Archive for June, 2011

Developing Brace Roots

June 29, 2011

Today Jackson and Bill inspected the neighbor’s cornfield that I posted about in May. After they were in the cornfield today, Jackson designed the image below (choosing the colors, using the paintbrush, placing the photos) and determined most of the text to be included. Leave it to a five-year-old to notice that I forgot to include the “th” after the “29”! Maybe he can become my proofreader!

Clicking on the images will enlarge them.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Highway 141 Road Construction: Tax Dollars at Work

June 21, 2011

Last week there was road construction on Highway 141 just north of our house. While I was washing dishes I looked out the kitchen window and, in the distance, the antics of this construction worker caught my eye.

Traffic was just one lane and involved a pilot car guiding traffic, alternating to the east and then to the west. The construction worker was most active after the traffic had just passed, which meant there would be a break of three or four minutes before the pilot car would lead another group of cars past the construction worker.

The video includes audio and is about three minutes in length. Don’t get your hopes up for something awesome. It’s just kind of educational about what a construction worker might be doing between pilot car passes.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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The Namesakes of Marion and Deane Gunderson and Their Children

June 19, 2011

This image is of my dad's handwriting. At the top he wrote his and Mother's namesakes, followed in age order by Clara's (the oldest daughter) through mine (the youngest of the six living children*). (Click on the image to magnify it.)

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Last year on Father’s Day, June 20, 2010, Daddy (Deane Gunderson), age 91, fell. The doctors weren’t sure if the fall was a result of, or caused by a subdural hematoma. He passed away on July 1st.

I thought for today’s Father’s Day post I’d honor my dad and mom (Marion Gunderson) with a nostalgic yet fun tangent. After all, Daddy told us kids umpteen times that when he was gone, we weren’t to shed any tears. Of course, that is kind of hard to do, but he enjoyed life to the fullest and expected us to do the same. Therefore, I’m posting what I think is a fun diversion, but still in the vein of remembering Mother and Daddy with fondness.

The image above is my dad’s handwriting recording his namesake as well as the namesakes of my mom and us six kids. (As indicated in the above image, my mother was named after her Chicago Cubs fan Aunt Marion whom I posted about here.)

Ten or twenty years ago I read Mother’s version explaining after whom I was named. Apparently she and Daddy remembered differently. Daddy’s explanation (which he told me at least five times in the ten years before his passing) makes more sense. I’m going with it!

Because his writing on this sheet is on the reverse side of his 2009 Christmas card mailing list, I know Daddy wrote the information sometime after November 2009.

I don’t plan to do an uninterrupted series regarding the names given to each of us kids. However, over time, for at least some of us, I plan to post regarding our namesakes. When I do, the first will probably refer to oldest sister Clara’s names. I have something up my sleeve. At that thought, I think both Mother and Daddy would be pleased. Mother’s smile would be so happy and Daddy’s eyes would be twinkling.

With a heavy heart, yet so much gratitude, Happy Father’s Day, Daddy.

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*Christian was born about two years after I was. He died within minutes of his birth.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Canon Extender EF 1.4x or 2.0x? II or III?

June 18, 2011

On Wednesday I posted a photo of our (formerly my dad’s) cat, Mouser. Without the photography accessory that I purchased earlier this week, I wouldn’t have been able to shoot that photo, anyway not as “up close.”

With a boatload of gift certificates from past Christmases and Mother’s Day, at Christian Photo* I purchased a Canon Extender** EF 1.4x III. Canon offers two versions of the 1.4x: the II and the III.

Why did I purchase the 1.4x extender? Because most (but not everything) of what I photograph is at medium-range distances, and sometimes a little further away. The most telephoto quality lens I have at present is a 135mm lens. When using the 1.4x extender with my 135mm lens, the resulting focal length is 135mm x 1.4 = 189mm. I.e., the extender gives me extra reach.

Also, I didn’t want to spend the money to purchase a really good long telephoto lens. (Even if I could afford one, I wouldn’t use it enough to justify the cost.) While the extender is pricey, it isn’t as pricey as purchasing a quality long lens.

Why did I get the III instead of the II? One of the perks of the III is it is supposed to offer more optical crispness. Also, I had accumulated the gift certificates for something special and didn’t want to get the II and later wish I had purchased the III. (When I got my first dSLR camera, to economize I opted for one model down from what my gut said was a fit for me. I’ve regretted it ever since.)

Comparison of Photos: With and Without the 1.4x Extender

This photo was taken with a 135mm lens and no extender.

From the same location and with the same camera settings as the previous photo, this photo was taken with a 135mm lens and a 1.4x extender, resulting in a 189mm focal length (135mm x 1.4 = 189mm).

For a few, but rare, situations, I wish I had telephoto capabilities even greater than 189mm, like with a 2.0x extender. (135mm x 2.0 = 270mm) However, most of the time when I photograph, I’m moving around. That means I rarely use a tripod. My hands are not as still as a tripod. Therefore, as still as I try to be, I still have some camera shake.

This shake (and therefore fuzziness in my photos) would be even more evident if I had taken these two mailbox photos with the 2.0x extender. This is because…a 1.4x extender cuts back the amount of light by only one f/stop. In comparison, a 2.0x extender cuts back the amount of light by two f/stops. Less light usually means slower shutter speeds. Slower shutter speeds without a tripod usually mean more camera shake visible in photos. When photographing in some rather dark environments, for less evident camera shake I need all the light I can get. I get more light with the 1.4x than with the 2.0x.

I like the telephoto capabilities of a 2.0x, but the following three things made me decide to go with the 1.4x extender, instead. 1.) Without a tripod, my camera shake was just too pronounced with the 2.0 extender. 2.) I don’t need a 2.0x extender for the distance of things I most frequently photograph. 3.) If I don’t have too much camera shake, I can always crop and still have a relatively focused enlarged photo, for example, like the cropped photo at the bottom of this post.

Yes, I could crop/enlarge to a certain degree even if I didn’t have the 1.4x extender. I guess the 1.4x extender lets me have the best of both worlds…a little bit longer focal length, but without as much concern regarding visible camera shake as I would have with the 2.0x extender.

One thing to check out before purchasing an extender is whether or not it is designed to work with one or more of your lenses.

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If you are thinking that the photo of Mouser (at the bottom of this post) seems a little fuzzy, just know that it would be even fuzzier (due to that whole camera shake/shutter speed thing) with the 2.0x extender.

This photo was taken with my 135mm lens and the 1.4x extender (i.e., a focal length of 189mm).

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Same photo as above, but cropped. His face (where I was focusing) is a teensy fuzzy, but he was on the move and so was I. Especially when enlarged by clicking on it, I'll take it!

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I know I’m kind of like the blind leading the blind when explaining things about photography. But, maybe there’s someone blind out there who wants to listen!

*The pricing of the III at Christian Photo was exactly the same as online at reputable B & H. All the more reason for me to shop locally.

**An extender is also called a teleconverter. It connects between the camera lens and the camera body.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Honest, Mom. I don’t need any soap. I was just showing how my tongue matches the flowers.

June 16, 2011

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In the next post I’ll explain how I came up with this photo. For now, I hope you’ll click on it to magnify the detail.

Did you ever get your mouth washed out with soap for sticking out your tongue or saying something naughty? I remember just one time for me. Enough to make me not want to do it again!

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Photos: 40-Years-Later Celebration of Rolfe’s Road to the 1971 Girls’ State Basketball Tournament (Part III)

June 15, 2011

Rolfe, Iowa's, 1970-71 girls' basketball state tournament team. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Referring to Part I and Part II will help explain this post. All three posts include photos from the April 16, 2011, celebration of Rolfe, Iowa’s, road to the 1971 girls’ state basketball tournament.

For links to video and a radio broadcast of Rolfe girls’ 6-on-6 basketball from the early 1970s, click here. At that link you’ll also find links to general information about the history of Rolfe girls’ basketball.

Clicking on these photos will enlarge them.

Dave Spaulding (Rolfe faculty from 1966 to 1983) was kind enough to send to me this photo from the April 16th celebration. I was available for the photo because I opted out of the scrimmage much sooner than the rest of the women scrimmaging that day. While the red and gold uniform is of a different (but similar) style than the uniforms we wore in 1971, in this photo I am wearing a vintage Rolfe uniform, and back then I did wear #53.

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Kneeling L to R: Laurie Brinkman Jensen (RHS '71), Wendy Bennett Panbecker (RHS '87), daughter of Gus (RHS '74) and Nancy Brinkman. Middle Row: Louise Gunderson Shimon (RHS '73), Sue Feldman Reigelsberger, Karen Brinkman Vinson (RHS '72), Meg Vinson, Lynn Neugent Debel (RHS '74), Abby Hohensee (Pocahontas '07), daughter of Kyle (RHS '81) and Candace Brinkman. Back row: Julie Brinkman Mintz (RHS '74), Jolene Duitscher (red shirt), Joanne Brinkman (white shirt), Carole Dean Hohensee (Pocahontas '77), Tammy Pederson Shimon (RHS '83), Pam Radig, Lori Pedersen (currently from Rolfe), Brenda Reis (currently from Rolfe), Carol Hudson Hallman (Pocahontas '72).

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This is Rolfe's victory bell. Ok, so the Pocahontas Area superintendent says it is technically the property of the Pocahontas Area school district. But, in our hearts we know it belongs to Rolfe. (The district has offered it to Rolfe on a long-term loan basis.) Since sometime around the closing of the Rolfe school as an attendance center, the bell had resided outside the Pocahontas school building. However, there was a faction using its creative juices to figure out a way to get the bell back to Rolfe. The way I heard it was that the superintendent listened to reason, checked with the powers that be, and offered the bell on the loan basis. The bell returned to Rolfe just two or three days before our April 16th celebration. (Wasn't it nice for some of those Rolfe people, and even some that no longer are from Rolfe, to want so badly to get that bell returned in time for April 16th?! Their desire and having the bell present added to the spice of the event.)

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Pictured are the eight attending 1971 state tournament teammates with Rolfe's (loaned) victory bell. The bell had been painted white by the Pocahontas Area district. There is also lettering on it (something to have to do with PAC). In his excitement due to the bell being returned and ready for April 16th, Greg Kaiser doctored it up to once again become ROLFE'S (again...loaned) victory bell. The crepe paper on the bell was purchased by Greg at Calligan's Sundries. This crepe paper was from Greg's last two rolls, the same rolls that Greg used for the 1989 homecoming parade, with was the Rolfe district's last homecoming parade before it (the Rolfe district) was absorbed by Pocahontas Area. L to R: Carol Wiegert Franken (RHS '72), Karen Brinkman Vinson (RHS '72), Lynn Neugent Debel (RHS '74), Louise Gunderson Shimon (RHS '73), Julie Brinkman Mintz (RHS '74), Linda Pedersen Tutt (RHS '73), Laurie Brinkman Jensen (red shirt, RHS '71), Jean Brinkman Longnecker (striped sweater, RHS '73).

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John Young (RHS '51) started out as an official for junior high games. Then Al Gilbertson (high school faculty member and also athletic director) talked John into going on the road with Al to officiate. At the April 16th celebration, John spoke of his officiating experiences, including about sixty rule differences between girls' and boys' basketball.

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L to R: Karen Brinkman Vinson, John Young, Laurie Brinkman Jensen. Laurie is illustrating how, during jump ball situations, to get the tip she would hold down the arm of the opposing team's jumper.

The evening program was the last officially scheduled component of the celebration. Afterward, many of us ended up at Wes’ Place in Rolfe for more togetherness and to enjoy the music provided by Al Sroufe… and, for closure of such a memorable day. Not closure on relationships, though.

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P.S. Those of us from the 1971 basketball team are so very thankful for the willingness and hard work from RAM and RBI and other community members who helped make this celebration possible. Thank you.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Girls' basketball, Iowa, Rolfe | 1 Comment »

Photos: 40-Years-Later Celebration of Rolfe’s Road to the 1971 Girls’ State Basketball Tournament (Part II)

June 13, 2011

To better understand this post, you might want to check out the previous post.

Rolfe, Iowa's, 1970-71 Rammette state tournament basketball team. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

On April 16, 2011, in Rolfe, Iowa, our 1971 girls’ basketball state tournament team (including managers, cheerleaders, and coach) and faculty were invited to get together in the early afternoon. Following that meeting, five of the eight attending 1971 teammates got together with other 6-on-6 enthusiasts for a scrimmage.

How did this scrimmage come about? Last fall when I talked with Al Sroufe (RHS ’75) about our celebration, he suggested our having a scrimmage. After all, it had been almost twenty years since the last sanctioned 6-on-6 game in the state of Iowa. Many young women today “know” only 5-on-5. Why not educate regarding 6-on-6?

At the time of talking with Al, I thought a scrimmage might be kind of fun…if I was a spectator! I inquired as to our group’s sentiment and reported back to Rolfe saying that we shouldn’t be counted on for a scrimmage. (Although, from the get-go, Karen and Julie were game for a scrimmage.)

Those in Rolfe really, really wanted to see us scrimmage. If I put myself in their shoes, I would have felt the same. Still, except for Karen and Julie, I think the others of us either thought we’d make a spectacle of ourselves, or, of even greater concern, wanted to avoid injury.

That was until April 9th (one week before the basketball celebration) when my middle-sister Marti (RHS ’66) and I were at the Rolfe gym (now called the RAM Event Center). She and I started shooting baskets. Oh my. What pathetic arm strength I had, barely able to shoot a free throw. (I don’t mean barely able to make one. I mean barely able to get the ball to the hoop.) But, Marti and I endured, sharing nostalgia while shooting. In the period of just a few minutes, we bettered our shooting skills.

I also realized I could dribble twice (the limit in 6-on-6) without looking at the ball and without losing the ball. Victory! I felt so accomplished. I decided right then and there that on my bucket list was, on April 16th, to just once more dribble up the floor and pass the ball to one of my waiting-at-the-half-line forward teammates. I got home, emailed my teammates, and…voilà! A scrimmage was born!

Since, based upon my earlier reports, those in Rolfe were thinking the 1971 team wouldn’t be scrimmaging, they lined up enough local women to provide two teams. The five of us from the team of ’71 had a blast scrimmaging with the local women. I got to fulfill my bucket list dream of bringing the ball up the floor to one of my 1971 teammates. Other than that I pretty much flailed around the court not doing much except having my arms in the air. I excused myself early on; Laurie, Karen and Julie endured much longer than I did. They didn’t have as high a percentage of shots made as in the ’70s, but they brought everything else to the game. Also, Lynn (a fellow guard) played (no flailing on her part) for a long time.

Clicking on these photos will enlarge them. Sometimes clicking twice provides even more magnification.

Pictured is the April 16th "Red Team." If you watch the short video immediately below, you'll hear each one of us introduce ourselves. Karen, Laurie, Julie, Lynn and I played on the 1971 Rolfe girls' state tournament team. If you are wondering what Laurie, Lynn and I are up to in the video, we are working on getting a red shirt for Lynn. Carol Hudson Hallman (Pocahontas '72) played against us in high school. It was fun for all of us to have her come to Rolfe in April to play with us.

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This next video clip shows the five of us from the ’71 team, as well as other local women on the “red team,” introducing ourselves before the scrimmage began. Al Sroufe is the official in the clip.

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Here we are before the scrimmage. Officials Larry Pedersen (RHS '75), John Young (RHS '51) and Al Sroufe, as well as a few members of the local "white team" are pictured.

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For any of us who had forgotten (or never knew them), John Young and/or Al is reviewing for us the basic 6-on-6 rules. John was an official while we were in high school. (Photo courtesy of Karen Vinson.)

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Julie is shooting. Laurie is in red at the left. Karen is in red at the right. Also, in the photo in white are Kyle and Candace Brinkman's daughter, Sue Reigelsberger and Brenda Reis. (Photo courtesy of Chris Vrba.)

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Wendy Bennett Panbecker (RHS '87) and Carole Dean Hohensee (Pocahontas '77) are going after a jump ball tossed by Larry Pedersen. (Photo courtesy of Chris Vrba.)

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In red, L to R,, are Lynn Neugent Debel, Julie Brinkman Mintz, Laurie Brinkman Jensen, Carole Dean Hohensee, and Karen Brinkman Vinson. In white are (foreground) Lori Pedersen and (I think) Joanne Brinkman in the back court. (Photo courtesy of Chris Vrba.)

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Pictured are Sue Feldman Reigelsberger (played for Terril), Wendy Bennett Panbecker and me. (Photo courtesy of Chris Vrba.)

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L to R in the foreground are Lori Pedersen (now of Rolfe), Carol Hudson Hallman and official Al Sroufe. In the background on the platform are Bill Shimon (RHS '71), Dick Barrett (RHS faculty in 1971), Bob Allen (RHS '71), Jim Jordan (RHS '71) and Robert Wiegert (RHS '71). Leaning over is Dennis Duerling (faculty and assistant girls' BB coach in '71). On the floor, holding his child, is Dave Duitscher (RHS '89).

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I have a few photos from the evening program to add. I’ve also got footage of the scrimmage but either will not be posting it, or will save it for a rainy day.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Girls' basketball, Iowa, Rolfe | 1 Comment »

Photos: 40-Years-Later Celebration of Rolfe’s Road to the 1971 Girls’ State Basketball Tournament (Part I)

June 8, 2011

All of the photos in this post were taken on April 16, 2011, the day of our celebration. Pictured here is the outside of the gym of the Rolfe Community School District. The class of 1990 was the last class to graduate from Rolfe, Iowa. The district is now a part of the Pocahontas Area district. The gym is now owned by the City of Rolfe and is called the RAM Event Center. If you aren't already aware of the details of the celebration or of the history of Rolfe girls' basketball, you may find links for both by copying and pasting the following link into your browser: http://wp.me/PxxiA-2rL

Clicking on any of these images will enlarge them.

As a team, in the locker room we always prayed before and after our games. Several of us thought it fitting that we do the same before our marathon celebration day.

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The basement locker room is just about the same as always! Damp, for sure. No longer is there that squishy pad that we were supposed to step on (to prevent athlete's foot?) every time we exited the shower. Apparently, until not long before our celebration, this locker room had been pretty dank and would have been unpleasant for us to spend any time there. However, due to vandalism at the school prior to our celebration, some youth had to work community service hours. Some or all of those hours were spent cleaning up this locker room. Laurie was in charge of our locker room get-together. Notice how she even had votive candles to help cover any smell (which there ended up not being much of or none at all...it was quite comfortable). Clockwise from lower left: Pam Van Houten Sukalski (head coach Al Van Houten's daughter), Carol Wiegert Franken, Karen Brinkman Vinson, Linda Pedersen Tutt, Julie Brinkman Mintz, Laurie Brinkman Jensen and assistant coach Dennis Duerling. I know...it doesn't look like we are praying, but we really did ask God to bless the day.

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For the team, 1971 faculty, and anyone else who wished to attend, a 1:15 program was scheduled in the former home ec. room. Our assistant coach Dennis Duerling shared stories about each of the players. Interesting! (Greg Kaiser is at the left side of this photo. Once a photographer, always a photographer. Just think of all that history Greg covered as owner/editor of the Rolfe Arrow.)

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It was in the same room as the above and next photo where we spread out the fabric for our red dresses…our team before-and-after games “uniform.” (You can see them in the last video clip in the previous post.) The way I remember it is that Beverly Weigert (who was a former home ec. teacher and mom of teammate Carol) was instrumental in the construction of these dresses.

Here we are at our 1:15 program in the former home ec. room. Dennis provided his introductions after which we took turns with free-flowing conversation from anyone who wished to speak. Hmmm...who knew that some of the teachers used to drink beer in the home ec. room??? And, who knew that Mrs. Pohlman loved her job of teaching so much that at the beginning of one Thanksgiving break she cried because she'd be away from her students for four days?! Or, who knew that the teachers got scolded by Mr. Strickfaden for there being too much of the teachers' laughter heard in the hall outside the teachers' lounge? Our teachers were so dedicated. A common thread of discussion from the "students" that afternoon was that we so appreciated when we got to college and, because of our Rolfe educators, had a leg up compared to many other students, especially in the sciences, math and language arts. Clockwise starting at the far left with Bette Brinkman in the green sweater, Dave Spaulding, Pam Van Houten Sukalski, Laurie Brinkman Jensen, Linda Pedersen Tutt, LeRoy Mann, Robert Detmering, Jill Brinkman Detmering, Linda Lopour's husband, Linda Lopour, Cheryl Rickard Van De Voorde, Jean Brinkman Longnecker, Ilene Pohlman, Roger Pohlman, Bob Liston, Al Gilbertson, Donna Gilbertson, Suzie Liston, Carol Wiegert Franken, Karen Brinkman Vinson, Julie Brinkman Mintz, Louise Gunderson Shimon.

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We caught a moment after our 1:15 program for a group photo. Front row L to R: Laurie Brinkman Jensen^, Louise Gunderson Shimon^, Carol Wiegert Franken^, Karen Brinkman Vinson^. Middle row seated: Dennis Duerling, Jill Brinkman Detmering+, Cheryl Rickard Van De Voorde+, Deb Zeman Gillespie>, Pam Van Houten Sukalski. Back row: Jean Brinkman Longnecker^, Paulelda Harrold Gilbert<, Connie Henderson Boyd<, Lynn Neugent Debel^, Linda Pedersen Tutt^, Julie Brinkman Mintz^, Karin Zeman Ives<. (Varsity unable to attend: players Michele Pomerenke Piprude^, Lynn Robinson^, Joyce Baade Coburn^, Jeanell Winkleblack Piconi^, manager Mary Martin Field+, and our beloved head coach Al Van Houten who passed away in 1996. Present but not in the photo was Joan Behrendsen Gouge+.)

Seven of the eighteen 1970-71 Rolfe High School faculty members attended the April 16th celebration. Front row L to R: Dennis Duerling, Ilene Pohlman, Roger Pohlman, Dave Spaulding. Back row: Bob Liston, Al Gilbertson, Dick Barrett. (Photo supplied by Linda Tutt.)

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I have more photos to post and will do so, hopefully within the next week. I’m sorry to say that I have very few action photos.

^designates varsity player on the 1970-71 Rolfe girls’ state tournament team

+ designates managers/statisticians for the 1970-71 Rolfe girl’s state tournament team

<designates player on the 1970-71 Rolfe girls’ JV team

>designates 1970-71 Rolfe high school varsity basketball cheerleader

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Girls' basketball, Iowa, Rolfe | 1 Comment »

Girls’ 6-on-6 Basketball Videos: Three Games plus One Ultra-Thrilling Moment

June 7, 2011

This is the Rolfe girls' 1971-72 basketball team. Front row L to R: Michele Pomerenke Piprude, Joyce Baade Coburn, Louise Gunderson Shimon, Carol Wiegert Franken, Karen Brinkman Vinson, Julie Brinkman Mintz. Back row: Head Coach Al Van Houten, Jean Brinkman Longnecker, Lynn Robinson, Linda Pedersen Tutt, Lynn Neugent Debel, Connie Henderson Boyd, Becky Smith Mcmullen, Jeanell Winkleblack Piconi, Assistant Coach Dennis Duerling. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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In this post are four videos related to Rolfe, Iowa, girls’ 6-on-6 basketball.

One of the videos is from a game played on February 11, 1972. In this video the Rolfe girls’ 1971-72 basketball team is playing rival Manson at Rolfe. Rolfe won the game, which was the last game of the regular season, by a score of 84-72. With this victory the Rolfe girls secured, outright, the championship of the Twin Lakes Conference. Rolfe’s conference record that ’71-’72 season was 14-0. Manson’s was 12-2 with their only conference losses being to Rolfe.

That 1971-72 conference championship followed the 1970-71 season (the previous season) when the Rolfe girls defeated Manson in the district finals, earning for Rolfe a trip to the 1971 girls’ state tournament.

During the 1971-72 post-season, the opposite happened when Manson defeated Rolfe in the district finals. While that was heartbreaking, to this day when I think of that 1971-72 season, the first thing, and only thing I remember vividly, is what happened after sitting in the bleachers in the Fort Dodge gym watching the game prior to ours. At about the end of the third quarter of that game, in unison our team and managers stood, walked down the bleachers, and along the end of the gym to dress for our game against Manson. We wore our red dresses, which we had made (sewn…which…how many teams do that today?!).

What made that moment in time so spine-tingling and memorable was that three-fourths of the spectators stood, clapped and cheered for us as we were on our way to dress. It wasn’t just “sort of like” or that we imagined or embellished that three-fourths stood and cheered. Nope. Except for the Manson crowd, which was clearly delineated and clearly one-fourth of the spectators, the crowd, including those from the three other districts playing that night, honored us as we walked down those bleacher steps and exited the gym.

There’s no sound, and you see only the Rolfe spectators and a few of the Manson spectators, but use your imagination as you watch the last clip in this post. The first three clips are of tournament games leading to the district finals.

Rolfe (84) vs Manson (72) at Rolfe

for 1971-72 Twin Lakes Conference Championship

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Rolfe (76) vs Pocahontas (66) at Pocahontas

Sectional Tournament 1971-72

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The next clip is of Rolfe vs Laurens in the sectional finals. According to the February 17th, 1972, Rolfe Arrow, this was the first time the Rolfe girls’ basketball team ever advanced to the sectional finals, and therefore, (again according to the Arrow) the first time in the history of girls basketball that Rolfe took home a sectional championship trophy. (Interesting since the year before, we had gone to State. But…we got to State at the end of the ’70-’71 season without a sectional championship. Just a sectional consolation round victory allowing us to advance to districts.)

Rolfe (71) vs Laurens (64) at Pocahontas

Sectional Championship 1971-72

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This next clip is of that thrilling (very thrilling) walk to the locker room (mentioned above) with three-fourths of the spectators cheering us on. Thanks to the supporters, teammates and coaches, I have an emotional high every time I think about it.

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Click here for a listing of other posts regarding Rolfe girls’ basketball. Several of the posts include videos, as well as photos.

I’m anxious to get this posted. If you are wondering who is whom in any of the videos, let me know or reference the photo at the top of this post. mariongundersonart@gmail.com I’ll probably add some identifiers within the next week or so.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Girls' basketball, Iowa, Rolfe | 2 Comments »

Oregon: Day #5 — Brookings to Newport Including the Cape Blanco Lighthouse

June 6, 2011

On day #5 of Bill's and my 2009 Oregon trip, we left Brookings (circled at the lower left) and headed for Newport (circled at the upper right) with a stop at Cape Blanco. Click once (twice is even better) on this and any of the other images to magnify them.

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This volunteer guide led Bill and me up the lighthouse steps.

In July of 2009 Bill and I vacationed in Oregon for a little over a week. That summer I posted about our trip through day #4. While I don’t know if I’ll ever post about the final days of the trip, I would be remiss if I didn’t post about day #5’s Cape Blanco Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was impressive in terms of nostalgia and physics. While I’m glad to have the photos, the best way to “feel” the nostalgia is to stand next to the massive lens (in the photo immediately below) in the lighthouse and listen to the story from the heart of the volunteer guide (at right).

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Bill and the volunteer guide are near the massive lens and looking out over the cape.

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Although it appears both lamps are lit, only one is.

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The photo immediately above shows the two lamps around which the lens rotates. The lamps are mounted on a lamp changer. While it looks like both lamps are lit (powered), at any given time only one lamp is lit. I asked Bob, a volunteer guide, why in the photo it looks like two lamps are lit. He said it is a “refractive phenomenon” in that the second bulb tends to gather light from the first bulb. (At the far left of the photo you can see a slice of the cape. Also, through the lens you can see a distorted view of the cape.)

In the case of a power outage, this curtain is pulled between the lens and the sun.

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At times, a curtain is pulled between the lens and the sun. There are two reasons for this. First, if the rotation of the lens should happen to stop due to a power outage, the sun would bear on the lens all day long. The sunlight could subsequently darken the glass unevenly. Bob said this discoloration would take some time to occur, so not likely to happen to a noticeable degree with a short-lived power outage. Yet, they like to be proactive in protecting the lens.

Secondly, the sun can project a beam through the lens into vegetation in the distance. If there is a power outage and therefore the lens stops rotating, the curtain is drawn to prevent a fire (from the beam fixed like a magnifying glass on a small area of vegetation). Bob said he had volunteered at the lighthouse for about nine years and only about once a year (sometimes more often, sometimes every two years) did the rotation of the lens shut down due to a power outage.

I asked how the lamps are changed. Bob said that when the primary lamp burns out, the lamps autorotate so the secondary lamp then comes into position and is used. Also, the Coast Guard checks the lamps every ninety days. During those checks usually one or both bulbs are replaced.

When I asked about the size of the motor (visible by clicking on the first photo) that rotates the lens, Bob said he thought it was a 1/4- or 1/2-horsepower motor.

Every 20 seconds the beam of light is seen from any vantage point.

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The light assembly (inside the lens) is stationary. That huge lens rotates every 160 seconds. There are 8 panels to the lens, so, from any vantage point, every 20 seconds a lens panel will align (i.e., with the viewer’s line of sight) allowing a beam of light to pass through. You can see the once-every-20 seconds visible illumination in the photo immediately above. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can also see three of the eight vertical panels.

A Cape Blanco Lighthouse brochure* says:

Built in 1870, its light shone at a time when maritime travel was the major mode of transportation for our nation’s west coast. Today it still shines, continuing the important mission of protecting shipping and saving lives from the Cape’s treacherous offshore reef and coastal rocks.

The brochure also says:

Cape Blanco also has the distinction of being the only lighthouse in Oregon with an operational Fresnel lens that allows visitors into the lens room.

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For those planning an itinerary, in 2009 on our drive from Brookings to Newport we had Razzleberry (a combination of raspberries and marionberries) pie at the Crazy Norwegian** quaint shack-of-a-restaurant in Port Orford. Our meal there wasn’t great but we would go back for the pie and atmosphere.

In Brookings we stayed at the South Coast Inn Bed & Breakfast. If the opportunity should arise, we’d stay there again.

The posts about the first four days of our Oregon trip (plus this post) are here.

*”Cape Blanco Lighthouse” 63400-8061 (4/04) published by the Oregon State Parks

**Reviews of the Crazy Norwegian restaurant are here.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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