Sturgeon Bay

I wasn't aware that it was international beach cleanup day or I would have left my camera at home and brought a few garbage bags. I was more than a mile from the parking area, looking for images, when I ran into a nice couple with bag and clipboard in hand, who let me know about their reason for hiking this lonely stretch of sand. As a frequent beach wanderer I'm well aware of the "junk" that accumulates along the shore. Next year I'll be a part of the pick-up party.
As for this year, All I can do is share a couple images of this beautiful morning and hope that you appreciate this special place and others like it. Please do your best to keep it beautiful.

Beach Berries

It was a rainy day in Petoskey on Sunday — as it was in much of the midwest. It wasn't a "beach" day in the ordinary swimmer and sunbather sense, but foul weather only serves as a challenge to my creative spirit, so for me it was a beach day. I put the all-weather cover on my camera and headed for the State Park. On my ten minute drive I was conceptualizing the images — the concentric ring patterns left by raindrops as they hit the surface of the small backwater pools or beads of water sliding down slender blades of beach grasses.
You would think that my artistic genes would tell me to explore some new stretch of the park, but here I was making my way along the same old stretch of Little Traverse Bay. It was a surprisingly pleasant stroll. The wet, firm, sand lessened the walking resistance and the rain was light. I figured I had at least an hour before my jacket fabric would begin to saturate and chill me.

At my usual turn-around point I make a slight detour inland to a bank of vegetation that held a mound of dark soil. It was the deep red leaves that first drew my attention — then the fleabane and the berries. The water on the leaves added color saturation and some highlights for some excitement. It wasn't what I imagined I'd be taking pictures of but the unexpected is good creative nurishment. I saw a very rich tapestry. What do you see?

At Sleeping Bear Again

Well, it seems I never get enough of the Sleeping Bear. I was up on Sleeping Bear Point on two consecutive mornings this past weekend and the atmosphere couldn't have been much more different on those mornings. Morning one was heavy with fog and dew.






















Thousands of spider webs that are all but invisible in dry conditions glowed with strings of water droplets. The fog hung in the valleys creating a strong depth to the landscape. The heavy seed heads bent the dune grasses in graceful arcs as if they were rolling waves.



Morning two was clear and bright with a gentle warm breeze. I found myself just wanting to sit and meditate rather than work at creating art. I sat at the top of a dune and just observed, thanking God for an incredible place to be at a glorious moment.

If you are ever at the dunes don't miss the opportunity to be up on Sleeping Bear Point at sunrise. I know it's not your favorite thing to do on vacation — getting up so early, but it is worth it!