May 2005 Blogs

5/31/2005 In Mason City Iowa Today. Drove to Mason City to take care of some business related stuff.

5/30/2005 Last night I was heading out to try and shoot some Aurora Video when I was heading out west from my place in Burnsville on Highway 13, a ton of Police and Fire crews flew past me into the Minnesota River area by Cargil.

After calling the news room to see if they knew what was up, I found I was the first one on the scene with a 20 Minute head start on all the news crews so I blew off the Aurora chase and focused on the major developing story that turned out to be 3 dead in a boat crash on the MN River.

5/29/2005 Working on stuff at home

5/28/2005 Working on stuff at home and relaxing

5/27/2005 Yesterday I was out chasing for KSTP, nothing much but some small hail in Webster MN.

5/26/2005 Yesterday WTSP in Tampa Bay Florida featured the BNVN crew for their upcoming hurricane special.

5/25/2005 Out shooting rain video this afternoon and hitting the gym.

5/24/2005 Working on the live video feeds still. Andy and I came up with something pretty sweet that were testing out. Also back on my old workout schedule. I figure if the weather is pretty mellow around the Midwest, I need to get back to the gym.

5/23/2005 Working on the new live video feeds from my truck.

5/22/2005 Out shooting windy video today in Minneapolis.

5/21/2005 I will be out shooting video this morning for The Weather Channel this morning. Not sure where yet, but I’m booked up for the morning show.

5/20/2005 Relaxing at home today. I worked for a while today to get the new live video from the truck up and running. I’m testing it out right now.

5/19/2005 Relaxing at home today.

5/18/2005 Out Storm Chasing today for KSTP with Andy. We covered different parts of Western MN. I was on the southern storms while Andy was on the northern storms. He got the tornado while I was in the hail.

5/17/2005 More Rain!!! Out shooting video today for The Weather Channel today.

5/16/2005 Another Aurora Alert! In the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge right now. I just took this picture over one of the lakes of the Auroras that are active again tonight. Just waiting for the moon to drop then the real show will begin.

AURORA ALERT

5/15/2005 In Western MN Watching The Aurora Outbreak. Go to www.bnvn.com to see the video of this event.

5/15/2005 This evening I went back down to Henderson MN to check out the high water and found that the flooding has just started as the river has reached the top of the banks on the west side of the river. But also the real story was the log jam. The up stream section of the bridge is becoming jammed up with drift wood flowing down the river.

5/14/2005 I was out shooting video for The Weather Channel this afternoon of cold rain in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.

And then I went out to scout out some locations for some possible flooding later this week along the Minnesota River since with all the rain we have had it has caused the river to rise. The river was a lot higher then I thought it was going to be so I shot a package for KSTP’s 10PM show.

5/13/2005 Taking the day off to relax as I see the next few days are going to be busy.

5/12/2005 Today I shot some video for The Weather Channel in the morning and then Andy and I had to do some P.R. stuff for KSTP for an interview about what we do for their shows tonight.

5/11/2005 On my way back home to Minneapolis today. The Kansas option is a bust and I think sticking close to Minneapolis is a better play for the next few weeks.

5/10/2005 Went storm chasing today, over shot the target on some advice and forecast info that showed the storms would fire north of Omaha. I did manage to catch up to the storm in Iowa but not much to see except for a lot of rain and hail after dark.

I then decided to go to Des Moines to shoot some very heavy rain video for The Weather Channel. I’m sure glad I did because it was like being back in the Hurricanes with the high winds and rain. I setup around the capital and in the downtown area of Des Moines for this video. Tomorrow I will be in Kansas from the looks of forecast data now.

5/9/2005 BUSY DAY. After getting a couple hours of sleep this morning, I was up shooting video for The Weather Channel this morning at the crack of dawn. Then, shooting more video early this afternoon of rain in downtown Minneapolis for TWC, it was time for another break. And then I was back out for KSTP for the tornadic / severe storms south of Jordan MN. 

5/8/2005 Was out In Western MN storm chasing for KSTP and caught this video of some wall clouds and hail. Click on the image below to watch the video.

5/7/2005 Out chasing for KSTP in Southern MN today. I was on the Jackson MN storm which was mostly Pea Size hail and heavy winds.

5/5/2005 Today I was storm chasing out by New Ulm, MN. I got some cool lightning and a wall cloud with something sticking out of it.

5/4/2005 Today was fun, spent most of the day over at the TV station doing promo stuff for the new gig. I am now part of the KSTP storm chasing team with Andy Revering.

5/2/2005 Out shooting more cold weather video for The Weather Channel today. Brrrrr, November In May, this weather is just upside down.

5/1/2005 Its May First, and it feels more like November First today. I was out shooting cold and snow video for The Weather Channel again today. Hmmm, I saw some Tornado’s 21 days ago, I was shooting tornado video… You gotta love this weather. –

UPDATE Since several people emailed me about the “Dogs On Parade”. It was about the clip above, with temps in the 30s and the video I shot of the Greyhounds wearing coats. I just used the below clip first since it had better graphics. Well, I know your watching now 😉

April 2005 Blogs

4/27/2005 Out shooting video for The Weather Channel today. It is late April and I’m shooting snow video. You got to love Minnesota weather.

04/27/2005 Shooting video for The Weather Channel

4/24/2005 Doing some different video work with trying to get star time lapse video.

4/21/2005 I’m somewhere south of Lincoln Nebraska today.

Why? WWUS20 KWNS 211636 SEL5 SPC WW 211636 KSZ000-NEZ000-212200- URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 175 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 1135 AM CDT THU APR 21 2005 THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 1135 AM UNTIL 500 PM CDT

4/20/2005 – Just updated the webpage with the latest blogs.

4/19/2005 – In St. Paul MN and greater Minnesota to storm chase from last night.

4/18/2005 Lightning Video. Lightning footage at night. Part 1 of 2
4/18/2005 Lightning Video. Lightning footage at night. Part 2 of 2

4/18/2005 – Shooting Lightning Video from my deck in Burnsville MN

4/18/2005 – In Minneapolis, MN Today and out filming for The Weather Channel. Out filming nice warm weather video for the evening show.

4/17/2005 – In Tampa Florida heading home to Minneapolis.

4/16/2005 – In Punta Gorda Florida for the huge Block Party today.

4/15/2005 – In Punta Gorda Florida With The BNVN Hurricane Charley Crew To Do Interviews With WTSP For Their Upcoming Hurricane Special. Also Getting Ready For The Big Block Party.

4/14/2005 In Tampa Florida

4/11/2005 Chasing Storms Right Now In North East Kansas and South East Nebraska Area. URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 151 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 1155 AM CDT MON APR 11 2005 THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN IOWA NORTHEAST KANSAS FAR NORTHWEST MISSOURI SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1155 AM UNTIL 800 PM CDT. TORNADOES…HAIL TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

4/10/2005 Got Some Tornadoes Just Southeast Of Hays Kansas. Here is a still photo of one of the tornadoes.

4/10/2005 Tornado Video, Trego County, Kansas.
4/10/2005 Hay Kansas Tornado Video And Photographs

4/10/2005 – 2PM Local – Hay’s Kansas – In A Tornado Watch Box URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 141 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 110 PM CDT SUN APR 10 2005 THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL KANSAS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 110 PM UNTIL 800 PM CDT. TORNADOES…HAIL TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF HILL CITY KANSAS TO 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

4/9/2005 McCook Nebraska. I hooked up with legendary storm chaser Dean Cosgrove today to chase with him this weekend. Not much happened today but were getting into position for tomorrows big chase in Kansas and Oklahoma. Here are some photographs from the road.

I love this part of the country, wide open spaces and scented country air… Ok, the wide open spaces are cool but the smell in some of the towns, well, that just is rank… Off to get some rest to see what tomorrow brings. Could be a decent day of storm chasing down here.

4/05/2005 Out storm chasing and ended up in a hail core. I ended up getting pounded by a lot of hail and got it on video.

4/5/2005 Hail Storm Stock Video At Night.

March 2005 Blogs

3/31/2005 – 04/02/2005 In Iowa at the National Weather Association Conference. Here is a photo I took outside this afternoon 04/2/2005 of a April Fools Cloud…

3/30/2005 Out chasing in southern Minnesota and Iowa today. 

3/20/2005 – 3/30/2005 On Vacation taking care of stuff.

3/18/2005 Winter Storm Warning Today. The weather was just nasty in Southern Minnesota. I shot some great winter storm video today in Steele County Minnesota, which is just south of the metro area. Here is the raw video that was on The Weather Channel today.

Snow in Southern, MN
Snow in Southern, MN

Here is the first snow video from southern Minnesota.

Southern MN Winter Storm
Minneapolis, MN Winter Storm

3/17/2005 Out shooting video for The Weather Channel today of the snow storm in Albert Lea MN

3/17/2005 Screen Cap from TWC

3/15/2005 Taking some time out to relax and get some new ink work done. I got a new tattoo. I’ll post a better photo as soon as it heals up. That is the hurricane symbol on my upper right arm.

New ink on my arm.

3/11/2005 – PM Out shooting video for The Weather Channel this afternoon of the heavy snow that moved through the Minneapolis, MN area. It was pretty strange to be out shooting snow video since we are in a major snow drought this year.

3

3/11/2005 – AM Relaxing At Home, finished up watching the second season of 24 on DVD (that show rocks!!!) and working on more of the website updates.

3/10/2005 Relaxing at home trying to shake this cold and working on the webpage updates. Also catching up on the second season of the show 24. The wild fire video is up on line again as well as the tornado video and photo section.

3/07/2005 When I got home tonight the parking lot was full of EMS workers for a fire in an apartment building next to mine.  It was nice not having to deal with police lines since I was already on scene and lived there.

3/7/2005 -P.M. Out playing weather channel photographer this afternoon with the weather turning chilly in Minneapolis for the evening shows.

3/07/2005 Back home from the Aurora Chase and got some interesting video. I got this aurora video that is just crazy emerald green. Maybe since its March, its an Irish Aurora.

3/6/2005 Taking a break from the site update to chase some aurora’s tonight. Currently I’m somewhere northeast of Minneapolis trying to get ahead of the cloud deck moving in. Here is an Aurora photograph near Harris MN, about 50 miles north of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Click on the image to view a larger image.

3/5/2005 Home in Minneapolis today. Ahhh, good to be home. Back working on the website updates. Texas chase trip is still planned but waiting for a good active weather pattern first.

3/4/2005 In Fort Pierce Florida today working on some business stuff with the hurricane videos.

Baby Horse On A Farm on my way back to Orlando to catch a flight home. use. Yeah, I just had to stop and take a picture. I think the horse was even smiling at the camera… The sunset on the drive back to Orlando to go home.

3/3/2005 Off to Florida Today for an quick unplanned business trip to check out a few things out and take care of someones mess.

3/1/2005 The new web server is fully operational as of this morning. Gigs of space for the new site and some new surprises like live video. Today’s project will be to get the stock photography gallery pages up and running

February 2005 Blogs

2/28/2005 Working on the Lightning Video Page. Had to take a break to finish the server switch. I am now operational on my very own high powered computer server backed up by high speed fiber optic lines.

2/27/2005 Out shooting video for The Weather Channel this morning. I did finish up the Hurricane Charley Video and Photography Page. The Northern Lights or Aurora Photography Page Is Back Up. Hurricane Frances Video and Photography Is Back Up. Hurricane Ivan Video And Photography Is Back Up. Hurricane Jeanne Video And Photography Is Back Up.

2/26/2005 Busy moving servers and stuff. You may have noticed a Redirect page. Right now everything is hosted on Lightningboy.net while we move some equipment around. The About Me Page Is Now Back On Line Daylight Lightning Photography Page Is Up All of the Northern Lights Video is now online and ready

2/25/2005 Working on the massive webpage update. I now own a new high powered computer server that is hooked up to an OC3 line for BNVN (mega bandwidth). I’m rebuilding the site from scratch to make it a lot cleaner and organized. Links Pages Are Now Working How Too Photograph Lightning Pages Now Working The Blogs are working for the past 15 months but I’m still working on the photo gallery pages and video pages. I did put up two temp lightning stock photography pages that have a bunch of images in them. Its pretty strange, my past work that I thought was pretty good, is giving me so many idea’s now with the new digital cameras. Before I was limited by the low rez scans and lack of funds but now, I’m just thinking up so many different new tricks to try, its not even funny.

2/24/2005 In Minneapolis Today. Working on a “Major Webpage Update” for the next few days. The links on the left will not work until the pages are updated. I deleted everything and rebuilding the site from the ground up over the next few days before I take off on a storm chase trip to the Cap Rock.

2/21/2005 Back in Minneapolis and working on the webpage update.

2/20/2005 In Punta Gorda Florida At The Celtic Ray Pub. The Party was great and it was a blast to get to hang out with a lot of the people that live in town and getting to hear some of the different hurricane stories. The number one thing I heard was “The Video Showed What We Missed While Hiding Under The Bed Or In The Bathroom.”

Here are some of the images from the party at the Celtic Ray Pub.

Celtic Ray Party
Celtic Ray Party

2/19/2005 Guess Where? Yes, in Florida, again… This weekend is the Celtic Ray 8th Anniversary party, 6th Month After Charley Party, and the Hurricane Charley Directors Cut DVD Release! Two Hours Of Footage Is On The Directors Cut.

2/18/2005 Chasing Strange Lights In The Sky, Aurora’s Over Minnesota just north of Minneapolis.

2/18/2005 Northern Lights over Minnesota

I also posted a video of the event up on my YouTube account.

2/14/2005 Home from the film festival and working on web updates and biz stuff in Minneapolis.

2/13/2005 Our film “Hurricane Charley” is on the big screen tonight at the AMC Theater at the Cocco Walk tonight in Miami.

2/12/2005 In Miami and working on major web page update while killing time this weekend.

In Miami for the film festival

2/10/2005 In Miami For The Film Festival! Our Hurricane Charley Video Is In The Miami International Ind. Film And Music Festival. www.nyfilmvideo.com

2/6/2005 Well, the warm temps could not last, I was in Owatonna Minnesota today shooting video for The Weather Channel and the local ABC station, KSTP picked it up as well.

2/5/2005 Shooting some warm morning temps video for The Weather Channel.

2/4/2005 Really loving this 50 degree temps in Minneapolis.

January 2005 Blogs

1/31/2005 Back in Minneapolis and shooting some snow video for the morning show for The Weather Channel. It’s St. Paul Winter Carnival Time!   I love the St. Paul Winter Carnival!!!!!!

1/29/2005 Back in Florida

1/25/2005 Out shooting way above normal temps video for The Weather Channel.

1/22/2005 Out shooting video for the Weather Channel morning show.

1/20/2005 Out shooting video for the Weather Channel evening show. Snow and stuff.

Just a little cold out

1/17/2005 Back from Florida and its cold in Minneapolis. I was out trying shoot some northern lights but it was not happening early this morning. It was cold out. The photo below is me in the cold with a image of the temp outside. 29F Below Zero!!!!!

1/16/2005 Out shooting video for The Weather Channel this evening for the evening show.

1/15/2005 Doing P.R. in Fort Pierce for the Septembers Fury DVD.

1/14/2005 Doing some media and public relations stuff for Septembers Fury. We were featured on NBC 5 WPTV in West Palm Beach Florida.

1/13/2005 En Route to Florida today for a weekend media and public relations tour for the new hurricane DVD, September’s Fury.

September’s Fury has some of the best Hurricane Video from Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, and Hurricane Jeanne.

I will be in Punta Gorda Today to promote the video at the Celtic Ray. Tomorrow and Saturday we will be in Fort Pierce Florida to promote the DVD. The best part about this trip is the weather. In Florida its going to be in the 70s and 80s while in Minneapolis, its going to be -30. That’s Negative 30 outside air temp. Brrrrrr.

1/12/2005 Shooting snow video for The Weather Channel early this morning.

1/11/2005 Shooting video for The Weather Channel this afternoon of the cold and snow.

Sub zero in Minneapolis, MN.

1/10/2005 Out shooting video for The Weather Channel this afternoon. Shot some sweet footage of airplanes being deiced.

Aircraft de-icing in Minneapolis, MN.

1/05/2005 On Vacation

1/01/2005 Out shooting video of yet another Ice Storm in the Minneapolis MN area for The Weather Channel. Did some car crash aftermath video and then downtown to do some videography outside of Target Center of all the sleet and ice as people headed into for the Timberwolves game.

Crash on Interstate 35W from Ice Storm.

Snowing today

Ok,Today it was finally snowing out. Its looking a lot more like Christmas. Out shooting B-Roll.

12/21/2004 Overnight snow video from Minneapolis, MN
12/21/2004 People in cold weather video from Minneapolis, MN

Out playing weather channel photographer again…

12/20/2004 Out playing weather channel photographer again shooting B-Roll for their morning show of the cold and ice storm. It was another wicked morning with ice instead of snow again.

Traffic really sucked this morning due to the storm so I was only covering this on the south side of town.

12/20/2004 Car wreck aftermath video

It’s freaking cold out here.

12/19/2004 Ok, for everyone that thinks my job as a freelance photojournalist for The Weather Channel is cool, no, its cold! The Temperature: -7 F, The Wind Chill – too freaking cold out side!!! Here is a screen cap from this mornings video shoot at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. The lake is still not frozen over so the above freezing water is hitting the sub zero are and creating fog.

Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, MN
12/19/2004 Sub Zero Weather in Minneapolis MN