There is good news. I may have 2 cover pages and one other image being published soon. The first is on the cover of the PDS pages, a community directory in the Traverse City Area. This is the tall ship the Sullivan, which was part of the first Tall Ships event in Traverse City in September 2009.







In that publication there is also an image of grapes that I took on Old Mission Peninsula.













And finally, this image may appear on the cover of Michigan Blue Magazine in late February.

Sunshine

It is so rare to see any color in the landscape these days. Even seeing the sun for more than a few minutes is cause for celebration. So, here is an image that I took just before Halloween. Yes, that is a bee in the sunflower.

Old Apple Tree

I found this old apple tree loaded with apples and no leaves. I saw this as a unique scene and was thinking all along of a black and white image, except for the red apples. This was edited using Photoshop©. The red in the barn just happened to be about the same red as the apples. BTW I did not spend a lot of time in Photoshop and perhaps more could be done to this image. To me, this is more of a mood piece. The red really stands out in the late fall landscape which is devoid of bright colors. Any thoughts on this?

December Newsletter Now Online

Here is the link for the December 2009 Newsletter.

Best wishes to all for a Happy and Safe Holiday Season.

Wading Birds on the Waccissa River

I took the chance to photograph wading birds on one of the most scenic rivers I have ever had the chance to paddle. The Waccissa River is a spring-fed river located in the Big Bend Area of Florida. There is very little current and it is easy to find wading birds that are not overly shy. This Little Blue Heron was capturing and consuming crawfish at a rapid rate. Fortunately, it did not gulp them down quickly. Instead, it gave me the opportunity to photograph the mid-day meal. I found an Ibis walking a log much like a gymnast on a balance beam.

Grinding and Boiling Sugar Cane

I had the opportunity to join my friend Buddy Gunn and others in cane syrup making near Havana, Florida. They started with mules turning the press, but making a mule making actually work was a chore. So, they used a diesel mule - 4 X 4. Very old time process and a tradition kept alive in some parts of the South. After extracting the sugar solution out of the cane, it is boiled down. It will take more than 20 gallons of solution to make approximately 1 to 2 gallons of cane syrup. This is much like making maple syrup in Michigan. This was a good way to wrap up the trip to Florida.

Last Day in Florida

This looks to be my last day in Florida and it has been a good trip. I have been able to capture a couple of good images, mostly on the beach at St. George Island. The weather has been o.k., but not great. Two days of camping and two days of visiting with friends for the Thanksgiving Holiday. In some ways this has been a special trip - re-connecting with friends and the time spent outdoors.