Images This Week

Monday 5/7 I took this image of a Goldfinch, I swear the bird was only two inches in length. My books say they should be 5.
Also Monday, up in Terra Park, there is a flood control pond with a bunch of reeds growing. It is a favorite hangout for ducks and geese. I got this picture of a duck.

And then I got lucky and caught these ducks while taking off, you can decide if it is a good image or not.

Tuesday, I walked down to the creek to see if the flooding had subsided. It hadn't, but while down there I spied this Meadowlark. I am not quite sure if it is the Easttern or Western variety, maybe someone out there can tell me.

I then saw some geese on the greens surrounding Terra Park Pond. It sort of a dike built around the pond. I usually circle the pond once and then walk back to work.

Wendesday, I walked down toward the creek to see if it had improved. It hadn't.

And then to add insult to injury, I spied this duck swimming over what should be the trail.

So I then walked back to Terra Park and spotted this deer.

I apparently spooked him and he took off. I got lucky and got him in motion. Lucky because, the action on the camera is so slow any action images are pure luck.

And this in my opion is the best image of the week.

Late April

April 24th - 25th it rained in the Des Moines (and all of central Iowa) area. According to Iowa State University we got 2.7 inches over the two days. This of course had a negative effect on my excercise program since it flooded my walking trail. I work in a Johnston (A suburb of Des Moines, IA) and right behind my employer is a very nice bike and walking trail.

These images were taken on April 26th.


If you look at just below the trees, there is a thin strip of water. This is the creek that has overflowed. This is looking down from my employers property toward the North East, which is considerbly higher then the walking trail.

These two pictures are looking to the south east of my employers property, the flooding is much more prominent here.

Since I wasn't going to be able to walk on my favorite trails, I decided to walk over to Terra Park, which is about one half mile from where I work. I found the two signs in the following pictures kind of amusing. The following three images all were on the south edge of the park.


Thursday May 3rd, I was able to get down to the creek and take a few pictures.

This tree was aparently ripped out by the root and is now in the middle of the creek.

Sand has been deposited from the creek up onto the trail.

This had been dry woodlands, now it is a wet mess.


Theese two images show the prarie just to the west of the creek. Notice how the grass has been ripped up and deposited around the tree trunks.

Animals

I haven't been posting lately due to the fact that Iowa can be boring during the winter. Now that spring is starting to peek through, I am starting to see animals again.

This little feller is a Downy Woodpecker and this image was taken sometime last month.

Late last month, I saw a city of Geese hanging out at The Des Moines River, just north of the City.

Here is a closeup of some of the Geese.


I took this image last Friday. This character is a Cedar Waxwing, viewing him at 100% shows a lot of detail.

And the same day I took this image, he is a Mink.





Today after church Cheryl and I decided to go for a walk. These Eagles were hanging out on the other side of the river and I took a few shots.



I saw this cardinal too. Well to be truthful, I heard him first and then had a little trouble seeing him. But I got an image.

And the best image is of .......................












The Cedar Waxwing.

Snow Storm

In very early March, a bad snowstorm moved through Iowa. A few days later, I started taking my walks again and got the following images. Note it was cold and I was wearing boots and a big fur hat and one of my coworkers (A Canadian) started referring to me as "Nanook of the North."

The above image is a personal favorite of my wife.

This is a stream bed that is usually dry. This was a very wet snow and water was draining out of it.
I liked this image.
This storm started with rain and within one hour we got rain, sleet, hail and then snow. Ice stuck to the trees and some trees were brought down. In rural Iowa miles of utility poles were brought down leaving many Iowans without power for 3 or more days.
Another picture showing some damage.

When I took this image I kind of felt like I was in "Dr. Zhivago." The crystalline character didn't come across in the picture, but it is interesting in its own right. This image will probably get uploaded to "The Pikers Press" according to my Wife.
More Damage.


This was a very pretty picture I took from a bridge.

More damage.


And yet more, two weeks later the branch was still sitting on top of the ice. In the last few days it has warmed up into the 50's and the ice probably has melted and the branch taken downstream.

And the best picture for this post is ...

I got my picture published!

Well published on the internet at least.

Piker's Press has published my "Mink" picture as the Peek of the Week!

Ok, so I know the publishers.

Game of the Week (or Storming the Gate)

Game was played Monday January 8th on FICS. our ratings were almost identical. I am white.

1.d4 d5
2.c4 dxc4
If any of you have been following my Blog (or are chess players,) you would know this is a "Queens Gambit Accepted." And you may also recall me saying "I have a lot of fun with these games." That especially holds true for this game. If anyone is curious, Gambit means to offer something to your opponent hoping to get an advantage, usually in time or position. In the QGA, white offers a pawn to get control of the center.

3.e4 c6
4.Bxc4
Black usually can't hold onto the gambited pawn and usually gives it back hoping to get some counter play against a pinned knight on c3. Those games that black actually tries to hold onto the extra pawn usually forces black into some very ugly pawn structures.

4. ... e6
5.Nf3 Nf6
6.Nc3 Bb4
7.e5 Nd5
8.Qd3
As I mentioned above, black has my knight on c3 pinned and attacked by 2 pieces, but it is also defended by 2 pieces. I am not afraid of the exchange.
8. ... Bxc3+

Usually black would exchange knights here and hold onto his dark bishop if he has the choice. A bishop is technically worth 3.25 points vs 3.0 for the knight, I am happy with this exchange. Also, a dark colored bishop is needed by black to defend his king if he castles king side (which he does.)
9.bxc3 0-0

Well, my opponent only has one piece developed versus 3 for me. My pawn structure is still ok and I have double bishops with a moderatly open position. Otherwise he is already in trouble.

10.0-0 b5

My opponent is helping me do what I already want to do, get my light squared bishop to c2 and attack his king. The great American Chess Master and probable World Champion gave us the Chess Axiom "Point your pieces at the enemy king."

11.Bb3 Nb6
12.Bc2 g6


He has no real choice but this move, but it does weaken the king side!

13.Bh6

That is where my dark squared bishop wants to go! Notice he still only has one piece developed.

13. ... Re8
14.Ng5

I am sending my knight on a little bit of a road trip to get it to a better square.

14. ... Nd5
15.Qf3 Qe7
16.Ne4 Nd7
17.Nd6 Rd8


My knight is now worth a rook, it is in a very destructive position for black.

18.Qg3 f6

Black wants to trade off those pawns and hopefully drive my knight out of there. But in truth that was a terrible move. I contemplated my next move for only 9 seconds and then sacked my bishop. Before that move he was terribly constricted, but I had no obvious attack against his king. But now the game is virtually over!


19.Bxg6 hxg6

Probably a mistake, knight to f8 is better.
20.Qxg6+ Qg7 and then black resigned before I could move.

No matter what, his queen is gone at this point. But King to h8 is better, followed by:

Nf7+ Qxf7
Qxf7 Rg8

and now I have no easy checkmates and must ware him down. I can try for a cheap shot of

Qh5 and hope that he doesn't see the discovered checkmate of Bf8+ and if he does force trade the bishop for one of his knights.

Game of the Week

Played on FICS 01/01/2007, I out ranked my opponent by about 100 points. But one should never underestimate your opponent.

1.e4

This is a tactical game. I try to steer all of my e4 opponents into the dragon, which I know moderately deep.

1. ... c5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. c3

This is a some what odd line. My books have it listed under Hyper Accelerated Dragon. I really don't like playing against it, but to date my results have been pretty good. I think I am winning about 3 out of four games. Usually they try to build a massive center and I try to destroy it.

3. ... e6
4. d4 d5
5. e5

He has built his center, now I am going to try to destroy it.

5. ... Nge7
6. Bg5 Qb6
7. Qc2 Nf5
8. b3

I beleive that was a wasted move. Whatever, I have more then enough on the weak d4 pawn to attack his center. He should really have his Queen on the d file and he should really be attacking one of my knights. He is not showing any ingenuity here.

8. ... cxd4
9. cxd4 Nfxd4
10. Nxd4 Qxd4
11. Bb5 Qxe5+
One destroyed center. Now he begins his counter attack.
12. Be3 Bd7

The Bd7 prevents Bxc6 bxc Qxc forking the King and rook.

13. Bxc6 Bxc6
14. Qc3

He wants to exchange Queens, why I don't know. I have the better center so trading is ok, but I wasn't in the mood for it. Even better yet, I can exchange my dark Bishop for his rook (Bb4, QxB QxR) but I didn't see it.

14. ... Qe4
15. 0-0 Bb4
16. Qxg7

16. ... 0-0-0
17. Qd4

Ok, he has forced the Queen exchange.

17. ... Qxd4
18. Bxd4 Rhg8
19. f4
At this point, I get a very nasty idea. I have got double Bishops and his King is looking awfully weak. The problem is his Bishop is sitting right where my pawn needs to go. With his f4 move, I can't even push e5 allowing to take a free pawn. But I can push my f6 pawn allow him to take that pawn and then allow him to take my Rook. Costly yes, but in exchange I get a WINDMILL. And I believe I will get everything back!

I am going to GAMBIT a rook!

19. ... f6
20. a3 Bd6
21. Bxf6 d4
22. Bxd8

He bought it hook, line and sinker.

22. ... Rxg2+



Now the Windmill structure is set. Every time the rook moves into position it is check and then when the rook moves out of position it is check. The rook can eat anything and everything in its path.

23. Kh1 Ra2+
24. Kg1 Rxa1

My opponent tries to save his Bishop instead of trying to get the king out of the Windmill.

25. Bf6 Ra2

I have the windmill structure again.

26. Bxd4

My opponent eats a pawn and the windmill strikes again.

26. ... Rg2+
27. Kh1 Rd2+
28. Kg1 Rxd4
29. Nc3 Bc5

Positioning my Bishop for the kill.
30. b4
He doesn't like my bishop there and trys to kick it, but has forgotten about discovered checks
30. ... Rxb4+



Black only has one legal move, to block with a rook. His position is hopeless and he resigns.