Winter
Snow Burgers
My thought that these Christmas trees somehow look like snow burgers is silly enough that I find myself chuckling as I photograph them. Regardless of what they may or may not look like, the snow-laden trees looked good enough to me that I made a U-turn on US31 near Free Soil, Michigan to appreciate them up close.
Michigan Glades
A snowboarder cruises through the glades at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort near Thompsonville. Glade skiing and snowboarding has long been popular at ski resorts out West. Crystal Mountain is one of the Michigan ski areas that have developed more ski runs through the woods in recent years. I feel blessed to have been able to enjoy the exhilaration and beauty of skiing at Crystal for more than a half century. Skiing and snowboarding in Michigan rocks!
Quiet Light
One can only imagine how lonely it must have felt for light keepers to spend the entire winter isolated at Mission Point Lighthouse during times gone by. On this February morning the grand old lighthouse at the tip of Old Mission Peninsula north of Northport looks lonely but simply beautiful with a fresh coat of snow.
Barn Art
Like so many Michiganders and Michiganders at heart, I love looking at the barns scattered across the countryside of our great state. In recent years more and more Michigan barns are being adorned with wooden barn quilts for owners and passersby to enjoy. This barn quilt brightens a February day on Old Mission Peninsula along East Bay north of Traverse City.
Michigan Made
Of all the farm stands I have seen in Michigan, this one on Old Mission Peninsula may be my favorite. The tiny, traditional hut at Twin Maples Farm on Center Road has a lot of curb appeal, compelling me to get out my camera. I also can't help but get out my wallet so I can take home some Michigan maple syrup.
Twin Peaks
I watched in awe for two hours as wave after enormous wave slammed into the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse on February 24, 2019. I have rarely witnessed or photographed bigger or more frequent waves exploding against the seemingly invincible structure. Many of my several hundred exposures show water flying up to 100 feet in the air and the lighthouse nowhere to be seen. Persistence paid off when I finally caught one huge descending wave still higher than the lighthouse as the next one shot skyward above the lighthouse during its ascension. I had never seen two waves tower above the Ludington lighthouse at once. I was fortunate to artistically document the rare moment.
Traverse Stalwarts
No matter the weather, the bison often pastured along the highway south of Traverse City seem oblivious to the elements. I always enjoy seeing them but especially enjoy the winter views when the white landscape makes them stand out even more.
November Splendor
Life is full of timing. As an outdoor photographer, it has long been made painfully clear to me that Mother Nature’s timing most often does not coincide with my previsualizations. I have long imagined this grand maple tree along North Lakeshore Drive in Ludington with snow on golden leaves. A couple decades passed before the tree looked picture-perfect on November 6, 2019, telling a beautiful story of the transition from fall to winter in Michigan.
Spring Around the Corner
March often comes in like a lion, but during the month Michiganders can almost be assured that the sticky snow which comes with warmer temperatures will create some fairy tale worlds on Michigan country roads.
