DANCING CRANES

 I hadn’t seen my crane family with its two juveniles since early July.  I’ve wondered where they went and whether they were okay.  On my way home from a recent photoshoot near sunset, I saw them emerge from a wheat field.  They’d been in the area all along, but hidden in the tall grasses.  The juveniles had matured to the size of their parents, except for their red forehead patch, which was just beginning to show.  To my delight, one parent began to dance while the other bugled loudly.  Soon, they all began jumping around with their beautiful dance moves.  What a joy-filled scene!

 

 

GLEN HAVEN SUNRISE

On Monday, I posted pictures of the waves on the west-facing beach at Empire and the contrasting calm water at Glen Haven, a northerly spot just ten minutes away. It got me thinking about whether I could see a sunrise there over the landmass leading to Pyramid Point. So early Saturday morning, my friend Don Burton and I left for Glen Haven to find out.  It was still dark, but a full moon guided us the whole time.  We met fog along the way and weren’t sure what we’d find at the Lakeshore.  But salmon-pink, clear skies greeted us as we arrived, with Pyramid Point to our right and both Manitous on the left.  And my hunches were correct; we got a beautiful sunrise from the beach.  After we left for home, we quickly ran into fog.  We stopped for pictures at the D.H. Day farm.  The longer we sat, the more the fog enshrouded the three barns.  It was a morning with two kinds of beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROILING LAKE MICHIGAN

A couple of weeks ago, overnight rain and wind brought gales to the Lakeshore. But by afternoon, the sky had brightened, and I headed to Empire for pictures. Except for a man and his dog, the west-facing, open-water beach was deserted, although there were plenty of gawkers in their cars wave-watching. Getting my fill of flying sand, I moved on to Glen Haven, where the conditions were completely different. This northerly beach, protected by Sleeping Bear Bay, was calmer, and the beach grass barely stirred.  What a difference the ten-minute drive made!  And the shifts in direction between the two nearby beaches got me thinking. To be continued…

 

 

FALL ARRIVES

 Early signs of the new season are creeping in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STILL “SUMMERY” VIEWS FROM OLD MISSION

 I guess I’m not quite ready to let this season go.