Tag: winter

Posted on by — Leave a comment

No Hurry

By Christian Begeman

It is nearing mid-January and the heart of winter is upon us. The last of the holiday lights have come down and the joy of the holiday season has shifted to glumly hunkering down to ride out the rest of the cold weather days. So far, snow and wind have been abundant in our part of the northern plains. A large snow event began on January 2 in southeastern South Dakota and would not let up for nearly three days. Since most of the country celebrated New Year’s Day on January 2 this year, I had the day off. The adage that”bad weather makes for great photos” once again ran through my brain, so I donned the cold weather gear and made my way to the Sioux Falls Outdoor Campus to seek out and possibly capture a little winter beauty.

The Outdoor Campus is an old oxbow of the Big Sioux River. An abundance of trees provides ample windbreak, so the snow falls a little straighter on the tall grass plot within. There is a special kind of beauty while standing in such a patch with steady snow falling all around. As I was taking this in, I heard the calls of a small flock of American tree sparrows moving through and feeding on the seeds still in the grass heads. The birds, normally a muted tan and brown, stood out starkly against the cold and snow. I don’t normally think of a sparrow as a pretty bird, but once again I was proven wrong.

After walking along a few favorite paths, I headed to Terrace Park alongside Covell Lake in north central Sioux Falls. By now the snow was deeper and getting around the terraced park walkways was becoming quite a workout. Even so, the sweat rolling down my back was worth the trouble. The park has ornamental trees not normally found in the wild, including a magnolia tree with fuzzy buds that hung on to the snowflakes in uniquely beautiful ways. Also, a tree still full of red, medium sized berries caught my eye and camera’s attention for quite some time.

A full five days later, after the weather broke and I was dug out of my place, I was on the road to Aberdeen to attend my nephew’s wedding as a heavy winter fog lifted over the countryside. Jack Frost’s handiwork was evident nearly the whole trip. I took back roads, intending to visit a few grand old country churches along the way and stopping for any other photo opportunity. What is normally a three-hour drive, I did in about five. It is good not to be in a hurry on a winter drive in South Dakota. Hopefully these photos prove that to be true.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Nature’s White Quilt

By Christian Begeman

On December 11, the early morning sun broke through low hanging clouds and fog and onto a true winter wonderland in southeastern South Dakota. An early winter system dropping upwards of 10 inches of heavy, wet snow the previous Thursday along with a solid new layer of thick frost from the overnight fog changed the world into an icy work of art. The all-too-brief moment of warm sunshine on a perfectly frosted landscape is one of my favorite bits of winter. The beauty is fleeting; even the slightest breeze combined with the relative warmth of the sun causes the frost to drop to the ground far too soon.

I hadn’t planned on a photo escapade that morning, but after glimpsing the conditions, I quickly decided to get out and enjoy the scenery while the getting was good. Armed with a 100-400mm telephoto lens, a macro lens and long johns, I was heading north along the Big Sioux River faster than you can say”Jack Frost.”

I had a few locations in mind that featured vivid red barns that contrasted with the icy white of winter, but I also made sure to stop and shoot anything else that caught my eye. This included two adult bald eagles on the same tree along the Big Sioux south of Trent. I also took a walk in the tall grass at the Sioux Prairie Preserve near Colman, where my macro lens took over. I discovered unique formations of frost on grass, leaves of ground shrubs and even on a goldenrod gall.

The story of the goldenrod gall fly may not seem like something worth writing about here, but I find it fascinating that inside that very gall, a frosted and frozen larva (nearly frozen solid itself), is simply waiting for spring to emerge, find a mate and start the process all over again. One would think that the larvae is safely tucked away for the winter, but chickadees and downy woodpeckers often seek out the galls, break them open and have a nice meal.

The wonders and intricacies of nature never cease to amaze, even in winter. It makes me think of this quote about wintertime from Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland:”I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.'”

We Dakotans know that the snow doesn’t always come kissing, but on a sunlit winter’s morn with no wind and frost filled scenery everywhere you look, it isn’t hard to imagine the world sleeping under that white quilt, just waiting for spring’s awakening.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Finding White in a Brown Winter

By Christian Begeman

Winter has been mild in southeastern South Dakota. There hasn’t been much snow and temperatures have been above normal. I seem to remember far more brown winters happening when I lived West River than in the Sioux Falls area. Even though no snow means fewer travel headaches, I do miss the snow. As a photographer, the way the light can strike fresh snow early or late in the day is breathtaking. That is, if the subzero wind doesn’t take away your breath first.

The paragraph above is a poor attempt at complaining about how I haven’t felt motivated to get outside the last month to make photographs. Realizing this is a”me problem” and not the weatherman’s doing, I decided to do something about it. Where can you find snow, frost and ice even during a”brown” winter? Around here, it is our parks and public land along the Big Sioux River. So, I made it a point to get off my warm couch and get out there.

On three different occasions, I found myself wandering along the banks of the Big Sioux and seeing things that made the bundled-up journey worth the energy and effort. It was a gray day with occasional light flurries on my first trip to the hiking trails of the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon. I saw a red fox scoot along the river bottom for a brief second but could not locate it again. A few woodpeckers and nuthatches entertained me for a bit after that. Once I started looking at the little things, however, things got fun. The light flurries left lone snowflakes on leaves, bark and my favorite … resting on the trail’s wooden bridges. I spent half an hour with my macro lens attempting to find the perfect snowflake.

My next excursion found me along the river near Newton Hills State Park. There is a bend that rarely freezes because of shallow rapids. I’ve seen bald eagles there, so I decided to walk down the edge of the bank and settle in to see if any birds or other wildlife would appear. On the way to my perch, I became distracted by large pieces of ice on the river’s edge that were showing due to recently dropping river levels. Then I got the scare of the afternoon as I stumbled on a well-hidden Canada goose slumbering against an old cottonwood stump. No eagles ever landed after all the ruckus, but I saw nearly a half dozen fly overhead. They likely spotted me far sooner than I saw them. Regardless, it was a nice hour spent along the river taking it all in.

Speaking of birds, winter offers all sorts of opportunities to see and photograph birds along the river. Eagles and owls as well as chickadees and finches can be spotted (or heard) quite regularly. A favorite find recently along the Dells of the Big Sioux near Dell Rapids was a pair of uniquely raspberry colored purple finches. On Super Bowl Sunday, I also spotted a Barred Owl at the Big Sioux Recreation Area, which allowed me to post a Superb Owl photo that day as well. (Groan. I know, I know, but I didn’t make that up. It is a real thing, and I will admit, I was happy to participate in the Superb Owl fun.)

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Soup Season

By Fran Hill

January is absolutely soup season, and I am here for it. My husband is not really a casserole kind of guy, but he loves soup, and all winter long, I take advantage of that. There is something very cozy about a pot simmering on the stovetop and filling the house with delicious aromas.

Chili is the quintessential winter soup, but there is so much more. We make noodles and shred chicken for another classic. Beans are soaked and simmered with ham bones for something from my childhood. Creamy potato soups sometimes lean toward chowders, often with seafood. Chunks of beef are slowly braised with loads of vegetables and rich stocks. It feels so smart to thinly slice leftover pork and drop into brothy bowls with Asian noodles. While fresh ingredients are great, soup can easily come together with leftovers and pantry and freezer staples. And, on those days that we don’t have the time or inclination to put forth a lot of effort, a jar of home canned tomato soup is heated to pair with grilled cheese. I don’t know that there is a soup or stew that we don’t like.

Our current favorite soup is loaded with winter vegetables and gains a ton of flavor from spicy sausage. At first glance, you will think it also has tomatoes, but the color comes from a generous seasoning of smoked paprika. I have made it with both chicken and turkey broth, but vegetable broth would also work. Don’t skip splashing in the red wine vinegar. That bit of acid lends a brightness that really balances all the flavors in this simple and mouthwatering soup.

Sausage and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Sausage and Brussels sprouts soup warms on the coldest of January days.

(adapted from Eating Well)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes (I used red potatoes)

1 1/2 cups small to medium Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

4 cups chicken broth

2-4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (start with 2Tbsp, taste, and add more as desired)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with the spoon, until browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, carrot and celery to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and paprika; cook and stir just until fragrant. Add potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and broth; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and Brussels sprouts are tender.

Stir in the sausage, vinegar to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
(Serves 4)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Snow Day

By Christian Begeman

On December 10, Sioux Falls received its first major snow of the season. Upwards of 10 inches began falling in the morning and by late afternoon I couldn’t take it anymore. One of my favorite things to do is shoot first snow photos. Some of it has to do with the first snow bringing holiday cheer, but a lot of the joy comes from memories of past snow days as a kid. We didn’t always have snow, or at least much snow out on the prairies of Ziebach and Dewey County, but when it did arrive, we kids took advantage. Sledding into the crick, slipping and sliding on frozen puddles and stock dams were simple pleasures that would fill our non-chore hours. Afterwards, we’d come back to a house warmed with a wood burning stove and Mom’s famous caramel popcorn balls, still warm from the oven.

But I digress. This is supposed to be a column about photography. And more particularly, making images in the snowfall. A few years back, I discovered birds were often easier to photograph in a snowstorm. Like us, they prefer to stay out of the wind and snow. You can often find them with fluffed up feathers on perches inside sheltered tree canopies. With this in mind, I left work early on Friday and headed to Terrace Park next to Covell Lake in northern Sioux Falls, where I can usually spot a Northern Cardinal or two. Sure enough, just as I was about to turn back from a fruitless search, I heard the familiar metallic call and found a half dozen cardinals hunkered down in evergreen branches not far off the walking path.

After taking a few portraits of a male and female cardinal, I headed downtown. I was thinking Phillips Avenue with its decorations and busy-ness would make for interesting imagery. I wasn’t disappointed. However, I almost got snowplowed in while parking near the KELO Radio building. Tis one of the hazards of being out and about in the snow. The other is keeping your gear dry. I always try to keep a bath towel with me while shooting in the snow. I keep it over the camera and lens when not shooting and then use it to dry the lens and body after composing and taking a shot.

I had never been to Falls Park during a heavy snow in December. I believe I was one of maybe five souls tramping around the park at dusk. Three of those were city workers busily cleaning the sidewalks. The heavy snowfall was likely in the eighth or ninth inch by then, so cleaning the sidewalks was not particularly easy. The mood and ambiance of the park, however, was wonderful as music played and lights twinkled through the snowfall.

Saturday dawned clear and the blue skies and prairies blanketed with freshly fallen snow beckoned. I heard there was a snowy owl sighting near Volga, so I headed that way. I did not find said owl, but I did see myriad raptors and stopped for a small hike at Oakwood Lakes State Park. As evening fell, clouds appeared in the southwest and soon the setting sun painted them in exquisite tones. All these scenes helped to bring me a little closer to finding that holiday spirit. To all reading here, please have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tour de Frost

By Christian Begeman

France has the Tour de France. Mitchell has the Tour de Corn (which I took part in one year, incidentally, bringing up the rear on the blue, non-road bike). Does anyone have a Tour de Frost? I doubt it, but that definition is how I have begun referring to my recent travels in South Dakota. To be honest, I actually described this column to managing editor John Andrews this way:”A veritable tour de force of frosted landscapes and icy detail.” From”tour de force” to Tour de Frost isn’t too much of a leap even for a simple guy like me. All of that is to say, this column is dedicated to the winter wonderlands I have enjoyed so far this season. It’s all thanks to winter fog that leaves hoarfrost or soft rime ice. This frozen moisture that seemingly appears from nowhere has the power to transform brown and muted winterscapes into magical fairy tale scenes.

The tour starts in northeast South Dakota. A mid-December Saturday weather report spoke of fog around Watertown. There was no snow on the ground, so the prospect of fog and frost was enough to get me on the road. Around Highway 212 west of Watertown is where Jack Frost’s work became remarkable. I stopped at Telemarken and Goodhue Lutheran country churches (both near Wallace) where the soft rime on the wrought iron gates to the churchyards was exquisitely long and beautiful. Further north past Waubay and into the Big Coulee area south of Sisseton, the prairie hills were rich with frost and fine winter scenery. I got my”White Christmas” feeling without a single snowflake falling from the sky.

Just after Christmas, I took a much-needed vacation to Custer State Park for a few days. I started the trip in Walworth County where a light hoarfrost covered the Missouri River hills with an elegant beauty just before the morning sun dispatched it. On my last day in the Black Hills, a heavy fog blanketed northern Wind Cave National Park and the southern reaches of Custer State Park. At a pullout along Red Valley Road, I spent at least half an hour on my belly finding delicate leaves, rose-hips and blades of grass all seemingly coated with sugar. Just as I was getting into my truck after brushing away the clinging ice, a lone coyote appeared from around the bend in the road. He stopped and locked eyes with me. It was quite the moment. After careful consideration and allowing a few shots from this odd-looking paparazzi, he moved off into the frost-laden hillside grass. Later in the day, I found bison lounging on the prairie hills along Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop Road. Their dark shapes against the icy landscape were a beautiful contrast of strength on strength, life unfazed by the season of death.

The last portion of the tour brought me back to southeastern South Dakota. A heavy fog that slowly burned off during an early January Saturday morning was all it took for me to go looking for red barns against the frosted landscape. These scenes are one of the most beautiful things to discover in winter. I headed for a particular barn in Moody County, and I wasn’t disappointed. The beauty of a frosty day like that is that I found plenty of other wonderland scenes to photograph, a tour de force of winter imagery on this year’s Tour de Frost.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Balancing Act

By Fran Hill

How many of you have been baking your hearts out? Have you made homemade caramels and fudge and pressed together popcorn balls? Do your friends and neighbors love the surprise platters of cookies that show up on their doorsteps? If so, you are ahead of me. I haven’t baked a single thing this holiday season. No flour, sugar or chocolate have been elevated in my kitchen.

I love cookies and candies and fudge. I crave sweets and dream of decadent desserts. However, honestly, I don’t really enjoy baking. At some point, I will give in and create some holiday confections. Don’t worry; there will eventually be some cookies. It isn’t Christmas without something from the oven.

In the meantime, I am focusing on balance in our meals. Winter has hit, and we are relying heavily on comfort food main dishes. I am rounding out the menus with vegetable sides that pack a punch of flavor and bring some freshness to the table. Winter Kale Salad with Goddess Tahini Dressing hits all of those qualifications.

Kale, red onions, apples and toasted pecans are massaged with a creamy and herb-packed tahini dressing. The salad is fresh and healthy and balances the multitude of cookies that I hope to be able to devour this holiday season.

Winter Kale Salad is a light reprieve from a holiday diet that is not short on sweets.

Winter Kale Salad with Goddess Tahini Dressing

(adapted from Milk Street)

1 1/4 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoon honey

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 bunches kale, stemmed and chopped

1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly

2 apples (Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or your favorite), cored and chopped

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

In a blender combine parsley, cilantro, tahini, lime juice, oil, honey, garlic, water, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the kale and onions. Drizzle dressing over the salad. Massage lightly and toss to coat the greens. Let stand for about 15 minutes to allow acid in the dressing to tenderize the kale.

Add apples and toasted pecans to the salad; toss to coat with dressing and serve. (Serves 6)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Winter Sanctuaries

By Christian Begeman

Christmas time has rolled around again. This season has been a little different than most. First, there is little to no snow, and second, we all have felt the anxiety and angst of a turbulent year. Somehow, the last few months have seemed to ratchet those feelings up a notch. That means it’s a perfect time for a holiday celebrating peace, love and goodwill. As for the lack of snow, I recently heard a wise farmer quip,”If there is going to be a drought, I want it to be in winter.”

Some of my fondest memories of Christmas took place in the church my family attended in Isabel. Starting with the first Sunday in Advent, our little congregation turned up the volume when Christmas hymns came out. With an organ and piano leading the way, we would rattle the windows on”Joy to the World” and make a joyful noise attempting to hit every note on the chorus of”Angels We Have Heard on High.”

The best part of Advent was the Christmas Eve service. Small brown bags full of peanuts, old-fashioned hard candy and apples were handed out on arrival. We’d sing favorite hymns, light candles and then every family exchanged gifts and cards. It seemed every face wore a broad smile. Many of those faces now gone. There was Art the usher, who gave each of us kids a piece of candy after Sunday school. Molly, a widow with the kindest heart you’d ever meet. And Chris, who created the most interesting gifts made of polished agate and other rocks. Incidentally, Chris was also hard of hearing and always revved his car engine to near jet-level decibels when leaving (which we boys loved). I could go on with memories of revered Sunday school teachers, old friends and manger scenes.

I suppose these memories are part of the reason I have enjoyed seeking out and photographing country churches. The buildings are not only pleasing to the eye, but they stand for so much more. Community. Faith. Family. Love. Death. Forgiveness. Hope. These are the things I remember when I think about my time growing up in church.

I started creating an annual”Prairie Sanctuaries” calendar in 2014. Each month features a different country church with a photo taken in that same month. For this month’s column, I thought it would be visually interesting, as well as poignant, to pull together a collection of winter scenes featuring these prairie churches. I’ve included a couple of brand-new photos taken on December 13, a very frosty day in northeast South Dakota. It was some of the only wintry white we’ve experienced this season. Seeing the church steeples and frost immediately put me in the Christmas spirit. As I wandered through the nearby cemeteries and along the wrought iron fences, the memories of all those smiling faces and joyous times at my little church rose up and lingered for a sweet moment like the fading tendrils of smoke from the candles in the window.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

South Dakota’s Sledding Hills

Local youth take to their sleds at Yankton’s Morgen Park. Photo by Bernie Hunhoff.

By Bernie Hunhoff

South Dakota’s reputation for geographic diversity holds true when it comes to snow sledding. Some of our eastern cities are too flat, and the slopes in some of our mountain towns are too rugged, steep and rocky.

In Aberdeen, where the terrain has been described as”flat as a barn door,” city leaders manufactured a 25′ hill so kids could enjoy winter. However, we discovered that most communities have a natural hill that becomes a hot spot when it snows.

Pack your sleds as you travel this winter because there are plenty of hills to explore. Most of the snow hills are unsupervised, so adults should be ready to act if they see something dangerous — a heavy toboggan sled, for example, that could carom out of control and hurt someone, or a motorized vehicle on the slopes. Sledding has long been a favorite winter tradition, even for our flatland friends. Let’s keep it alive.

Here’s our list of city slopes. Tell us what we’re missing. We’d also like to know where to find the closest and richest hot chocolate after a day on the slopes.

ABERDEEN — God created most of South Dakota’s hills and mountains, but man assisted with the modest slope in Baird Park (1715 24th Avenue NE), the most popular sledding spot in the Hub City. City officials created the gentle 25-foot just for kids.

BELLE FOURCHE — Slopes behind the Tri-State Museum (415 5th Avenue) are a favorite, though they may be too fast for younger kids and there is a walking path at the foot of the hill so watch for pedestrians.

CUSTER — Pageant Hill has been touted as one of the finest family sledding spots in the Black Hills. It may be too steep and long for younger kids, but you don’t have to descend from the very top. The hill is the summit of beautiful Big Rock Park, which also includes hiking trails and a disc golf course. It rises above the city’s south side.

HOT SPRINGS — Southern Hills Golf Course (1130 Clubhouse Drive) is fun and scenic.

HURON — Toboggan Hill (6th Street & Lawnridge Avenue), aka Slide Hill, is a bluff above the Jim River valley on Huron’s east side.

LEMMON — The ever-resourceful people of Lemmon discovered years ago that it was less expensive to build a small hill for their new water storage rather than just build a taller tower. Then someone got the great idea or also making it into a sledding slope with a warming shack. Tank Hill is quite easy to spot on the city’s west side. Many years ago, when the water tower developed a leak during a cold spell, kids were able to slide on the ice flow all the way downtown.

PIERRE — The slopes above the soccer fields in Hilger’s Gulch are popular. The gulch is a scenic valley just north of the State Capitol building.

RAPID CITY — Meadowbrook School Hill (3125 W. Flormann Street) is a good spot, as well as the Civic Center hill that rises above the Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza parking lot downtown.

SIOUX FALLS — Tuthill Park in southeast Sioux Falls is the site of weddings and parties in the summer months, but when the snow falls it becomes the domain of well-bundled children with sleds. Spellerberg Park (2299 W. 22nd Street), closer to the city center, also has a fair slope. Great Bear Ski Valley welcomes snow tubers, who get to ride the ski lifts.

SPEARFISH — Hills behind the Donald E. Young Center on the Black Hills State University campus are fast and fun.

STURGIS — Lions Club Park (off Lazelle Street) is a good place for younger kids, and Strong Field Hill on Ballpark Road is fun for older youth.

WATERTOWN — St. Ann’s Hill, a sledder’s delight, is so named because St. Ann’s was the original name of the nearby Prairie Lakes Hospital. Take Highway 20 to 10th Avenue and turn uphill.

WESSINGTON SPRINGS — It’s worth a drive to experience Ski Hill on the west edge of Wessington Springs. The natural setting in the Wessington Hills is idyllic, but the real attraction is an old, homemade invention with an electric motor that powers a 1,200-foot rope lift. Jokingly called the”Rube Goldberg ski lift,” the simple equipment has been lovingly cared for by handy volunteers, including Lloyd Marken, 85, who helped to build it in 1956.

YANKTON — Morgen Park (1200 Green Street) is the go-to sledding hill in town, however kids also like to slide down the earthen slope of Gavins Point Dam, where it rises above Pierson Ranch Recreation Area west of Yankton.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Winter of Art

By Christian Begeman

When I started doing this photo column, I wondered from time to time just what I should share. The wise answer from my friends at the magazine was simple. Just show us what you are shooting and tell us a little about it. It was good advice, but this time around, I discovered its one flaw. What if I didn’t get out and shoot like normal? It’s tough enough to get out of the house with winter weather in January and February, but this year was even harder for me with an expanded work role, a couple of bouts with a stomach virus and a lower back problem mixed in just to make it interesting. Now, with the world in an unprecedented immobile state due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I really didn’t think I’d have a column to share with you this month. But then I remembered that good advice: Show us what you have been shooting. I haven’t stopped taking photos this winter, and I realized that the last two months may have been my most”artistic” winter to date.

It started with my secret Santa at work. I drew an accomplished photographer who does amazing portrait work. She gave me a lens ball, a simple, round ball of glass that I started seeing photographers use a few years ago as a new, unique and fun way to shoot images. That said, I didn’t consider it”my style.” Plus, I’m becoming cheaper as I get older, so I passed on buying one for myself. Bad decision. When I took the lens ball out for a photo session, I spent two hours playing in the snow like a kid, then another fascinating half hour with a typically amazing South Dakota winter sunset.

Later, when the South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota basketball teams squared off in the South Dakota Showdown, the Arc of Dreams in downtown Sioux Falls was illuminated in the schools’ colors. Since my day job partially consists of supporting Midco Sports Network, which was broadcasting the game, I found myself out shooting the Arc for the first time in a stiff wind and subzero temperatures. I’m not sure why I waited so long, as the Arc is a real work of art and provides a unique vista, especially at night.

In late February and early March, Sioux Falls hosted both the NSIC and Summit League conference basketball tournaments, both of which Midco Sports Network televises. So once again I found myself at the Arc shooting time lapses to be used in the broadcasts. While there for the third time this winter, I decided to take the lens ball and soon found myself having a whole lot of fun again on that brisk winter evening.

Just a few nights ago, after a snow came and melted, I took the lens ball to Lake Vermillion Recreation Area in rural McCook County. My goal was to play with reflections and see what kind of visual interest the lens ball would add. Again, I was amazed at what a seemingly little bauble of glass could do under the right circumstances.

So that’s what I’ve been shooting this winter, thank you very much. Actually, I mean that wholeheartedly to my secret Santa of 2019. Thank YOU very much!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.