Holiday Gifts from Northport

If you are looking for holiday gifts that exemplify the beauty of Northport and the Leelanau Peninsula, look no further.  2015 calendars are now available and they make wonderful gifts for those who've visited our area and want to be reminded of its natural beauty and wildlife.  Calendars are $11, plus any shipping costs.  Calendars are also available at Barb's Bakery.

You can also purchase prints for many images from this blog and the calendar.  Prints are 16 x 20 and are $35, plus any shipping costs.  A few of my favorite prints are shown below.

Red Fox on the Hunt

Kehl Lake

Snowy Owl

Sunrise at the Bight

Frozen Cathead Bay

Young Fawns Exploring

Fall Colors at the Mill Pond

In Search of Moving Wildlife

It hasn't been the greatest weather for outdoor photography these last few days.  Gray skies have predominated.  Actually, it has seemed more like March or April vs. November with the melt leaving dirty snow piles along the roadsides.  Still, I'd just purchased a new camera and was excited to try it out, regardless of the weather.  While the camera can be used for all kinds of photography, it is being especially touted for use in sports and wildlife photography.  But after driving around for a couple hours in search of moving wildlife, I had to settle for a few ducks and geese foraging along the shorelines and bobbing in the choppy bay waters.  In the end, I was happy with the first images from my new camera.

Just a Dusting

When I set out on a gray Saturday afternoon to take pictures, there was just a dusting of snow on the ground.  But later that evening, and into Sunday morning, the snow began to accumulate.  The forecast for the next few days indicates significant snow is coming.  It looks like winter is here.

Gracie Turns One

It's hard to believe that Gracie, my mini-GoldenDoodle, will turn a year old this week.  It seems just a short while ago that Oakley, my ten year old Golden Retriever, and I welcomed this five pound puppy to our household.  And what a winter it was for Grace to become acclimated to life in the north woods!  She was tiny in comparison to her big sister, but her coloring favored the Golden Retriever side of her heritage.

By spring, Gracie was taking on the coloring of her father, an 11 pound miniature poodle.

She was still small enough to squeeze into some of her favorite den locations, as she does here under an ottoman in our living room.

And now at a year old, Gracie's full grown at 30 pounds and loves to play fetch in the back yard.

Most of the time, she's good about retrieving her toys and bringing them back to me for more tosses.

Except for her golden ears and a faint stripe of tan down her back, Gracie's become mostly white.

She can be a bit of a tease by holding her toy and daring me to chase her.

Her  favorite toy is this ball full of holes which she can easily grip from all sides.  She has three of them in different sizes and colors.

  At times, she prefers to just romp around the yard without any toys or retrieving.

But Gracie can get herself into trouble too.  She and Oakley love to dig and eat the mossy areas found all over my backyard that's heavily shaded and wooded.

"Yum," she says.  "That dirt is so chewy and good."  Happy Birthday, Gracie. 

 

Chasing the Last of Fall Color

I knew the fall color was coming to an end, but it's always a little sad.  I've so enjoyed driving all over the county and photographing its vibrant autumn beauty.  Even with the color on the wane, I've managed to eek out one more fall color photo shoot.  Yellows and golds are mostly what's left, with the orchards being the last to display their splendor.