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Work has been very busy this month. Thanksgiving week is always a juggling of kids, work, and planning and prepping for Thanksgiving dinner. My energy is running low. The kids will be leaving tomorrow for a long weekend at their dad’s. It is always difficult when they are gone, and especially difficult when it is over a holiday.

Julia, Ethan, and I put our Christmas tree up tonight along with our stockings. This is a closeup image of a snowflake on my Christmas stocking.

For years, we would call my dad “Mr. Safety” and poke fun at him about it. Well, today I was glad some of that preparedness rubbed off. Two young men fell off the breakwall into Lake Michigan. I had three life jackets and 300 foot of line in the back of my truck that the police and firemen used to help rescue both men. After that craziness, I found this picture in front of where I was parked at Stearns Drive

The last two days I have focused on working on Kasey’s hamster cage. I found this heart at the bottom of her cage. I am ready for the kids to come home tomorrow. It has been a long several days. COVID-19 has hurt those that struggle with mental illness. It has not been an easy year for most.

I took time to just enjoy having the kids home tonight. Kasey made a delicious meal she calls “Kasey’s combobulation.” It was great just to concentrate on them and nothing else. It did mean I was on the search for a photo later in the evening, but to me that was worth it. We received this jar as a gift. Kasey keeps her tea in it.

We have been on pins and needles waiting for our COVID-19 results. Hoping that we don’t have it, and more importantly, that we didn’t spread it to others before we knew Joshua had been exposed. David’s results have come back negative. Crossing our fingers, the rest of ours do too! David was so excited to hang Christmas lights up all around our dining room, kitchen and living room today.

They have been doing construction and rebuilding a much larger seawall down between the Loomis Street Boat Ramp and the North Inner Pier. Around 4:15 PM today the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the shoreline. I left work early and rushed to the end of Ludington Avenue. I found this rebar coated in ice and captured the magic light before it disappeared again.

I had noticed these icicles the night before, but the magic light had disappeared before I could get out onto the North Inner Pier. I made it my plan that unless we had a great sunrise or some other unique photo opportunity, this was going to be my photo of the day. I love the evenings when we get the super blue light. The blue temperature of the light really adds drama to this scene.

We are feeling the Christmas letdown today. It was a day for rest and relaxation. As I was snuggling with the kids on the couch, I noticed that when the light hit our Christmas bulbs, it reminded me of a solar flare. I decided to try and capture it.

We are so blessed to have the Ludington State Park in our backyard. People often ask us where our favorite to place to shoot photographs is. Without hesitation, I always say the Ludington State Park. These 5,300 acres are diverse, natural, and beautiful.