Beth | Change Is Hard

Six months ago I reserved a campsite on the shores of Lake Huron during a new moon cycle, intent on doing some Milky Way photography. Many years ago Katie and I camped at this state park and I remembered a lighthouse located just a few miles north that might work for night photography.

*This is the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse*.

My sister drove all the way up from Alabama just to go with me on this photography adventure. Last Monday we set out early in the day so that we had time to scout out the lighthouse location for potential night shots.

*My sister noticed this split in color on the lake.*

You see, the weather didn’t look promising beyond Monday night. That’s what happens when you have to book something months out. Weather is always the unknown element. We expected a clear night Monday, but rain and cold Tuesday and Wednesday.

We discussed going back home Tuesday if it was miserable.

And we knew we’d only have one night to get the Milky Way. So we needed to be ready.

The lighthouse was just as I remembered it, standing tall on the shores of the Great Lake. We wandered the beach looking for something interesting to put in the foreground.

*The bench might look fun under the Milky Way.*

Eventually we decided we needed to be quite a bit behind the lighthouse in order to be shooting Southeast where the Milky Way would be. We found a place that might work, tucked low behind a small dune, and made a big X in the sand so we could find the spot in the darkness of 2 a.m., our planned shoot time.

Then we explored other places on the site, including Baily School which wasn’t open, but we got an interesting shot through the window anyway.

We wandered down the beach to the south, thinking maybe the rocks out in the water might be interesting. Even if we didn’t end up shooting there at night, they made a nice, minimal, image in the sunshine we were enjoying.

Eventually it was time to go check into the campground. If all three days were as nice as Monday we’d have a wonderful time. If only.

*Our campsite, right on the shore, was small, but we managed to make it work.*

Maybe the weather forecasts were wrong.

We did note that of the handful of people camping along the shore we were the only ones in tents. Perhaps we were a touch too early in the camping season.

*The view from our camp site looked promising.*

Not to worry, we each had electric blankets and we were confident that we’d be fine. This was not our first spring camping experience.

*Our beach. Though it was too cold to swim.*

So…you might ask…what happened on Monday night? Did we leave our nice warm, snuggly beds to drive up to the lighthouse at 2 in the morning? Or did the waves lapping on the shore lull us back to sleep after our alarms rang?

I guess you’ll have to wait and see.

Well. You may have noticed that I was not included in any of mom and my Auntie B’s adventures.

*I don’t know how they could have left me out!*

I would like to point out that I am a big girl now and I think I should be included in everything my people do! Don’t you agree with me?

*Don’t you like the way my fur is starting to flow in the wind?*

After all, I will turn 9 months old next week, and that’s pretty old if you ask me. Don’t ask my folks, they still treat me like a baby.

*Well, OK, sometimes I DO still get a little bit scared.*

Anyway, once mom and Auntie B returned home, with plenty of great smells on them I might add, I insisted on going with them everywhere, and a couple of days that everywhere included a local park next to our town’s small cemetery where my aunt could practice her bagpipes for an upcoming competition she will be in.

*This is my Auntie putting in her ear protection. I noted I didn’t get any ear protection.*

She said she hadn’t played in way too long and she needed to practice somewhere. I guess you can’t play the bagpipes just any ole place.

At first I wasn’t sure about the bagpipe sound, but mom urged me to come with her for a walk and we left my aunt to play in the park while we explored the cemetery next door.

I found out there were lots of whirly-gigs and flags flapping over there and I wasn’t too sure about all that at first.

Then I found this little dog and I tried to talk to him, but he was more the silent type.

And then I saw this little boy and tried to play with him, but he wouldn’t move and suddenly that scared me so I went and hid behind my mom’s legs.

That’s ok, right mom? Whenever I get scared I can hide behind you, right?

*I’ll just rest a moment back here, OK mom?*

Anyway, I practiced sitting pretty a lot, and getting my picture taken. My sister, angel Katie, says that’s just part of the game plan when you live with our mom.

*OK, mom, I’ll sit here. But I’m not going to look happy about it.* *Unless you have cheese?*

I’m getting pretty good at it too, though Katie says I need to be more insistent on getting my share of treats for the work I do modeling.

*Sometimes mom gets kinda close, but I’m not afraid of the camera any more.*

I’m getting prettier and prettier by the day now, so I don’t mind showing off.

*Mom says it’s all about the light, but I know it’s really all about me!*

Meanwhile my Aunt played on.

*She played way on the other side of the park. It sounded cool!*

And the resident cranes listened too.

*Mom wouldn’t let me go say hi to them.*

We all had a very good time, both days we wet to this park, and I guess I’ll call this a mini adventure, but I’m telling you, I’m up for something truly epic.

*This was not really adventurous, mom. Try to do better, OK?*

I hope mom’s planning something great real soon.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

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