Brrrrr!!!

Hello again from frigid Lake Michi gan! Wish you were here...although I'll bet you'd prefer the warm place you're reading this in right now. I'm back at the lake today at the city of Kewaunee which is a bit further south than when I last wrote. And unlike my last visit to the shore, this day began with out a visible sunrise and lackluster in color other than a bluish tinge to everything that made it feel even more cold that it already was.
But however grim, this day was not without a notable happening or two. I arrived here at the shore under full darkness and it was really cool to see the lighthouse lamp really shining brightly out on the pier.
Then, as light began to slowly creep into the sky, I could see that the water in the harbor was covered with smallish, floating ice chunks and as large waves washed in, the surface seemed to shift and convulse like it was alive. Very weird!
I walked along the pier to the lighthouse shooting from here and there as I went. BIG waves pushing in at nearly the same angle as the pier whooshed along the edge, often catching in the corrugated metal pier wall causing frothing, bubbling plumes of water to shoot up over and travel along the edge as the wave moved further toward the beach. As always I spent way too long out there, pushed it until I was too cold to function any longer.
So, it was not the most memorable day at the lake but still worth having gotten up early to make the drive out, for no matter what the mood of my great lake she's always a pleasure to visit.

I'll see you again somewhere down the road...

Tim

Sometimes it pays to wake up at 5 o'clock...

Hello from the Algoma Pier and Lake Michigan! Wish you were here..with your heavy parka! ha!
It was bitterly cold as sunrise approached this morning but so worth suffering through in order to see the amazing color the sky took on just before the sun broke the horizon. A far off bank of clouds delayed the appearance of the sun for about ten minutes which gave me a little extra time to play around with various angles and compositions in the camera before I absolutely had to be in position. I've learned the hard way that sunrise happens surprisingly quick so it's important to be all set before the sun pops up. All told, I spent about an hour out on the pier before and after sunrise and was enjoying shooting so much that I only quit when I could no longer feel my fingers to squeeze the shutter release! Call me crazy, but it was an amazing time... I'd be lying however if I said it wasn't nice to get back to the relative warmth of the car!
Sorry you could be here to "suffer" with me but I do hope you enjoy this view :)

That's all for now...
See you somewhere down the road!

Tim

Hello From Cave Point !

Hello from Cave Point on a wild and wonderful day!
Wish you were here!
I tripped up the peninsula this morning hoping for one of the really dramatic winter days that the point can offer. Well, lucky me! The moment I threw open the car door and heard the roar of the waves crashing in to shore I knew I had chosen the day well! When I walked down to the edge of the cliff, not only did I see those powerful waves pounding the shoreline but also spied the most amazing ice formation just below me on the cliff wall. Water streaming down the rocks had formed an entire wall of icicles. Bearing witness to this scene was definitely one of those wooooooow moments I live for! I worked my way below by following the trail down the shore to an ice-free section of rock and climbed down closer to the water's edge. The waves crashing into the edge of rock shelf I now stood on threw water into the air. In order to remain dry, I had to do a not terribly graceful slipping, sliding, stutter-stepping, duck and cover dash over the slick surface back toward the ice formation I wanted to photograph.
The icicle wall was even more amazing up close...like something you'd see in Superman's Fortress Of Solitude. I spent some time shooting the ice while trying to avoid the spray from the surf just behind me (and the photos are the best!) before I turned to capturing the waves that you see here.
All in all, this was one of the most memorable days I've ever had in this place that I have already enjoyed so many times before. I'd have been happy to shoot here for hours more!

So, goodbye for now...
I'll see you again somewhere down the road!

Good Morning from Kewaunee!

Wish you were here...will write soon!

Hello from Cana Island!

Hey! Hello from Cana Island!
What an amazing day it is here on the Door County Peninsula. Wish you were here!
This could quite possibly be the most beautiful day before the day before the end of summer in the history of the day...umm...before.
A sunny sky, a nice, warm breeze, big waves rolling in off the lake. PERFECT.
I made the trip up here early and spent the morning at the nearby Ridges Sanctuary photographing the last of the wildflowers for this year. Then, after lunch, I drove up the shore and crossed over to the island for more shooting at the lighthouse. I wandered around the island with the camera for an hour trying this angle and that before coming down here to the water's edge for more pics which eventually led to me losing the shoes and socks and wading along the shore to get a particular photo I wanted. I'm a little embarrassed to say it's the first time I've been IN the lake this year. Strange considering how often I'm here or there along her shore. Anyway, it's been a good day! Soon I'll get ready to return home but for now I'm sitting here on this shelf of rock just out of reach of the waves, enjoying a few extra minutes of sun and surf and solitude on a day that might not be repeated for a long while.
I hope that wherever you spent your day it was as pleasant as all this!

I'll see you again somewhere down the road...

Tim

Hello From Chicago!

Hello from Chicago! Wish you were here!

I'm here in the windy city today to see the Pearl Jam concert I've waited all summer for...I'm very excited!
I decided to make the most of the day by arriving here early enough to get in a few hours of sightseeing before I have to think about heading over to the United Center for the show.
I hit the road this morning a bit later than I had hoped to but made good time getting into the city since Sunday traffic on the expressway is relatively light and that sort of made up for the delay. I quickly found a cheap surface lot to park at and was on foot by 11am. My goal was to explore the Chicago River so I headed for it's mouth at Lake Michigan as a logical starting point. Unfortunately, I found public access is quite restricted but still there are some great views to be had...as you can see! This is by far the best view I've gotten of Chicago's lighthouse. The many sailboats and the big sailing ship were a nice bonus. From this point I walked the Riverwalk through downtown past the many, many beautiful bridges and along the south branch to the Congress Parkway before leaving the water. I walked nearly four hours...so long that my other potential plans will have to wait until next time but I'm not complaining. I couldn't have asked for better weather, the views were fantastic and I ran into a few Pearl Jam fans along the way as well!
All in all, it's been a great day.

Well, I've got to run...concert time!
I'll see you again somewhere down the road...

Tim

Nothing

Hello!

Here I stand on the shore of the Great Lakes... my inland sea...
Wish you were here!

All my life I've had easy access to seemingly endless expanses of water and yet I've never taken it for granted. Each visit to these shores leaves me as much in awe as the last.
Over the years, I've found that no two visits are quite alike for these are lakes of many faces...
Season to season, day to day, even hour to hour, it can't be known with what mood the lakes will greet their visitors. Sometimes cheerful and inviting, other times angry and threatening and still other times, placid and calming.
This day finds the water to be quite serene as I sit here in the cool, humid air enjoying the quiet of an empty beach. The heavy gray sky warns of rain but seems uncertain about making good on it's threat. A slight breeze stirs the water creating an interesting ripple effect across it's otherwise smooth surface. A few birds pass now and then but the scene remains largely unchanged.
I may stay for an hour or more, comfortably wrapped in this gloom, eyes toward the empty horizon, mind at ease, gazing contently out into nothing.

I'll see you again somewhere down the road...

Tim

Hello! Wish You Were Here!

I've established this space with the intention that it become the new home of my photo blog after the completion of my yearlong 2009 photo project which I document on my current blog 365 Photos In 365 Days; The Cure For A Lazy Photographer. I may not begin posting here until January of 2010 or I may take advantage of this page earlier in the event of a day when I capture more than one project worthy image and still want to give it some blogger love.
Stay tuned!