Another S. Dakota photo and story

Here it is the last day of March 2018. I am sitting at my desk looking at a windy, rainy day. Ya know, one of those days where you just can't get motivated to do much of anything. So, guess I will add another photo story to my blog.

Going to remain in S. Dakota with this photo. For those who have never visited S. Dakota, you really should, especially the western part of the state. You have the Black hills, the Badlands and so much more. Some of the most scenic and interesting areas I've ever visited were found in S. Dakota.

Take this photo for instance.

Many of you probably recognize this as the head of George Washington at Mt Rushmore. How many of you have ever seen it from this angle. It is rather humorous, at least to me, just how I came about getting this photo. Jean and I were on our way to Mt Rushmore, when we came across a turnout for a scenic overlook. Seeing as how we were on vacation and in no particular hurry we pulled off to take a look.

We got out of the car and spent a couple of minutes looking at the vista in front of us. I decided to sit on a large boulder and just relax from the driving for awhile. After a couple of minutes, I just happened to look up and there was good ole George, gazing out over the landscape. I immediately went to the car and got my camera to take some photos. The funny thing is, that people started watching me, and apparently started wondering what I could possibly be taking pictures of, since my back was turned to the beautiful vista behind me.

One by one, they all turned around to see just what it was I was so engrossed in. You could tell by the looks on their faces they were surprised to see George. I can't help but wonder how many people over the years have stopped at that overlook, and completely missed George behind them. So the moral of the story is that once in awhile we need to look behind us to find the real beauty of life.

I have been interested in photography since about 1973. It is about that time I purchased my first 35mm camera. It is an Olympus OM-1.  I say is because I still have that camera. It had been neglected for a long time so I recently sent it to be refurbished. Now, it works like new again, although, it doesn't see much use. I entered into the digital age with several point and shoot cameras, most of which were made by Olympus. My first DSLR was a Canon Rebel XS. Many of the photos that will appear on my blog will have been taken using that camera. I now use a Canon SL-1. I think one of the reasons I like the SL-1 is that it is very close in size to the Olympus OM-1.

I in no way consider myself to be a professional photographer. I am an amateur, working at improving my art. It is not my intent to try and sell my photos. If however, a particular photo really strikes a chord with you, and you would like to have it, please feel free to email me and I will be happy to share with you a means to get a copy for yourself.

The primary purpose of my blog will be to share my photos and hopefully a little back story to each photo. In my opinion, a photo should tell a story, and so it is my hope to be able to share just a bit of that story with you. I hope you enjoy the photos  and the stories I share with them.

So this is the first photo I wish to share. Not because I think it is such a great photo, but, because of its back story.This photo was taken July of 2009 while my wife and I were on vacation in the area of Mt Rushmore in South Dakota. What the photo doesn't tell you is that just a few months before, in February, my wife was nearly killed in an auto accident. She lost control of the car on an icy road, ended up sideways and was hit broadside by a 3/4 ton passenger van. She was taken by Flight For Life to a nearby trauma center where the doctors nearly declared he deceased. A surgeon who happened to be in the emergency room at the time asked to try one last procedure before they called it. It worked and she survived. My family and I are convinced this was a miracle and so were many of the attending doctors.

The miracle doesn't end there. After surviving when everyone thought she wouldn't, the staff at the hospital told me to consider putting her in a care facility and start the paperwork for Social Security Disability. One of her injuries was a brain injury, and it was thought she would never live independently again.

That brings us to this photo. As I said, this was taken July of 2009, just a few months after her accident. We were hiking the trails and climbing around the caves found near Mt Rushmore. Today, except for her scars, you would never know all this occurred.

Well, that's it for my first post. I hope you will check back once in awhile to look for new posts. Most likely, I won't post everyday, but, I should be posting something new every few days.