FALL CREEPS IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

MURAL FEST

 The inaugural Traverse City Mural Festival took place last week.  The event featured several artists painting murals on businesses around the Eighth Street “NoBo” corridor from Lake Avenue to Barlow Street.  I visited several times to watch the artists work unfold as they painted from rolling scaffolding and hydraulic lifts.  The festival closed with a parade and art walk to view the finished projects.  If you’re interested, check out the outdoor wall spaces at Oryana, The Box, Silver Spruce Brewing, Bay Family Vision and EB2 Vintage, The Copy Shop and The Filling Station.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MILL POND HABITAT

 At the base of the Dune Climb sits the Mill Pond, a wonderful habitat for birds, especially during migration.  I headed there early yesterday morning, hoping to catch some action.  Right away, I saw a great egret standing tall.  It didn’t seem bothered by my presence, and continued searching for food in the water and mud.  A striking pair of wood ducks swam nearby.  At the backside of the pond, almost out of camera range, I spotted a great blue heron.  But the egret was my favorite.  I loved watching it preen its beautiful white feathers.

 

 

  

 

WIRES: A PHOTOGRAPHER’S BANE

 My friend Don Burton and I headed toward Glen Arbor and the Miller Hill Outlook to take pictures.  It’s not the easiest place to get to with narrow, winding dirt roads all the way to the top.  But the view is spectacular, except for a huge power line that runs through the middle of the scene.  We tried to work around it by taking pictures of Sleeping Bear and Alligator Hill/Glen Lake from the furthest ends of the outlook.  But the best view is the sweeping panorama of Sleeping Bear Bay with Sleeping Bear Point on the left and Pyramid Point on the right.  Tucker Lake is in the foreground.  As you can see, poles and wires degrade the scene.  Part of modern digital photography is learning how to edit your pictures using software, such as Photoshop or Lightroom.  This technical stuff is not what I love about taking pictures, but I’m learning.  I worked on this same image and took out the poles and wires.  It’s not perfect, and I may have another go at it sometime, but I think it’s much improved without the wires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMER WANES

 

 

POINTY HYDRANGEAS

 They caught my eye late this summer, these conical-flowered shrubs that I assumed were hydrangeas.  When they started turning pink as the summer waned, I took pictures and submitted them to Google for identification.  Turns out they’re called PeeGee Hydrangeas.  Hmmm.  Maybe they would look good in my new yard.  

 

 

WEATHER-BEATEN