All Veterans Memorial
Christmas night I headed back home to Wilton after sharing a Christmas dinner and gifts with a friend in Bismarck. As I drove by the State Capitol I swung in to the building that glowed in the trees — the All Veterans Memorial. It wasn’t planned, it’s not even a tradition, but I felt touched at that moment to give thanks for the gift these men and women have given me — their service, their lives for my freedom, for America. Yes it was cold. I didn’t stay long. I didn’t have my tripod. I used a slow shutter speed and braced the camera on a nearby tree. It seemed to work.
When I turned to go back to my truck I saw the moon was rising on this sub-zero night, illuminating the air over the sidewalk lights. Again, bracing my camera, I tried a couple of different shots, slung my camera back over my shoulder and walked to the truck. I am thankful not only for the Gift God has given me, but the blessing of living in a free country where I can walk around the capital complex on a holiday night without thought to my safety and without the hassle of soldiers and guns. America, a gift.
North Dakota 365 