Monday, December 10, 2012

'Life on the High Plains'

                                       

Hello Everyone! As promised this is the third of a series of blogs I mentioned doing many many months ago.
In August of 2011, after spending roughly the past 20 years scuba diving, I returned to the state of South Dakota, on the high plains.   The above photo was taken 37 years ago on my preferred mode of transportation.  Harley Davidsons.

I did this blog because some friends were curious as to what I am doing up and over this way and/or were curious about the life and way of life in this part of our country.

There is a sharp distinction and contrast in many ways between life on the high plains and life scuba diving in the Florida Keys. A cultural difference, yet people here on the plains have much in common with people in the Keys. Both seem to prefer wide open spaces, nature and wild life verses city congestion. Both like life simple and take enjoyment from the simple things in life.

During my years scuba diving, teaching it and doing underwater photography and showing others how, I unintentionaly abandoned activities that I call 'normal human being things'. I ate, slept and breathed scuba and UW photography.

A plus to being back on the high plains has been I have rediscovered these things and depicting these is a part of this blog and its accompanying photographs. Simple things like going to the movies, plays, concerts, cookouts and foods with friends, the county fair, visting a museum, a high school basketball game, the senior prom, events of sorts held at the mall, and road trips that criss-crossed the state and surrounding states that help comprise the high plains.

While I am not shooting much underwater, I have been trying to use my cameras to capture my experiences on the high plains and what it is like here. Most of you reading this have never been to this part of our country and most of you who haven't been in this neck of the woods have told me over the years that you would like to visit.

I created an on-line photograph album of my times, experiences and sites and include the link to it below. I hope the album gives you a picture of 'life on the high plains'! 

Here is the link: 
https://picasaweb.google.com/LarryFGates/HighPlainsBlogPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCKLEsoCFza3npQE#

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