Chasing a Southerly Sunset

I started out at Peterson Park to photograph the sunset.  I had Gracie with me so preferred to stay in the car for my photoshoot.  Driving up North Foxview, I had a beautiful vista to the south of the sun starting to set over Lake Michigan.

But it was a location I'd shot from many times and, that evening, I was seeking something different.  So I chased the southerly sunset on Leelanau back roads, hoping to get a more head-on view of the nightly spectacle.

Along the way, I'd catch sight of the sinking sun and Lake Michigan through the trees.

As is easy to do on this peninsula, I lost track of the direction I was going in.  I thought I was traveling south, but my car compass said I was heading west.  I was just in time to see the sun dip through a bank of clouds into the Lake.

The afterglow over Lakes Leelanau and Michigan was spectacular.  While the clouds had occluded the sunset somewhat, they also added interest to the pink and darkening sky.

A rosy afterglow on my left accompanied me all the way back home to Northport.  It was definitely a more interesting sunset experience.

Winter Arrives

It was the first Winter Storm Warning of the season.  Three to seven inches of snow had been predicted.

But barely an inch or two actually fell, sufficient to grease the roads and walkways.

  
The dusting was just enough to brighten the landscape and add to the fall colors that still remained.

The real story of the storm wasn’t the snow, however.  It was the winds.  A few gusts at 57 mph were recorded around Northport, resulting in some snapped off branches and occasional downed trees.

 

Prairie grasses were laid nearly flat by the high winds.

 Over on Lake Michigan huge waves crashed the shoreline.  Surfers played in the churned up waters on both sides of the peninsula.

The lake was saturated with white caps and gulls riding air currents filled the sky.

 

Not only had winter arrived, but so had the gales of November.

Supermoon Rises

It was heralded as the largest supermoon since 1948.  In case you don’t know what makes a supermoon, it’s one that’s closer to Earth in its elliptical orbit.  The supermoon of last Sunday night was also 14% larger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon.

I was especially excited about this particular supermoon because the moon was rising to the East while the sun was setting just minutes later in the West, which would pink up the sky and provide a nice background for the moon.  

  And suddenly, there it was.  The supermoon appeared as pink as the background sky.

  I couldn’t believe how fast the supermoon was rising.   I could hardly keep up with changing my camera settings as the moon rose and the sky darkened.

  At one point, the moon appeared to be sitting on the opposite shore treeline.

  Finally, the moon was completely above the land.

This month’s full moon is also known as the Frost Moon and the Beaver Moon, since it arrives at the time when, historically, hunters were setting traps to ensure they had enough warm furs for winter.

From Sunshine to Falling Leaves

What an awesome fall we’ve had!  And it's been topped off by several days of  warmer than normal temperatures and abundant sunshine.  With there still being ample fall color, it was hard not to take advantage of being outdoors.

But going into Tuesday, which happened to be Election Day, a cold front brought declining temperatures and gale force winds.  The leaves began falling and carpeting the forest floor with brown and yellow leaves.  

  

Did the turbulent weather portend the far-reaching results of Tuesday's election?  I had to wonder.

Beautiful Birches

I’ve always loved Birch Trees, but it’s during the fall that I’m especially drawn to them.  Their bright yellow-gold leaves lighten up the countryside and are such a contrast to their striking white bark. When they appear as a group, their trunks stand out like matchsticks against the darker woodland backdrop. But I think it’s their diversity that attracts me most.  Some birch are so dainty and slender, while others are thick and robust.