EMPIRE SUNSET

 Besides the High Banks Rollaway, I took my visiting friends Cathi and Joyce to Sleeping Bear Dunes.  We drove the scenic drive, had dinner at Friendly’s, and watched the sunset at Empire Beach.  It was a beautiful day at the Lakeshore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIGH BANKS ROLLAWAY

 Cathi and Joyce, two lifelong friends from my teaching days, visited last week and we spent much of our time enjoying the fall color.  One place we went was the High Banks Rollaway trail and overlook.  The overlook towers 200 feet above the Manistee River and offers views of up to 15 miles.  Originally, the site was where logs were stockpiled during the winter and then rolled down the bank into the river in the spring to begin their trip downstream to the sawmill.  While the colors weren’t yet at peak, the view was still lovely.  One of my favorite spots along the trail was a bench dedicated to Bob Rudd, including a quote by Thoreau:  “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”

 

 

 

WHITE BARNS

 After photographing D.H. Day’s iconic Glen Haven barns in August, I wondered whether there were other white barns in the area.  I traveled four counties in two months and found less than ten.  Most barns were either traditional red or weathered wood.  It was fun being on the hunt, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SANDHILL CRANES ACTIVE

 I hadn’t seen my two Sandhill Crane families since mid-August.  But after the corn was harvested last week, they appeared on opposite street corners, chowing on the dregs they love to eat.  The youngster had grown tremendously and its red crown was just beginning to show.  Cranes begin to gather in large numbers this time of year before their long flight to Florida.  I discovered a huge field that ran the length of a seasonal road and think it’ll be the staging area they’ll use this fall.  A couple evenings ago there were over fifty cranes there, feeding, bugling, and flying around.  I expect the crowd will grow before they migrate early to mid-November.

 

 

FALL COLOR ARRIVING