines as well. I have some great experiences and stories from that period as well.

I naively thought that I would be teaching baseball when I coached tee ball. No, not so much. But I learned so much from those kids. Just because I showed them what to do or how to dot did not mean that they learned. That was a valuable lesson for me as I have continued to coach young people.

My Big Brother experience in Des Moines was great. I am reminded of the first hockey game I ever went to. That will be material for a later post!

Sun: Do you think volunteering is important?

HDK: Yes, I think it is very important.

Sun: Why?

HDK: There is an element of "giving back" that I think is very important. At some point, everyone has been on the receiving end of volunteerism - especially if you live in a smaller community like ours.

Additionally, I think anyone who volunteers can tell you that there is some self satisfaction that goes with serving others.

Sun: You seem to volunteer quite often, what drives you to do this?

HDK: Much of my volunteer work is with young people. I really enjoy coaching and teaching young people for what I would guess are the same reasons our professional teachers do. It is rewarding to watch them learn and grow as a person.

I think any volunteer is at least partially motivated to do so by a desire to "give back" to either a community, a cause, an industry, etc.

I believe that giving one's time is perhaps the most valuable thing anyone can give. We all have just 24 hours in every day and so that time becomes a very precious commodity.

Sun: How does it make you feel?

HDK: I guess it makes me feel pretty good. I can tell you that I have received far more than I could ever give in almost every situation in which I volunteered. So I feel a certain gratitude for the opportunities as well.

I feel fortunate to have all the wonderful relationships that I have made by volunteering.

Sun: Any tips? Should people tie volunteering to things they already like to do? For instance, say you are a talented cook, singer, or something like that, could volunteering be more fun if it plays on strengths? Or is trying something new equally fun?

HDK: Volunteering is a very personal thing. I encourage people to find something they enjoy and stick with it. Don't limit yourself though. If you have the time, volunteer more.

Sun: Anything else you'd like to add?

HDK: A community like Chamberlain-Oacoma thrives on volunteers. There are so many programs that exists only because of volunteers. Sometimes we forget that people are volunteering for things that we take for granted. Tell them thanks and that you appreciate what they do. If they didn't volunteer, we probably wouldn't have that program.

Unless you live in a small community, you don't realize how many great events and activities depend on volunteers. Volunteers are important in every community but they are the life blood of small communities!

We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.         —Winston Churchill

A Hunting Story

As I have mentioned in another post, hunting is a tradition in South Dakota. Like any tradition, it
needs to be carefully passed from generation to generation. I enjoy taking new prospective hunters (especially young hunters) hunting as much as any aspect of the hunting culture.

Pheasant hunting is an important part of the South Dakota economy, culture and tradition. I believe that every young person, male or female, should take part in some way. If they don't want to carry a gun, they should still walk the fields to see Mother Nature in Her glory.

Several years ago, one of my son's friends expressed interest in hunting. Joe had never hunted before and I jumped at the chance to take him afield for the first time. He and my son, Alex, were both about 16 or 17 at the time.

So on the morning of Opening Day 2006, we loaded the truck down with guns, ammunition, dog supplies, snacks, lunch, drinks and other miscellaneous items. It took longer to load the truck than we would be hunting but we wouldn't want to forget anything we needed! We had enough food and drink to be in isolation for a month. But every hunter knows sandwiches always taste better when you're hunting. That's why hunters can walk 5-6 miles in a day and still end up with positive calories for the day!

We had 8-9 hunters that day. As was our tradition, we lined up in a ("flying") wedge formation (hunters on ends slightly ahead of those hunters in the middle) and set off across the field. The idea of the wedge formation is that if birds are flushed in the middle of the formation, those hunters on the end will have a better opportunity to shoot them as they fly to the right or left. Any birds on the sides of the field will hopefully be pushed toward the middle of the field where the other hunters are.

It's fun to put young or first-time hunters on the ends because since they can see them coming, they have a bit more time to prepare for the shot as the bird approaches and hopefully they have a closer shot. Pheasants can surprise a novice hunter when they get up and make it more difficult to get a good shot.

We had placed Joe on the right end of the wedge formation on that day. The field we walked was a half mile long and birds were getting up periodically as we covered that distance. Some flew straight away and other flew right or left.

Joe (right) with Alex and the infamous ringneck

We were about two thirds of the way through the field when a bird got up on the left side of the formation and flew to the right, passing in front of each hunter. As each of us flung lead at the ring-necked bird passing in front of us, the pheasant continued to gain altitude. By the time he got to the right side of the formation, he was at the top side of the troposphere! No veteran hunter would consider wasting a shot at the out-of-range bird.

But Joe was not a veteran hunter. Figuring everyone else in the wedge had taken a shot at this indestructible bird, Joe cut loose with a shot of his own. Like a strike of lightning, one of the 6 shot lead pellets in Joe's shell broke the wing of that rooster pheasant and it helicoptered to the ground just in front of Joe. The shock of the bird hitting the ground stunned it and it did not run, though its legs were thrashing as it came to the ground.

Joe chased the bird down and stashed it in his hunting vest while the rest of us whooped it up for the the rookie hunter. I think we were more excited than Joe was. He was distracted by the ground pursuit of the bird.

We finished our drive and then gathered in a huddle at the end of the field to discuss the highlights and the low lights of the previous 25-30 minutes of warfare. Joe walked up with a huge grin on his face and everyone congratulated him on bagging his first ringneck.

I told him to pull to bird out so we could get the obligatory photo. He handed his gun to someone and reached back into his vest. As he did, the pheasant jumped out of the opposite side of his vest and took off running. Joe looked as if someone had shot his dog.

Meanwhile, our Springer Spaniel, Repo, took off in pursuit of the runaway ringneck. The pheasant (with a broken wing) was running for a tree line about 75 yards from where we were standing. As the hunters scrambled, Joe was speechless (and motionless).

Everyone recognized that this wasn't just ANY bird, this was Joe's FIRST bird so losing it was not an option. Though he wasn't aware of that significance, Repo chased the bird like it was the ONLY bird left on earth.

The ringneck beat Repo to the tree line but was still no match for his nose. He sniffed the bird out of its first hiding spot into another before securing it between his soft jaws and bringing him back to the group.

Repo with our bag; one of those birds is Joe's

The whole affair only caused some serious ribbing for Joe. "Joe did not shoot the bird, he just scared it," was one comment. Another commented that Joe had not shot the bird but that it was the sheer weight of all the lead taken on as the bird flew in front of each of us that brought it down. Despite all of that, there was another round celebration for retrieving the $100 bird (it seemed as though at least $100 of ammo was spent on the bird as he passed down the gauntlet!).

Joe took the harassment gracefully as he got his bird back and posed for photos. Before he got it back though, he learned how to give the pheasant's neck a swift jerk to be certain that there would not be another race to the tree line!

We have had a lotta fun telling this story over the years. Whenever Joe is around as we tell the story, the same smile crosses his face. He offers no details and no opinions regardless of how the story is embellished. He knows that everyone else missed that bird and he got it. His first pheasant was a memorable one!

South Dakota: Great Faces. Great Places. Great Sunsets.

Each rotation of the earth brings us a dawn and sunset. In South Dakota, our view of the horizon is, for the most part, unimpeded. That simple fact provides us with some stunning vistas.

My time awake before the sun peeks at us in the morning is usually spent on some piece of exercise equipment or in a hunting stand. I am not typically equipped with photography gear.

Evenings, however are different. I enjoy watching the sunsets from our home. Because we are only 70 miles from the time zone line, the sun rests in summer months as late at 9:30 PM in our area. In winter months, the sun will dip below the horizon as early as 5:00 PM.

We get spectacular sunsets regardless of what time of day they occur. I like the winter sunsets a bit better because our home is situated where the sun sets down river in December and January, so we get both the sunset and the reflection of the sunset on the river.

I've decided to post some of my best sunset photos. I have gone into the archives for these photos. I have posted the dates though I find sunset photos are timeless.

We get 365 sunsets each year. While not all of them are as spectacular as these, God gives us many wonderful shows here in South Dakota. I invite you to take a "front row seat" in South Dakota. Even better, come join us at our house for the best sunsets in South Dakota!

I cannot resist a sunset photo. Now I have a place to share them! Check back for more. 

December 11, 2004

November 25, 2006

November 18, 2007

November 24, 2009

December 5, 2010

December 19, 2011

November 13, 2012

December 7, 2014

December 20, 2014

South Dakota's Super Bowl - The Ring-Neck Kickoff!

This weekend, South Dakota will grow by almost 10% as pheasant hunters from around the world converge on our state for Opening Day. At least 75,000 hunters are expected to join the more than 50,000 resident hunters for this annual ritual of shooting our state bird.

There may be no greater migration, as a percentage, into one state for a single event - and it happens every year. This would be the equivalent of 3.8 million people coming to California, or 180,000 coming to Nebraska, or 1.2 million coming to Illinois for a single event. That's not the attendance, THAT'S people coming from outside the state.

This week, luggage claim areas at the airports in Sioux Falls and Rapid City fill with kennels and gun cases. The smaller airports around the state need air traffic controllers as private planes from around the country approach long concrete pads set between corn fields hundreds of miles from motels and car rental agencies.

Sporting goods stores sell enough blaze orange clothing, shells, gadgets and snacks to appear as though they have been looted by the end of the weekend. Some stores may do as much as 20-25% of their annual business in the next 20 days. Hunters will inject as much as $150 million into the South Dakota economy.

Locals will be ripping feathers and guts from the carcasses of dead ring-necks after hours, making a little extra money for the holidays or to pay tuition. It's likely that over 1 million pheasants will be shot this season in South Dakota.

This is our Super Bowl. This is our Final Four. While there are no blimps or sportscasters covering the action, that doesn't make it any less significant. God built our stadium - and He made it as wondrous as any of the monstrosities you can find in metropolitan areas across our country. He didn't include any luxury boxes, but we didn't spend a boatload of public money to build an arena for some ego-maniac owner!

I'm fortunate to live in the heart of the best pheasant hunting in the world. This is my favorite time of the year. I look forward to taking to the field with family and friends. I love the colors in the trees and the chill of fall in the air. I love spending the day in the field with my dog. I love the tradition of teaching the next generation about hunting. I love pheasant hunting.

Bring on the wiley ring-neck!

Photograph(ic) Memories

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I have lost both my Father and my Mother in the past eight months. With that, came the difficult task of sorting through their belongings and determining what to do with them.

Working together, my sisters, Christy and Lisa, my brother-in-law, Randy, my wife, Judy, and I have made tremendous progress on what was an overwhelming chore. One facet of job was to compile and organize the family photos.

Let me just say here that I love photographs. I love taking them and I love looking at them. I love cataloging them and sequencing them. I love the reminiscing, laughing and crying that they bring. Most of all, I love sharing them!

Fortunately, I had started the process of sorting through my parents' photographs some time ago. Despite my mother's admonitions, I had secretly (I thought) checked out some of the family photo albums, taken the photographs out, scanned them, reinserted them back into the albums and returned the albums. I had a pretty good head start on scanning these early memories.

I am so happy that I had done so because it made the task of photo tributes at my Mom's and Dad's respective funerals so much easier. I don't know how or if we could have pulled those together in time if I hadn't done so.

But we found so many, many more photographs when we began sifting through my parents' belongings. I found photos of my father's childhood, my mother's childhood and of both sets of grandparents' early days in addition to many more of my sisters and me. There are photos of family gatherings, landmark events (First communions, graduations, birthdays, etc.), childhood friends and extended family. There are photos of community and region events and landmarks. I felt like the treasure hunter that found the jackpot!

So I have been very busy scanning photos over the past few months. In doing so, I have had the opportunity to relive many childhood memories. I will be sharing some of my favorite photos from this plunder in the coming weeks. Some will come with a short description while others don't need it. I'll save the thousand words in those cases and let the photos speak for themselves.

Please feel free to chime in with the comments on these photos. Do they remind you of a certain time in your childhood? Do they evoke some early memory? Did you have a similar story or experience? Hit the comment button below and share!

Enjoy!

All My Grandparents at my Baptism

Dad liked his full-size Buicks...

...and Lincolns

Nope..not a costume party. Those 70's clothes! Wow!

Father/Son photo (check out those ears!)

Pepsi - our family dog

Successful fishing outing with Grandpa and Grandma Knust

Easter Family Photo

Family trip to Washington, DC. Photo with then Congressman, later Senator Jim Abdnor

With my American Legion coach!

More to come later...

Baby Jay Takes Flight!

We dropped our youngest child (of three) off at Creighton University in Omaha this past weekend. I am a Creighton Alum (BSBA '83) and our two older children hold degrees from Creighton. We are a  Creighton family. We build family gatherings around Creighton events. We spent last New Year's Eve at the CenturyLink Center for Creighton's inaugural Big East Conference basketball game. We all traveled to New York for the Big East tournament and our older daughter, her husband and our son joined me in San Antonio for Creighton NCAA tournament games.

So it was no surprise when Sarah told us she wanted to attend Creighton. But she had no interest in even visiting another school. Her senior year visits to Creighton only solidified her decision.

While taking a child to college is always an emotional event, at Creighton it is a spiritual event as well. The Creighton "Welcome Week" mass, this year on Saturday night, is always moving. One can see parents throughout the church wiping or holding back tears. At the end of mass, when parents are asked to say a blessing over their children, it's hard to hold back. I never can (or do).

Rachel with Grandpa Harry and Grandma Pat

When our oldest, Rachel (BSBA '08), left for Creighton in 2004, it was the whole "first time" sentiment. She was the first to leave, we didn't know what to expect and so there was apprehension as well. Though our daughter was leaving for school, we still had a high school son and an eight year-old at home. We knew that we would be busy parenting.

When our son, Alex (BSBA '11), left for Creighton in 2007, I knew there would be no one with whom to watch college football and basketball games at home any more. My deer hunting partner was leaving. All my regular father/son activities would be drawing down. (We would, however, make it to church each week on time since we didn't have to wait for Alex each Sunday!) But we still had an eleven year-old at home who would soon be getting busy with junior high and high school activities.

Now, seven years later as Sarah leaves for school, I have different feelings. I will miss being a parent on a daily basis. I will miss chasing Sarah from one corner of South Dakota to the other watching her volleyball, gymnastics and fine arts events. I will miss her friends at our home with there youthful energy (and naïveté). I will even miss the perpetually messy bedroom.

I know Sarah will be educated in the Jesuit tradition. She will be challenged academically, socially and emotionally. She will learn how to serve others. She will make wonderful, lifelong friends that will shape her as much as or more than we, as parents, did. These are the reasons we are sending her to Creighton. They are also the factors that makes this process a bit easier. 

Last Friday night, we got her settled in her dorm room (with a ton of help from the "Welcome Week" crew). We made "Target runs" on Friday and Saturday.

We met Sarah's roommate and her family. We met several friends that Sarah knew - either from high school activities or from Creighton's "Admitted Student Day" or "Summer Preview". We attended a luncheon where we learned about the Creighton Students Union Presidential Fellowship in which she will participate (and about which we are very excited!). We partook in all the "Welcome Week" activities to which parents are invited (before they are shown the door and encouraged to use it!).

On Sunday morning, we took Sarah to breakfast at Lisa's Radial Cafe, part family tradition, part Creighton tradition and part great food. Rachel introduced us to Lisa's shortly after she started at Creighton and we have been making Sunday morning treks there ever since.

After breakfast, we took a couple of photographs and then we set off for home knowing Sarah was ready to hit the ground running. It was a long quiet drive - too quiet. But it was even quieter at home. My first stop when I got home was Sarah's bedroom.

The hard wood floor, normally carpeted with clothing, was visible. There were some empty nails on the walls from which she had taken favorite photos of family and friends. There were no half bottles of water on the dresser or breakfast bar wrappers on the floor. Those irritations seem so insignificant now.

It was quiet. Even her dog, Snickers, was not there, having been checked in to the "Marriott for Mutts" for the weekend. It was just quiet. We had silence before, but we always knew it would not be long lasting. I'm sure I'll get used to the quiet (might have to turn on all the TVs in the house for awhile!).

Judy and I look forward to trips to Omaha to visit our "Baby Jay", to see the Creighton family or to watch Bluejays basketball. We will enjoy a dinner at one of Omaha's many outstanding steakhouses or catch a musical at the Orpheum.

We are now looking forward to the next family gathering - which, ironically enough, will be the marriage of two great Creighton friends at St. John's church on the Creighton campus. The we'll look forward to Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

I always find it to be a challenge to come up with a topic and start a new blog entry. But I think starting that this starting a new chapter will be an even greater challenge.