Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Author Archives: dawnkinster


by 15 Comments

Creative types

Fun stuff.

Fun stuff.

Almost two weeks ago I showed you all the things people were doing in the middle of a Michigan winter out at my favorite park. And I mentioned that there were also a number of artists painting there that day, so many that I figured they deserved their own post.

And now two weeks have passed in a flash.

So before more time slips through my fingers, let me show some very talented people at work capturing their vision of my favorite park. They were spread out near the nature center, some along the bike/running path…

Painters and runners share space.

Painters and runners share space.

…some tucked further into the woods.

Painting in the woods.

Painting in the woods.

Most were focused on parts of the lake, fringed with cattails and surrounded by bare trees against the brilliant blue sky.

There's beauty everywhere.

There’s beauty everywhere.

It was cold that day, and they were painting while dressed in heavy coats or hunting gear, scarfs, gloves, hats.

Staying warm with art.

Staying warm with art.

But the cold certainly didn’t dampen their enthusiasm. Their work was beautiful. I wanted to stop and talk to each of them about what they were doing, but they seemed very intense. So I admired from afar.

Something else I admired from afar was this guy. Or girl.

Our national bird.

Our national bird.

This photo is cropped 3 times, the bald eagle was sitting in the top of a heron rookery far out in the middle of a lake. I’ve never seen one this far south, and I wouldn’t have seen this one if he or she hadn’t flown in with a huge stick while I was across the street watching artists. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. There was a fringe of trees between us, and I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. So I ran back to the nature boardwalk and looked through my long lens.

I still couldn’t believe it.

I stayed a long time watching the eagle watch all of us. And if it weren’t for the cold I might be there still. I felt privileged to have witnessed the low flight of this bird, and its sweep up to the top of that tree. Eagles are very special in our family and I’m so glad to have seen this one. Another photographer said a pair of them was around that lake all last summer, though I never saw or heard anything about eagles being there. I’ll keep a sharper eye out this summer and keep you posted.

An incredible day captured.

An incredible day captured.

Meanwhile…the artists were packing up and headed home to warm up and reminisce about their lovely day at the park. I decided I would too.

Maybe someday I’ll try oil painting. I think it would be fun, but probably frustrating, to capture my version of things I see. If I give it a shot you guys will be the first to know. And I hope I see the artists and my bald eagle out at the park again this spring and summer. I’ll let you know about that too.

Waiting and watching.

Waiting and watching.


by 28 Comments

The same but different

A lonely day at the lake.

A lonely day at the lake.


Twenty-eight degrees F (-2.22 C) here, and a slight frozen mist hanging in the air; seems perfect to go for a nature walk around a lake. So I drove out to my favorite park again. You know, the one that was full of activity and bright sunshine the last time I was there.

Not so much sun or activity today. It felt melancholy, lonely, damp. Few people were out, though there were more than I expected at the back of the park on the far side of the lake.

Someone is watching me.

Someone is watching me.

And there were birds. As I took my first step on the nature path I could already hear the chickadees calling, and soon they were circling my head. They expect a treat. I left them a few seeds on the railing of the first bridge and moved along. It was too cold to stand still, arm outstretched to feed them individually.

Incoming!

Incoming!

I was thinking about why I was lugging my camera. Before I left the house I debated not bringing it, considered the advantages of taking a walk in nature without it. But then I realized if I did that there would be something amazing and I’d regret not having it.

What you lookin at lady?

What you lookin at lady?

So early in the walk, with fingers already getting cold, I thought about all the pictures I already had, filed away in my archives. Pictures of this park, these birds, most under better light and conditions than I was facing today. So why was I still watching for something interesting?

Anything good up here?

Anything good up here?

People have asked me….”what do you do with all those photos?” I don’t necessarily do anything with them, except share a few of them here with you, or with family. If I’m at a family event I might turn the best of them into a book for my siblings to remember our time together. But only a few of them ever end up in anything I share.

Most of the time I just flip through them and remember.

Because, you see, I can remember what it felt like to stand where I stood when I took almost every one. The way the light was, the temperature of the air, unique smells and sounds, why I was out there, the shots I missed when I got the one I’m staring at now. The photos in my archives take me right back to the adventures I experienced when I took them.

OK, we can share.

OK, we can share.

I think it’s probably a lot like playing music. It’s more fun to be the player than the listener. Perhaps it’s more fun being the photographer than the one looking at the results. For me, it’s all about the hunt; sometimes for something specific that I have in mind, but more often the fun of finding an opportunity to catch something surprising or pretty, or arty or just cool.

Eastern bluebird scout

Eastern bluebird scout

So on today’s cold walk along the mist shrouded lake I didn’t find lots of great photos, but I found enough to make me smile. And really that’s enough to make cold feet and tingly fingers worthwhile.

Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo

Even if no one else ever sees the majority of them.

Serenity

Serenity


by 24 Comments

No more

I don’t want to watch any more political debates. I don’t want to hear any more political ads. No more news anchors talking 24/7 about the what-ifs of this race. I want to skip it all and just come back to reality after a Republican and a Democrat candidate are chosen. When there’s something serious to consider. When I know who to focus on.

But for now I don’t want to hear any more of Trump’s bombastic attacks.

No more trickery from Cruz.

No more rote speeches from Rubio

No more confusion from Carson.

No more Mr. Nice Guy from Kasich.

No more awkwardly pained grins from Bush.

No more defensive push back from Clinton.

No more pie in the sky from Sanders.

No more.

But I know the reality is we have months of this, in one form or another. So I think I’ll go for a walk, keep the TV off, not check the news, hibernate a bit.

Let me know when it’s safe to surface.


by 17 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Katie here. Mama says I can say Happy Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my friends, which includes every one of you! Here in the United States February 14 is a day that people give each other cards and chocolates and flowers and other mushy stuff to show their love. I don’t know if those of you outside the United States have a similar holiday, but if you do I’d like to read about it!

My calendar girl look.

My calendar girl look.

In fact, I’d like to know what each of you do for Valentine’s Day no matter where you live because here at my house no one is getting me anything! I think that’s unjust, especially since I’m a princess. What’s the point of being a princess anyway if gifts are not regularly bestowed on me? Maybe in comments you can give mama some good ideas about how she should be celebrating me on this special day.

Meanwhile I am sending my love to my boyfriend Reilly the Cowspot Dog. I wanted to send him something special but I couldn’t figure out anything special enough for my best boy. I hope he’s OK with just having my undying love. I think we’re star crossed doggies, Mr. Reilly and I, as we’ve never met but we will someday!

So everybody, I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I know I will have a great day even if I don’t get any presents, because I’ll spend it with my mama and daddy.

Don’t tell them I said so, but I don’t really need anything else but them.

Mama makes me look silly!

Mama makes me look silly!


by 6 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge: Life imitates art

Several years ago a friend and I were visiting an art gallery.

Times two.

Times two.

I snapped this picture of her, never noticing until I saw the shot later that she was standing in a similar pose to the piece of art hanging behind her.

Sometimes life imitates art unconsciously.

Here, here and here are a few of my favorites, so far, from this week’s challenge.


by 26 Comments

Active winter

Sunday afternoon at the heron rookery.

Sunday afternoon at the heron rookery.


My folks moved to Alabama when I was working in the Upper Peninsula, so I stayed behind in Michigan. I’d visit them and sometimes meet their friends. As they introduced me to people who had lived their entire lives in the South the response was almost universally horror stricken. “You live in MICHIGAN? Doesn’t it get awfully cold there? And how do you handle all that snow??”

Well, yes it does get cold here, and it snows too. Sometimes a lot. But seriously, we don’t sit in our homes and mope — we get out into the fresh air and enjoy it. It’s the only way to get through the winter, to not let it get us down. Because yes it does get old.

But not this year, at least not here. Not yet.

I was out at my favorite park on Sunday and was amazed at all the activity. though I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was chilly and clouds were chasing the sun, but it was a beautiful day. So I thought I’d show you what people in Michigan do on a winter weekend. There was hardly any snow on the ground, and people didn’t want to waste a chance to enjoy some time outside.

Nice day for a long run.

Nice day for a long run.

This particular park is centered on a very large lake. There’s an eight mile (12.8k) bike/walk/run paved path around the lake, and many other miles of paths through the hills and fields including nature paths through the woods.

It’s incredibly beautiful no matter the season.

People were out doing everything you could imagine. Aside from the expected walking and running, it’s a perfect place for well socialized dogs to take their humans for an afternoon walk.

Let's get going!

Let’s get going!

And the fishing is great too, no matter the season. Lots and lots of fisher people stand on the banks of the lake and catch their supper, as evidenced by the lures tangled in the high branches of a tree above the bike path.

Remnants from last summer.

Remnants from last summer.

But this time of year it’s all about ice fishing. I can’t say I understand that sport, but I fully support a person’s right to sit out on the cold lake staring at a hole in the ice waiting for a fish to strike. It’s gotta be fun for some people. Just not me.

It's a chilly sport.

It’s a chilly sport.

On this Sunday the weather was so warm that people were out riding their bikes…

Out for a spin.

Out for a spin.

…and even inline skating.

Faster than running, more exercise than biking.

Faster than running, more exercise than biking.

It felt like spring, and I’m sure we all wish that winter was over. Of course we know it’s not — snow and cold is forecast for later this week. If the snow arrives you might not want to be out on skates or your bike, but you can still wander the nature trails and feed the birds.

Feeding the birds.

Feeding the birds.

Yes there are signs out not to feed the wildlife, but enough people hold sunflower seeds out for the little birds that they now follow nature walkers around asking for a handout. It’s a special feeling to have a wild bird flit to your finger for an instant. Especially for young kids, and those of us still young at heart.

He weighs nothing at all.

He weighs nothing at all.

Sunday there was also a large group of artists at the park, each painting their vision of the paradise that is this park. That was so special it’s going to have to go into it’s own blog. Stay tuned.

So that’s what people will do on a nice winter day at a beautiful public park way up here in Michigan. The next semi-sunny day you have during the rest of this winter head out to a park near you. I guarantee you’ll see something interesting and fun and maybe even beautiful.

Regardless of whether or not it’s cold or there is snow on the ground.

Running in shorts. In February in Michigan.

Running in shorts. In February in Michigan.


by 22 Comments

I don’t understand advertisements

Spring fashion.

Spring fashion.


Superbowl Sunday is tomorrow. If you’re not in the US that probably doesn’t mean anything, but trust me, it’s a big deal. Even if you’re not into football it’s a big deal, the culmination of our football season supposedly between the two best teams of the season.

And then there are the advertisements.

Advertisers are paying $5 million for a 30 second ad to run during the game. Superbowl ads have gotten more and more creative over the years until now they are as much a draw to watch as the game itself. This year they’re already showing us bits and pieces of some of them, though many people want to wait until game day to see them for the first time. Sort of like the groom waiting until the wedding day to see the bride in her dress.

Brighten up any kitchen.

Brighten up any kitchen.

But even before the Superbowl I’ve begun to notice I don’t understand today’s television ads. For example, right now there’s some guy with a drum and cymbals strapped on his back, playing them with a line attached to his stomping foot while he’s also playing an accordion and singing (I guess it’s singing) something about how he loves to eat ‘pepperona.’ I had to see it several times to figure out he is advertising pepperoni that goes on pizza.

It’s obnoxious.

And there’s the two guys at the gym, each doing bicep curls, wearing tight shorts. As they banter the guy on the left gets more and more buff, curling more and more weight. I have no idea what they are selling.

It’s gross.

Equally annoying is an ad with a macho guy with some sort of wolf dog on the left v.s. a girly guy in golden light on the right. They are hawking cough drops.

I don’t know why.

Summer sport.

Summer sport.

I hope with $5 million spent on each 30 second Superbowl advertisement that they make more sense, are less awkward, and certainly less obnoxious. And that it’s at least clear what they are selling.

I hope you all enjoy the game. Or whatever else you’re planning on doing with your Sunday.

(Photos on today’s blog are leftover mall ‘vibrant’ shots that didn’t make the cut. After all, everything there is meant to sell something too.)

Sweet.

Sweet.