Fall in Siouxland is like a lot of places throughout the U.S. Colorful trees, shorter days ad the chance to shoot sunrises and sunsets without getting up extremely early or staying up extremely late to create of those images. And for the most part, temperatures are still decent enough one doesn’t freeze their posterior off attempting the photographs.
Recently I visited Omaha, NE and walked about the newly reopened Heartland of America Riverfront area. It also has been closed a few years like the Gene Leahy Mall for a makeover. And it’s very nice. A different nice as to me it was previously nice as well. But private money and corporate donations created an opportunity to improve on what it could be as a downtown or near downtown destination.
The community has gone to great effort to make the downtown area and surrounding parts family and pedestrian friendly. And a lot of people are out just enjoying the ambiance and seeing what is new. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to leave so early in the day to drive to Omaha or stay so very late to get some images of blue hour and the downtown landscape. Beauty needs it rest, although friends would certainly say it’s wasted on me.
I couldn’t tell anyone these days if carrying one’s lunch to work or school in still fashionable or not in Siouxland. Let alone going out in public without the newest hi-tech device, gizmo or whatever in keeping one’s meal fresh, cool, hot or whatever.
But in my youth, for some folk it was important to have the correct lunch bucket. I am guessing that mine tended to reflect the early cowboy westerns like the Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers. Beyond that I believe getting into high school I switched to using small brown paper bags.
A resident of Omaha, NE owns a very large collection of these lunch boxes and over the summer they were on display at the Durham Museum in Omaha. The collection spanned a few decades and reading an article about the display the owner said he wanted to impress on his daughters that people can have a passion for collecting a variety items and that was a reason he wanted to share his collection with others through the museum.
I don’t remember if the gentleman mentioned if his daughters carried their lunches to school or if he still did for his job. He could use a different lunch box every day of the week for a decade and probably not get through them all.
But it was a fun walk down Memory Lane and enjoyable to overhear other people’s comments and remembrances when they also carried their lunch to school. Interesting how some memories are more embedded in our brain than others, those slight they may be.
When I get the chance to travel south, outside of the Siouxland region proper, I enjoy visiting the Durham Museum in Omaha, NE, a former Union Station that was a collaboration of Union Pacific and Burlington Railway companies. The station opened in 1931 and closed in 1971 after the creation of Amtrak, created by Congress to handle passenger railway travel.
The heaviest travel period for the Omaha Union Station according to history at the museum seems to be during the Second World War as soldiers were transported through and to various parts of the U.S. for enlistment, training and eventually routed to departure destinations by ship to Europe and other points to fight in the world war.
I enjoy wandering about the museum looking at the various permanent exhibits to explore for myself photographically as well as the various national touring and local exhibits the museum has on display. They are generally diverse and historical. And a just a nice way to spend a day or part thereof.
Some days in Siouxland, and elsewhere, are those kinds of days when the order of the day is slow going and maybe an extended nap. The animals have nice enough enclosures, but probably not big enough for them to run and explore as nature intended.
I sometimes wonder what these cats may be dreaming of. Probably most were born into captivity and have never known the wild. Their existence is well tended to, but still, dreams can reach beyond the fence.
Sometimes while driving about Siouxland or other locales in the region, I try not to plan what I might photograph or encounter. I just like to visit and see what I find. And I probably don’t do this as often as I previously have done in prior years. One can always be surprised as well as keeping on one’s toes while looking about.
I enjoy photographing in black and white and remind myself from time to time that I should do that more often than I do. But places and light will sometimes dictate if I shoot in a monotone grey scale. I was never one who enjoyed photographing fall foliage in my early newspaper days when papers only printed black and white images in its pages. What was the point. But some editors thought it important. Maybe they had a bad first year in school experience with crayons. Not really certain.
And new construction in the downtown area of Omaha, NE will change the skyline look of the place. And until construction is complete, who knows how the new buildings will blend or stand apart from is there already, built in previous centuries some of them. Time is always moving forward and whatever else happens to catch a ride with it.
Sometimes when I am walking about and checking out an area for photo possibilities an image potential just jumps out at me and says “Here I am, take me, take me”!
And it can be so simple and pleasing in its simplicity. But, one still needs to be mindful as those light bulbs in the head are a bit dim on bright, sunny days.
A while ago I took a trip “south of Siouxland” to Omaha, NE and visited the Henry Doorly Zoo. It had been a while since I have been to the zoo and with the current hot weather and such, might be a while before getting back there. The particular day I attended was packed as the College World Series was being played in Omaha and families from all over the U.S. attending the baseball series to support their teams had come to the zoo in the morning before camping out at the ballpark later.
There were a few newly born within the year babies of various animals. A popular stopping point was “Gorilla Valley” and everyone wanted a photo of the young apes and monkeys, pounding on the glass enclosures to get the animals’ attention which just seemed to defeat the purpose as the young ones ran away to the safety of their parents. I sometimes can never understand people when seeing some behavior around animals that are not family pets. And while they are in the zoo for educational purposes, I guess, they are not exactly there for people’s entertainment.
Most times the larger apes sit with their backs to the people passing by. Ignoring them and only occasionally looking their way. Basically stuck in a situation where they have to make the best of it even though some humans don’t play well, but want that ultimate “selfie” to show their friends.
Sometimes I wonder which set of creatures has evolved more fully.
Recently on a trip down “south” of Siouxland, in Omaha, NE, I stopped by the Gene Leahy Mall/Park that was reopened to the public a year or so ago after a couple year renovation. And improvements are still occurring as well soon to be reopened park areas along the Missouri Riverfront in Omaha. It was a warm day and bright sun, although before the “heat dome” stopped by in this part of the Midwest, and so I opted visually to photograph in black and white. Choices are always good to have, and the contrast of the day worked better in this medium than shooting in color.
And many times when one photographs in black and white interpretations are open to folk to interpret what is seen, and unseen, in the shadows. Although for these images the contrast was better suited for the chosen medium. And sometimes as the Monty Python tv show used to state: “And now for something completely different.”
I enjoy shooting in black and white and began photography in that medium. Working for small weekly and daily newspapers it was a challenge when the film provided was Tri-X which the ISO rating was 400. On bright days it was not always effective, but one learned to cope and work with it. It’s always good to expand one’s tool box, and sometimes it’s just fun for a change.
Some days in Siouxland, and parts thereabout one can sometimes be surprised. On a trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE I got started later than I had planned as I always try to get to the zoo early. Less crowded, more active animals feeding, and cooler temps in the summertime.
I walked about a bit deciding on what area I wanted to visit and decided the bird aviary might be nice, and shady. The day was going to get hot. And as I wandered around the walk in the aviary I was pleasantly surprised as the light play filtering through the trees and hitting areas below. And while I was late, the birds there either were taking their time eating or was on the latter end of the breakfast run by the zoo’s “kitchen staff”.
I always enjoy good light play interacting with subjects, and happy when the subjects cooperate and stay within a light pool to be photographed. The scarlet ibis was eating its meal in bits, so it gave me an opportunity to watch and photograph it while dining.
But the zoo birds were not alone in their meal enjoyment. Locals had also gathered near a food trough for the resident birds. And some seemed a little more vocal about sharing than the zoo cousins. The netting over the aviary kept the larger zoo birds in, but allowed the smaller locals enough latitude to come visit and leave. Giving another glimpse of dining and dashing.
The nation as a whole including the Siouxland region will be celebrating the holiday Memorial Day this weekend. Traditionally it kicks off the summer season as community schools and universities end their school year and families and folk look forward to a summer vacation. But a number of folk around the country will be remembering loved ones and those who served in the armed forces at various Memorial Day service this weekend.
Communities large and small will host celebrations to honor those who stepped up to serve their country. Some will truly eulogize these service men and women, some will give lip service knowing it may benefit or help them is some future endeavor, mostly political. A cynical view, but one that’s been proven time and again.
Most times at the beginning of the weekend of Memorial Day families will visit the gravesites of their loved one to set out flowers and some graves will be honored with a small American flag that volunteers will post next to the grave of each service person. A small act with large implications for a small thank you for their service and sacrifice. Families visited the Omaha National Cemetery and paid their respects, spending time to catch the departed souls with up to date news items, reminiscing about the shared past and current happenings.
A large debt that is owed by all who live freely and should take a moment to quietly remember before pursuing those summer joys all also look forward too.
I live in the Siouxland area that encompasses a wide swatch of land in northwest Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The people that inhabit this area are generous folk and your basic honest, Midwestern people you like to have as neighbors. I explore the area and share observations, mostly photographic, sometimes through video, and and short text. All images and video are copyrighted material of the author.
Jerry Mennenga, Sioux City, Iowa
jerrylmennenga@yahoo.com
lostinsiouxland 