Atop the Bluffs

Hello, Sleeping Bear Dunes. I miss you.

Breathtaking

I love Pyramid Point—a spectacular vista in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It's one of my favorite views along the Lake Michigan coast. The last time I was there was this past Fall (2010), and I tried to "drink it in" (as Anne would say) while I was there. The day was beautiful, and the temperatures were mild—a perfect day for nature photography. :)

Lavendar at the winery

Lavender with grape vineyards and Lake Michigan beyond

Bowers Harbor Vineyard on Old Mission Peninsula, MI

Arcadia overlook

Lake Michigan is so beautiful! Isn't it? This particular day was especially beautiful. I love when I can see all the blues and aquas, with some white-caps dotting the scene. These pictures were taken from an overlook in Arcadia, MI, on a clear Fall day. The wind was pretty strong, and it was difficult to keep my hair out of the picture. :o)

Fall Surf

This was taken on a beautiful Fall day at Lake Michigan. I believe we were just south of Leeland at the time, on our way to Fishtown. We stopped to do some rock hunting. I just love the deep aquas and blues of the water. When I look at this picture now, I realize that it has some of my favorite colors in it. When I took it, I wasn't thinking about that—I just loved how the surf was crashing on the shore.

Even though it's really cold most of the time (you'll only find me swimming in it when the water temp is above 70ºF), I've come to really love and appreciate Lake Michigan. It's free of sharks, and other living creatures that could kill you. That's a plus! It generates some of the most beautiful stones I've ever seen. The water is ALWAYS beautiful, even on stormy days. You never know when a piece of a famous shipwreck will wash up, as you're walking by (ok, that's not normal, but it's cool when it happens). And, I love the uniqueness of the Lake Michigan coastline in the dead of winter—the frozen, snowy parts that stick out and break up the surf. It's really an amazing body of water.

Fall sunset

I noticed these plants as I was walking along the Platte River, on the way out to Lake Michigan, with my sister- and mother-in law. I loved how the sunset was hitting the pods and seeds on this plant. These kinds of plants are interesting to me, because the older plant is dying, but it is giving birth to new life—even as it dies. Regeneration is so amazing!

I'm listening to an audiobook of Anne's House of Dreams, right now. I still LOVE that series. It revives my imagination, and makes me use phrases like, "Drink it in!" :o) Reading (or listening to) them revives the Anne-spark in my spirit.

My new artsy collage

My husband and I have been trying to figure out which of my artistic photos to display in these four black frames we have. I've traditionally taken seasonal pictures and put them in these frames, but we wanted to do something a little different with them. And we wanted to put them in our bedroom. I haven't really taken the time to try and figure out what I wanted to do with them, but my creative bug has been alive and well lately, and I just had to do something about it. So, I rifled through my pictures, and decided to go with a natural Michigan theme (we're from Michigan)—specifically "up North." But, I didn't want to use the full-color versions of these photos, so I sat down and spent a little QT in Photoshop.

After playing with them, I decided to use a sepia tone, which would work well with the black frames, off-white mattes, and the colors in our bedding. Only two of these pictures are ones that I've previously blogged about (I included links to the originals below the respective pics), and two of them are new to Grace Made Evident. So, here they are . . .

Pyramid Point view of Lake Michigan 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Curling Birch bark in the woods of Northern Michigan

The Empire Bluffs Trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
View the original

Mouth of the Platte River, emptying into Lake Michigan
View the original

Those are the ones I decided to use. Two of them went into 11x14 frames, with an 8x10 matte. The other two went into 8x10 frames, with 5x7 mattes. I couldn't quite get a great picture of the end result, but here it is . . .

I have to say that I was impressed with my own picture hanging abilities. They're all really straight!







P.S.—These pictures ARE included in the giveaway. :o)

Winter Light

South Haven Pier Light in Winter

Empire Bluffs Trail—Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

View of Lake Michigan from the Empire Bluffs Trail
in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

South Haven Pier Light

South Haven Pier Light
South Haven, MI

My husband and I took a weekend to getaway in South Haven, MI, several years ago. While we were there, we took the opportunity to do a bit of snowshoeing and sight-seeing. The snow was just beautiful. The South Haven Pier Lighthouse was covered in ice and snow, and I had to stop and take some pictures. I took a lot of them! This is definitely one of my favorites. I had to snap them really quickly, because the wind off Lake Michigan was extremely cold, and I had to duck out of it after a few pictures to get feeling back in my hands.

Point Betsie Foghorn in Winter

Point Betsie Fog Signal Building in Winter

This fog horn is located in one of my favorite areas in Michigan—Benzie County. The day I took this photo was a beautiful, crisp, winter day. It was the kind of day where you see your breath, and you bundle up before going outside. After being out for a while, you love the thought of getting into the warm car and going home for a nice warm cup of hot cocoa. Ahhh . . . I love winter!

According to www.pointbetsie.org, "Renovation of the Fog Signal Building, which sits immediately north of the lighthouse, is also complete. It, too, was returned to a look not seen in many decades. It’s exterior siding replicates the original iron needed to house the steam boilers that powered the fog signal in pre-electricity times. The exterior and metal interior walls were restored in 2008, enabling the building to house the lighthouse's Sesquicentennial exhibition of juried works of art inspired by Point Betsie's structures and surroundings."

On the Empire Bluffs Trail

Empire Bluffs trail

Earlier this Fall, my mother-in-law and I went on a short hike on the Empire Bluffs trail in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It's a hilly, 1.5 mile (round trip) hike through beech-maple forest, fields, and dune plants. The day was perfect—blue sky, mild temperatures, light breeze, and blue, blue water. We had such a good time being outdoors, and taking in the wonderful fresh air. This was the only sunny day during our week-long visit.

The Mouth of the Platte

The mouth of the Platte River, where it empties into Lake Michigan

We've been traveling a lot lately, which is why I haven't had regular posts. We first traveled to the Alabama Gulf Coast, then up to North Michigan. I'll be in Illinois next to celebrate my grandparent's 70th wedding anniversary. Then we have the holidays coming up, too! Whew!

This photo was taken when we were with my husband's family in Northern Michigan. My daughter had never seen Lake Michigan (even though she's 10-months-old and won't remember it), so we had to take her—if only to get pictures of her there. The Michigan side of Lake Michigan is so beautiful! It definitely smacks of home for me. This particular day was very cloudy (as you can see), but the reflection on the water was amazing! It's hard to believe that this is where a river empties into a Great Lake—it's just too serene. You can see Sleeping Bear Dunes in the background. Even though there was no blue sky, it was a beautiful day to see the Lake.

Another view of the Point Betsie Light

The Point Betsie Light

The Channel

View from Point Betsie Lighthouse

The Light-Keeper

by Robert Louis Stevenson

The brilliant kernel of the night,

The flaming lightroom circles me:

I sit within a blaze of light

Held high above the dusky sea.

Far off the surf doth break and roar

Along bleak miles of moonlit shore,

Where through the tides the tumbling wave

Falls in an avalanche of foam

And drives its churned waters home

Up many an undercliff and cave.

Lake Michigan beach

Unfortunately, I can't remember where this is along the Lake Michigan coastline! It could be Grand Haven, but it could also be Pentwater. Who knows? I've taken so many pictures along Lake Michigan, and I've done a terrible job of cataloging them! Oh well. I love sand fences. Don't ask me why . . . I just do. I think seeing these in Michigan reminded me of the sand fences you see along the Alabama Gulf Coast—where I grew up vacationing. The Gulf Coast is almost like a second home for me, and seeing these in Michigan was nostalgic for me.

Serenity by The Big Lake

I love how the sand has covered parts of this bench on the Lake Michigan beach at Point Betsie. This was such a gorgeous day in April 2008. The sky and water were amazing, and I was there with my husband and some wonderful friends and family. I'll always love this spot in Northern Michigan.

Point Betsie Light

I love the Point Betsie Lighthouse! It's one of my favorites along Lake Michigan. This particular photo was taken in April 2008, while my husband and some family members were in the area for a weekend getaway. We took a long walk on this beach, and this shot was taken on our way back toward the lighthouse. Yes, the sky was actually that blue that day! The water was really that color. It was an amazingly beautiful day!

According to The Friends of the Point Betsie Lighthouse Web site:

"The Point Betsie Lighthouse, Benzie County's most famous landmark, is located on the Lake Michigan shore of the county just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and just north of Frankfort, Michigan. Point Betsie is the second most photographed lighthouse in the USA, and likely the most visited attraction in Benzie County. Watching the sunsets from Point Betsie is a long-standing tradition."