Minnesota's Hidden Treasures

Hello from Duluth. Wish you were here...

On my second day in Duluth, MN, I explored Skyline Drive high above the city...

Last Light, Dark Water

Hello...

Dusk over the bay. Wish you were here.

A massive, lone thunderhead I spotted drifting over the city half an hour before sunset led me sort of spur-of-the-moment to the bay shore where I had hoped to capture it bathed in late evening colors as the sun went down. Unfortunately, it had passed too far to the east by the time I arrived yet it seemed a shame to leave the water before the sun was out of sight so I pulled up a big rock and got comfortable.
As I sat I no longer planned to bother with the camera but just after the sun had disappeared I noticed the water. It had the strangest texture...almost a thickness to it. It was difficult to tell in the darkness but most likely the typical algae buildup for which this "green" bay was named had begun.
Whatever the case, I decided it couldn't hurt to try a few shots and a few minutes later I'd captured some of my favorite images of the year.

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

Florida!

Hello from the Gulf of Mexico...wish you were here. The timing of my first visit to these shores could not have been better timed or more bittersweet considering the peril this place may soon be facing as the catastrophic oil leak unleashed on the gulf spreads further by the day. As of yet, not a trace of the oil has been seen on this beach but as I gazed out over the white sand and the breathtaking sea, knowing what has already happened elsewhere, it was sad to think this too could soon be spoiled.

This beach teems with life. Gulls and terns patrol the air looking for their next meal. Black Skimmers fly just above the water, beaks skimming the surface for some tasty morsel. A young White Egret wades with long legs through gently frothing waves, hunting along the water's edge. And the stately Brown Pelicans, scattered in small groups all along the beach, preside over it all as if they are the kings of this domain.

My visit was relatively short but I could have spent hours here, absorbing every detail, with all else forgotten, utterly lost in the experience.

I'm thankful to have had the chance to see this beautiful place in person but it was indeed bittersweet, for the tragedy unfolding on not so distant shores now seems all the more real and heartbreaking. Should a similar fate befall this coast and it's wild inhabitants, there is no doubt I will feel a sense of loss as deeply personal as if it was happening on the shore of my own Great Lakes.

Wabasso Lake; Northern Wisconsin

Hello From Wabasso Lake in the far north of Wisconsin. Wish you were here...

What a place this was. A relatively unmolested, wild lake with no development but the boat launch and a few campsites at the end of the road that leads to the water's edge. Nothing but water and trees all around.

Of course no wild lake is complete without the haunting, echoing cry of the Common Loon which I heard within minutes of arriving.

The loon's call out of the gloom, smaller birds twittering in the forest and and the wind in the trees were the only sounds.

It was sort of an AUDIBLE silence. And a very nice escape for a while.

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

Lunchtime for Toad

Hello from the northwoods of Wisconsin where the Black Bear, Timber Wolves and, according to recent reports, Mountain Lions play. I saw none of those (which I'm sure you'll say was really for the best!) but did come across this young American Toad who, after it became clear that its temporary detainment on my hand also included a lunch buffet, didn't seem to mind posing for a few pictures.

So, the encounter was mutually beneficial. Toad got a meal and I got the photo while being bitten by mosquitoes a few times less.

Besides this shot and a few others, the trip as a whole was not particularly great for photos. The weather was rather dreary all weekend but in a way, I enjoy being in the forest even more under those conditions. Such low light may make photography a bit more challenging but it also adds to the mystique.

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

Time For Trout Lilies

Finally a day so warm that I broke a sweat while hiking up the steep hills and into the lowlands of Baird Creek.

Wish you were here...

The weather has still been iffy as of late but everything about today made it feel very much like summer. It really is amazing how much things change in this part of the world inside of a month's time. Just 30 days ago the forest still felt quite lifeless but now life is everywhere.

To begin though, I had been feeling less enthusiastic about returning to the creek after having spent SO much time behind the camera in this place in 2009. Yet once I arrived and set off down the trail and began taking it all in, I realized all over again that just being here at this time of year is absolutely worth the effort whether or not it results in worthwhile photos.

As for the all too familiar photographic subject to be found in these woods, well, I managed to find some new ways of seeing my old friends and it felt really good just to flatten out on the ground and be at eye level with a bunch of Trout Lilies once again.

And, in the end, I came away satisfied with a few of the photos ...a nice bonus.

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

I'm Whiggin' Out

Hello from the Mill Creek Bar in Appleton, WI. Wish you were here...

There has been a LOT of buzz about The Whigs lately. I'd been meaning to check them out online to see what I'd been missing from this band that one article suggested should already be HUGE...but soon will be.

I finally visited The Whigs Myspace page to hear some of their music and was very impressed by what I heard..and as I perused the rest of their page I suddenly realized they were actually playing a gig at a club just 40 miles away on this very night!

I felt like to miss this show could lead to some serious regret in years to come, having had the pleasure of seeing many up and coming bands play intimate venues only to later blown up into superstars, so off I went...and am I glad I did.

Not only was I excited for the chance to see and hear an exciting new band but I was also looking forward to the photo op. However, as expected, the club's stage was relatively poorly lit and once the band took the stage and I saw how wildly the members thrashed about, I knew clear photos would be beyond impossible...so I decided to concentrate on capturing nicely composed blurs. And in the end I felt like this photo sort of captured the essence of this show.

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