What does a photographer do when she wakes up at an ungodly hour and can’t go back to sleep? Head out to take sunrise pictures. It’s so peaceful at that time of day. Just me, the ducks, and golden ripples lapping the shoreline. Turns out, I wasn’t the only early bird that morning.
I headed towards a telephone pole where I often see hawks. Instead, the pole was topped with white, and I knew it was a bald eagle. I watched for about twenty minutes as it looked for prey and preened. A few days later, I saw a pair of eagles perched on fence posts in the same area. They didn’t stick around long before they took off into the evening sky.
Rose of Sharon and Hibiscus are my late summer favorites. The second image is from my own yard. I planted it this spring to attract birds. My hummingbird found it first, feasting on its sweet nectar.
I’m slowly building my backyard habitat to attract birds. Goldfinches are my regulars. They love drinking from my patio fountain. Recently, I put out a hummingbird feeder. This ruby-throated beauty became the first to visit.
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I was passing a small wetland on the corner of US-31 and Sawyer Road when I spotted a great egret, the first I’d seen this year. I pulled over to watch the gorgeous bird feed, but I was still too far away for good close-ups. Sometimes the thrill is in the seeing versus the picture-taking.
I was in Maple City taking pictures when I realized I wasn’t far from the Bohemian Road/669 beach. Unable to resist the Lakeshore’s pull, I headed there and found the beach full of people. It was a great sight, but not ideal for scenic photography. So I drove a short distance to Lake Michigan Road, which runs parallel to the water, and saw beautiful beaches, sun-drenched fern forests, keyhole views of the Whaleback, and Shalda Creek awaiting the fall salmon run. I drove the north end first and then turned around for the south end. I was puzzled, though, because my mirror compass and my GPS both showed I was going northwest when I KNEW I was headed south. It wasn’t until I got home and looked on Google Maps that I found I’d been heading “up” towards Pyramid Point. Indeed, I’d been going north after all.
I usually pick up Gracie’s outdoor toys each evening, but her tennis ball escaped me. The next day, I found this beautiful monarch butterfly perched on its fuzzy surface. Luckily, I got off a few shots before Gracie chased it off.
I’ve always loved rose bushes, but these newer shrub varieties have really grabbed me with their low maintenance and disease resistance. They bring splashes of bright color to yards and gardens.
When I lived in Kalamazoo, Jen and Steve Earley were my next-door neighbors. They had two young children, Megan, 7, and Scott, around 5. Steve was in the Navy, so they moved before I retired and came north in 2006. We’ve kept in touch over the years with occasional emails and yearly holiday letters. Last week, Jen emailed that their daughter Megan, now 29 and an illustrator, was in Traverse City painting a fence mural for Wiggle Butts & Waggin’ Tails Dog Daycare and Boarding. We met for dinner Wednesday evening and had a wonderful time catching up on our lives, twenty-two years later. The next afternoon, I went to the daycare to watch Megan paint. As Megan brought Quinn, the owner’s Great Pyrenees, to life with her artistry, I marveled at what this young woman had become. On my drive home, my heart was full of friendship’s enduring bonds.
