Black Duck

Black Duck

—Taken at Muskegon Waste Water

Butterflies

Rice Paper butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

—Taken at one of the butterfly houses on Mackinac Island

Not sure what kind this one is

Luke 12:22-34 (NAS)

"And He said to His disciples, 'For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.'"

A Late Summer Wedding

"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach."

—Elizabeth Barrett Browning

My sister-in-law's wedding bouquet

My sister-in-law on her wedding day

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

—Emily Brontë

Christmas Tree Hunting 2006

I know we're a long way from Christmas, but I couldn't help but think about it today. Whenever we go Christmas tree hunting, we try to really make it a fun day. We listen to only Christmas music, drink hot cocoa, and bundle up nice and warm. There is a tree farm nearby that really capitalizes on atmosphere, so we like going there. They have great big Percherons that drive sleighs throughout the farm—complete with sleigh bells. It's just perfect! When you come back from picking out your tree, you can step into their barn and sip on warm hot cocoa and eat cookies. We have such a fun time! It really starts to feel like Christmas once we've been there.

Mackinaw

Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City are a couple of my favorite places in Michigan. When my parents visited from Alabama last summer, we decided to take them up to see the area. None of us regretted the trip. It was an absolutely perfect, sunny, breezy, not-too-hot, not-too-cold day.

For those of you not familiar with the island, it sits in the middle of the Great Lakes waterway, and there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island (except for emergency vehicles). Most people get around by horse-drawn buggy or bicycles. It was originally inhabited by native Ojibwe people, but was eventually inhabited by French traders and Jesuit missionaries. It was also eventually occupied by British forces after the French and Indian war, when they moved their settlement from "mainland" Mackinaw  City to Mackinac Island. They constructed Fort Mackinac. Much of the conflict over the island was due to the island's abundant fur trade. After the Revolutionary War, the British were required to hand possession of the island over to the Americans, after which it became a most valuable trading post. Through the years, the island has transformed into a popular resort destination. In the late 1800's, many businessmen constructed lavish Victorian houses on the island, and most of them still line the various roads along the coast. The island is also home to the famous Grand Hotel of "Somewhere in Time" (Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeves) fame.

It's a beautiful place to plot out great photos, so I love taking my camera along—and what photography could have asked for a better day?

View of the main harbor on the island.

The flowers along the main road and the Visitor's Center in the background

A sometimes rarely-viewed aspect of the Mighty Mac—

this is where the waters of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan become one

Old Fort Mackinac Point Light Station in Mackinaw City (erected in 1892)

website

The staircase windows on the Old Fort Mackinac Point Light tower (above)

"The Mighty Mac"

The Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan's Lower and Upper Pennisulas 

and is the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world at 26,372 feet. It can support a total of  38,486 tons.

website

Sailing

Crossing the Bar

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crost the bar.

Grandma & Grandpa's place

My roots are in Central Illinois farming country. I'm a Midwestern girl at heart. It might seem funny that this is one of my favorite places to return to, but it is. I've lived in several different places, and visited many beautiful areas, but despite some of the heavy industrial areas, I find great peace in the Heartland. Rural farming communities hold a lot of charm for me. My family moved from the area many, many years ago, and I've since grown up, married, and moved to the Great North. But my Grandparents are still there, so we return a few times every year for visits. I love it when we go back. It's so nostalgic for me. I remember their house and the surrounding areas in some of my earliest memories. The house they built when I was just a little girl is still the house they live in today. As they age, it makes me sad to think of a day when I won't be able to return to this peaceful place. It's been a part of my life, well . . . forever!

The rowboat Grandma & Grandpa have had for many years. They keep it on the dock they built themselves.

Took these (above & below) on a tour of Grandma's flower beds.

Grandma's hibiscuses are always HUGE! They're beautiful!

My Grandma knows how to catch fish. She's taught many of her grandchildren. 

When I go back, though, I'm flooded with memories of learning to fish with Grandma, trips into the lake in the rowboat, feeding the fish from the dock, taking a tour of their gardens, and lounging around in the house and looking at old pictures and doing crossword puzzles. We usually make at least one trip "into town" while we're there to grab a quick bite at McDonald's and run some errands. And on Sunday, after church, Grandpa usually takes us on a drive through the local farming community so he can point out all the new houses going up, and all the changes since the last time we were there.

Cone flowers Grandma planted on the embankment by the lake.

I love this place, and I'm looking forward to the next visit.

Rocky Mountain National Park 2006

My husband and I vacationed in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2006, and had a wonderful time! We did a lot of hiking, and a lot of picture-taking. The Rockies have such majesty about them, and I constantly find myself in awe at their beauty. It's one of my favorite places.

 

We hiked the Nymph (above), Dream, and Emerald Lake trails during one of our days in the park. That same day we tackled the Lake Haiyaha trail, too, which was one of our favorite hikes while we were there. While there were a lot of people on the Nymph/Dream/Emerald Lake trails, you lost a lot of people on the Lake Haiyaha trail due to the rapid increase in altitude. It was much more secluded and the lake was by far the most beautiful of the four. I've included one of the Lake Haiyaha pictures at the end.

A view from Trail Ridge Road

Emerald Lake

The trails around Emerald Lake

The trails around Emerald Lake

Lake Haiyaha

This lake was the most beautiful aqua color, and so clear you could see straight to the bottom. It was surrounded by huge boulders, too.

Grizzlies at the Zoo

Part of the reason I like photography is because it's fun. I'm not always worried about getting the perfect, best-quality shot. I wouldn't normally pick the local zoo as the place to find the perfect shot, either. I go there to have fun and to enjoy seeing the animals. Sometimes I take my camera just to see what I can capture.

On this particular day, the Grizzlies were very fun to watch. It was like watching a comedy, they were doing so many cute and fun things. Their habitat is less than desirable, but our local zoo has limited resources, and they work with what they've got. Despite the grim surroundings, these bears were taking swims and relaxing. It was fun to watch.

Fun in the pool

It's almost like he's waving to me.

This was a humorous sequence of events . . . the male was using the female as a lounge chair. He just leaned himself back and you can almost hear him saying, "Could you pass the remote?"

Sometimes, you just gotta stretch! At one point, he had book legs stretched up like this, at the same time. The female just doesn't seem to care.

Lake Michigan

I love the West Coast of Michigan, and the Lake. This area holds some of the most beautiful landscapes, and most fascinating lighthouses. 

The Big Sable Lighthouse

www.bigsablelighthouse.org

The Little Sable Point Lighthouse

www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=193

This is one of my favorite Michigan lighthouses. It's right on the beach, and you can walk up an look straight up at it. It's really an amazing sight.

Sunset on Lake Michigan

Roses

I like roses, but they're just not wild enough for me. I much prefer wildflowers. But, roses do make captivating pictures. They have so many layers to them, and the petals are so soft. Watching them unfold themselves is truly amazing. They're colors are so deep and mysterious, and they make me think romance (of course!).

I took these quite a long time ago, and can't really remember when.

Fall Colors 2004

My favorite season to photograph is Fall (as I'm sure you'll soon discover). The colors are amazing, and the trees seem to be on fire. It takes my breath away! These pictures were taken at a county park near our apartment in West Michigan. The Grand River runs beside it, and the park makes for wonderful Fall pictures.

This particular tree (above) just seemed to be on fire. With the sun setting, the light was hitting it just right, and making it "pop"! I couldn't help snapping the shot. It make me think of the burning bush.

This is one of my favorite Fall shots. Capturing the details of this leaf's veins was exciting! It was so brilliantly lit up by the sun, which showed off all the detail. It was fun to sit and just take it in.

Spring/Summer 2004

I have to say that the spring/summer of 2004 is when I really fell in love with taking pictures. It created in me a desire to capture the details of Creation on camera. I took these pictures on a little point-and-shoot Fujifilm FinePix A200 digital camera (with a whopping 2.o MegaPixels). This was also my floral stage . . . well, I say "stage", but I've never really grown out of it. Flowers are some of the most fascinating subjects to me. They are all so different and detailed!

These are my two favorite shots from that season . . .

This tulip came up outside of our pump house when we lived 

in a little lakeside cottage in southeastern Michigan.

We had dogwoods growing on our embankment in front of our house

 in southeastern Michigan, and I was standing above this little branch, leaning over the embankment. I love how waxy the petals look!

These are a number of other shots I got that summer, many of which were taken in my mother-in-law's back yard . . .

The above photo of daisies was too blurry when I shot it, 

but I thought I could redeem it by giving it a watercolor effect 

while editing it on my computer. Turned out pretty good!

I like this shot because it reminds me of the pansies on 

Disney's Alice in Wonderland. I can just see their little faces.