Grab a shot...

The City

Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

Minneapolis is absolutely gorgeous at night.! This shot proves the axiom that the best camera to have is the one you have with you! I took two images with a Canon point-and-shoot and stitched them together to create this shot.

Minnesota Heritage...

The Rider
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

We all know Minnesotans are nice, right? That may be true but if you don't play by the rules, nice goes out the window. In fact Minnesotans in a small town in the Southern half of the state have the repetition of taking down one of the meanest men in recent years. Every year Northfield, MN, re-enacts this heroic feat accomplished on their sleepy streets 133 years ago. To find out more, I followed historian and author of over 60 books John Koblas to the event this past weekend.
According to Koblas, the men of the James-Younger gang weren't too worried about being caught in the little town of Northfield. He says, "However, when they attempted to rob the bank, the town mobilized against them killing two of the outlaws and causing the rest to flee. Posses were formed and the gang was relentlessly pursued through the countryside." You can read more about the details of the defeat of Jesse James in John's Book Minnesota Grit available at amazon.com. Also don't forget to make it to the re-enactment next year. Northfield weleomes you...just don't be thinking of causing trouble!

TCF Stadium Debut...

TCF Stadium

Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

On Saturday night TCF Bank Stadium ("The Bank") was broken in with a victory over the Air Force Academy. Nate Triplett had 17 tackles and was recognized by the guys on ESPN for his outstanding performance.

An excerpt from the U of MN website reads:

Triplett recorded a career-high 17 tackles and also returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown to break a tie in the fourth quarter and give the Gophers a victory in their first game at TCF Bank Stadium. The senior linebacker’s 17 tackles mark the best single-game performance in the Big Ten this season and are also the most by a Minnesota player since 2002.

Smokies...

Blue Ridge Overlook
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

North Carolina is a beautiful state! The overlooks all along the Blue Ridge Parkway offer breathtaking views. Next time I think I will pass on the hot-boiled peanuts; they were not as good as all the roadside vendors made them out to be (at least to this yankee's pallet)!

The Great Minnesota Gathering...

State Fair Spinner
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

Not much time to write but take a look at this beauty. First trip to the Minnesota State Fair in 7 or 8 years and it was a good one. Nice night, no bugs, low humidity...perfect! I will post more of the great images that I made later but for now, its off to North Carolina...

Street Nights
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

The city under construction can be a an endless source of images if you are out walking during the right times. The number and variety of light sources and reflective surfaces is absolutely stunning and sometimes the camera sensor catches things your eyes can't.