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I surprised my kids last night and pulled up at home in a new Chevy Trail Boss pickup truck. Today we had to drive to Grand Rapids for Ethan’s soccer game. On the way home, we took the scenic tour at the rest area between Pentwater and Ludington. We had zero traffic and wonderful fall color, so it was the perfect place to get a fall photo to send to Pure Michigan.

I was hoping for clear skies to photograph the Halloween “Blue Moon,” a rare treat for a spooky day. It is supposed to be the first full moon on Halloween in 76 years. The weather had other plans, and the cloud cover didn’t allow for a view. Once we got back home, David’s costume was a fun photo to make.

We try to carve pumpkins every year. By having a longer exposure and zooming in and out during it, it gives the jack-o-lantern an extra eerie glow.

The kids were raking leaves up at my aunt’s house. It was the perfect fall day for jumping in a huge leaf pile! David Benjamin jumped in, and then covered himself up to scare his little brother Joshua. I couldn’t resist making this image.

We are HUGE Michigan State fans. My boys’ bedroom is painted green and white, with a large Fathead vinyl print of Sparty on one of the walls. They also have State-themed sheets and bedspreads.

I left work early today so that David Benjamin and I had a chance to get back out in the deer hunting woods. It is nice to spend quality one-on-one time with each of my kids. We didn’t see any deer, but we watched several squirrels while we were out there.

My grandma, Dorothy Reed, always loved chickens and cows. She had lots of art that was chicken or cow themed. While photographing this giant metal chicken in front of the Jolly Plate restaurant on US-31 north of Scottville, I was smiling thinking of my grandma in Heaven.

While sitting with Julia this morning deer hunting in our apple orchard tower on our family hunting property, we were laughing, and she was telling me fun stories about her friends. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I turned and saw this mature buck standing broadside looking at us about 70 yards away. I told Julia to grab her gun. Without hesitation, she made a perfect shot with her grandpa’s gun.

My dad taught me a long time ago that you need to learn to see like your camera sees. Using my 85mm prime lens with a huge aperture opening of F1.4, I was able to make the green pine trees in my backyard look like a completely black background as I made this image on my back deck. I am proud to be a part of a 4th generation Anheuser-Busch wholesaler family, so I made this image to honor my family.

Happy Thanksgiving! Or at least it’s supposed to be “happy.” I received a call this morning that Joshua (and all of us) are quarantined due to close contact with COVID-19. Not only are my kids gone, but now I am spending Thanksgiving alone. Sometimes it seems like life hits you harder when you’re already down. Thankfully, I have the material needed for Kasey’s hamster cage; it will give me something to keep my mind busy.

After delivering a few large canvases to some customers in Pentwater, I noticed this old church and started photographing it. The historic building is now a museum. I look forward to taking the time someday to go through the museum.

After several days of staying in the house, I left tonight and headed into Custer. I knew they had Christmas decorations up. Even though my photos don’t show it lately, I have still tried to put my whole heart into it. There are just some days your heart feels small, and that’s all you can give.

The kids and I have still been at home quarantining, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get our Christmas tree up. It is filled with a lot of special ornaments, including my very first Christmas ornament. I always must put this one on the tree, and it must have a light behind it for it to shine bright.

Our assistant manager, Hannah Ruhlig, recently told me about a home near her house that was decorated in tons of Christmas lights. Tonight, while trying to figure out what to photograph, I remembered the house. I drove there and struck up a conversation with the owner, Bill Olson. Then I went to work making this image.

I think these modern Christmas lights are really cool. This home on West Ludington Avenue, a few blocks from the beach, looks brilliant and festive.

Finally, our results have all come back negative. What a relief! The anxiety of waiting for these results has pulled all my energy. I used what little I had left to make this image of the top of a gift box that is designed like a snow globe..

We celebrated Kasey’s and David’s birthdays tonight. They will be at their dad’s for their birthdays this coming weekend. One of David’s gifts was a sling shot, the handle was wooden and carved to look like a bear..

As I was wrapping Christmas presents tonight, I realized I still hadn’t shot my photo of the day. I bought this snow globe for Rachel’s parents. Mason County Eastern’s mascot is a cardinal and her parents have been staples at that school for over six decades. Also, cardinals remind them of their late son, Kevin. This photo was technically harder to capture than I thought it would be. After many attempts, I finally got one to work.

My kids love decorating the house full of lights, and Christmas décor. This wreath made its way to the boys’ room this year.

William R. Charette was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts as a Navy Hospital Corpsman while assigned to a Marine Corps rifle company during a Korean War battle that occurred on March 27, 1953. He was born and raised in Ludington. In 2017, a sculpture of Charette was placed in the newly updated Veteran’s Mall in Stearns Park at the Ludington beach.