fun stuff | Change Is Hard

July 7, 2025
by dawnkinster 21 Comments

Music in the night

Sunday evening, the last of the long, hot, 4th of July weekend, a couple friends from our community band and I were lucky enough to attend a Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert held outside at Meadowbrook Hall.

A few minutes before I left home to meet them for a quick dinner before the concert, the skies opened up and rain poured down. It was the first rain all weekend. I was discouraged, but figured at least we’d have a nice meal together and we’d see about the music later.

But even as I walked out to the car it began to clear.

So it was with high hopes and a bit of excitement that we arrived at the venue and found a place to sit in the grass high on the hill overlooking the stage. Of course just as we began to settle in the rain began again.

But once again it blew right through, and with a few gusts of wind the sky began to brighten. Then the music began.

What a wonderful evening! The crowd was happy and appreciative. The weather cooperated. The music was, of course, wonderful. Celebrating John Williams, it was filled with the scores of his many works and as the conductor talked about each piece you could hear the audience anticipate which one would be played next.

We were usually right.

As I listened I thought about Shelley, our community band music director who passed away this past February. She would have loved this concert. What’s not to love? The Detroit Symphony, a group she had season tickets for, a beautiful summer night, families enjoying the music, a beautiful sky overhead, and John Williams.

Perfect.

Toward the end of the program a lesser known score was played, the theme from Far and Away. The movie starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman and the music starts off similar to a lot of his movie scores, fast and furious. But the last minute of the 3 minute piece, those last moments, those are sweet.

I smiled because in those moments, with fireflies twinkling and the music soaring into the evening sky, I knew somewhere maybe right overhead and not so far and away, Shelley was smiling too.

And I bet, in fact I’m 100% sure, she enjoyed the concert just as much as we did.

July 3, 2025
by dawnkinster 24 Comments

Searching for the stars. Again.

This time last week I was in northern Michigan at one of my favorite places (You may have noticed I have quite a few favorite places in northern Michigan) intent, once again, on getting the perfect Milky Way image.

I had a walk-in site at Platt River Campground, reserved weeks ago, and high hopes that at least one of the three nights would be clear.

The site was beautiful. I knew it would be because I’d camped there once before a few years ago. It’s at the end of a trail, about 1/4 mile into the woods. Along the way are three other campsites, but mine was the last one.

*This was my first camping trip of the season. It took me forever to get this tent up.*

The good thing about a walk-in site is that there are no RVs near you running their air conditioning all night. (Though I wouldn’t have minded having air, it was 98 F inside my tent most of the first night.) The bad thing about a walk-in site is that you have to carry everything in. So I stayed pretty minimal.

Anyway. I had high hopes for Monday night, thinking it should be clear. And it was hot and sunny when I first arrived.

Before I even went to the campsite to set up the tent I drove the Pierce Stocking drive that provides a number of opportunities to stop and explore.

*It’s almost mandatory that you take this image while you’re there.*

But gradually, by late afternoon, clouds had moved in and that evening there were no stars to be seen. It even rained late Monday night, which brought the temperatures down. I was conflicted, grateful for the temperature relief but disappointed that I wasn’t out under the stars with my camera.

*Looking toward Sleeping Bear dunes from Empire Beach on Tuesday.*

Tuesday I explored a few beaches looking for possible places to shoot the Milky Way, if the sky ever cleared. But it didn’t clear that day.

*Not very promising for star photography.*

So I did the next best thing. I hiked a loop through the woods where there was the possibility of lots of birds. You know how I love taking photographs of birds. I had high hopes again of capturing something special.

Because I was covered in bug spray this was a fun hike.

About 2.5 miles, the trail was supposed to be filled with song birds, particularly warblers.

*I took a close up picture of the map with my phone, and I’m glad I did. The trail wasn’t always obvious.*

I heard lots of birds, none of them identified by my Merlin app as warblers, but I only saw one bird for a slight second, hidden in the trees, and I have no idea what it was.

*I don’t suppose any of you know what this brownish bird is, hiding behind leaves and out of focus.*

Tuesday night it rained again. I don’t mind a little rain on the tent, but it meant there was no star shooting that night either.

Wednesday was predicted to be overcast as well, so I made plans to drive about an hour north and meet a couple friends in Northport, another of my happy places. It was time to spend a little bit of time in civilization.

*Scenic route through Pierce Stocking park.*

That was definitely fun and had a lower mosquito to human ratio, but it deserves it’s own post, so stay tuned.

*Taken Monday night, while standing in the rain.*

June 29, 2025
by dawnkinster 17 Comments

A little levity

Penny here!

Mom says she has a whole bunch of camping pictures to sort through and she doesn’t have time to post about my day. So I’ll just do it myself. After all, I am the brilliant, beautiful, competent Unstoppable Pretty Penny!

Ahem.

So as you probably know, since you’re all keeping track of my adventures, my school has been out for weeks. Mom is trying to keep up with my training (and if we’re honest, her own training) by herself and with a lot of help from her friend Diane. But let’s be honest. Mom isn’t always consistant, plus she’s been away having fun and taking pictures of stuff that’s not me.

So she was a little uncertain when today rolled around and it was time to go up to Flint and do a Fun Run or three. That’s when mom and I get to do a Rally course like at a Trial but we aren’t judged. It’s just for practice and mom figured we needed lots of practice.

And guess what ? I did three runs, two at the Novice level and one at the Advanced level! Whoo Hoo! Mom asked the ladies running the show if we could try Advanced even though we haven’t trained at that level yet and they said “Sure! Why not?”

*Staying chill while we were waiting for stuff to get started.*

Did you know Advanced Rally is off leash? YES! OFF LEASH! I got to heel along with my mom without being attached to her! WOW! At first I was kinda excited and started to wander off but mom said “HEEL!” in her school voice when I had taken 1.5 steps away from her and I slapped myself back next to her leg. She smiled and I got a piece of cheese. After that it was all fun, I even got to do a jump! I wasn’t sure what it was at first but then she went on the other side and said “JUMP!” and I did, cause I love to jump over stuff at home! This was fun too. I got more cheese.

*I love school cause mom’s a cheese dispenser there.*

So anyway…mom is a happy camper and she hopes we are able to get my very first Rally title in a couple weeks. I say of course I can do it, the quetion is, as it always is, can mom?

*I deserve this nap with my elephant, I worked hard and did good!*

Stay tuned!

June 22, 2025
by dawnkinster 33 Comments

Favorite Alabama images

It’s been two, maybe three weeks since I was in Alabama. And you know that I took a few photos while I was there.

Maybe you’d want to see a few of my favorites?

*Every morning I’d take a picture of the lake. Most of the time it was so quiet.*

Of course who really defines the term “few?”

*That red soil is a dead giveaway you’re in the South.*

As it turns out most of the images I took this time revolved around birds. Why do you think that is? And are the birds much different in Alabama than they are in Michigan?

*Maybe a king bird, maybe something else. Was sitting at the top of a young oak tree on an island in the lake.*

But we weren’t always birders, we also took a couple boat rides on my brother’s lake. One in the middle of the day where we saw the bird above and one to see the sunset.

And on our boat rides we did, of course, see birds. This was a big bird. This is the Osprey that builds a nest every year in the very tall power towers on my brother’s lake.

*Osprey parent taking a sunset break from the demanding babies up in the nest.*

There were very noisy babies in residence when I visited. They cried all day for mom or dad to feed them.

And there was a bluebird couple remodeling the nest for their next brood, hovering around just over our heads as we sat on the back patio.

*I keep telling him it’s a total gut job.*

They didn’t seem worried about us at all as long as we didn’t move too quickly.

*I think it’s fine the way it is. The kids will just poop all over it anyway.*

And a brown thrush singing away and then scuttling along the lake shore looking for something good to eat.

*I’m pretending to be a speedy roadrunner bird!*

And, back at the cabin’s lake, we climbed the mountain and then the fire tower to view the large expanse of Lake Martin.

Actually, you can, even at that height, only view a small portion of this giant lake.

*A fisherman was having a quiet moment when suddenly jet skies zoomed by.*

And of course I went out in the kayak a couple times, not going too far, just down to the end of this bit of water, or that bit over there.

*I spent a long time in the kayak trying to get these two glowing trees.*

We have martin gourds at Lake Martin and this year the birds have taken up residence in at least one of them.

Babies there too.

So all in all it was a good trip. I’m glad I went and I’m hoping to get down there again before this summer is over.

*An orchard oriole in my brother’s back yard.*

We’ll see.

Oh…you ask…on my trip back to Michigan did I see anything interesting?

Well…what do you think?

Wordless Wednesday – an Alabama night

June 18, 2025 by dawnkinster 31 Comments

June 16, 2025
by dawnkinster 31 Comments

The heron baths

Have you ever seen a great blue heron? (I feel like I should capitalize the heron’s name, anything with “Great” in it’s title seems like it should be capitalized, don’t you think?)

We have lots of them around here, and I’ve taken you out to Kensington to see the heron rookery more than a few times, so of course you’ve all seen a Great Blue.

But have you ever seen one take a bath? (I think this would make a great children’s book title; Have You Ever Seen One Take a Bath?)

*I wonder if he blows bubbles or holds his breath when his head is under water.*

I was sitting, a couple of weeks ago, on my brother’s patio looking out over his lake. He has a wonderful view down the lake, but what I was focused on was the tip of his peninsula where a heron appeared to be standing or sitting up to his chest in water while flapping his wings. Or her wings I suppose. But I’m going to assume this was a he.

I had my camera in my lap so I started shooting pictures, trying to figure out what he was doing. Was he fishing? Was he caught in fishing line? Was he dancing to some song only he could hear?

No, he was taking a bath! Unfortunately many of my images are terribly out of focus, but I’ve found you the best of them so you can enjoy what we wittnessed.

He flopped around and preened in the chest deep water for quite a long time, and then he moved over to a sunnier spot and did what all well behaved herons do.

He stood, spread his wings and dried himself in the sun.

Because there’s no nicer way to end a warm bath than to dry off in the evening sunshine.

*A little grooming never hurt any heron.*

June 3, 2025
by dawnkinster 39 Comments

On the road again

As some of you have figured out I’m away from home. I took an opportunity to spend a few days with family down in Alabama.

*I couldn’t resist stopping when the wheat was golden in the morning light.*

And though I could have flown and made the trip South faster, I chose to drive, because I love to drive and I enjoy seeing whatever there is to see along the way.

*And to find a wheat field AND a barn…well….of course I stopped!*

This trip went easier than my last trip in November. The road didn’t seem so long, nor the traffic so busy. Not to say there weren’t the normal amounts of stress getting through Indianapolis and Nashville and especially Birmingham Alabama.

*I appreciated the art of a farmer’s tracks through rolling fields of grain.*

But Sunday morning as I left my hotel in Bowling Green Kentucky I noticed the wheat fields were ripening and the early light was making them glow.

All day Saturday I hadn’t stopped for a single photo. I even managed to resist the exit I’ve been lured into by photogenic barns the last three times I’ve driven down.

*I went around a big country block to get this one.*

So I thought it was only fair that I take thirty minutes and find a barn or two in wheat fields.

*Eventually, last Sunday, I made it here to one of my happy places.*

I hope you enjoy.

May 24, 2025
by dawnkinster 15 Comments

Sarah and gang

Hey there, it’s me, Penny!

Once again I’m jumping online late at night while my mom snores over there on the sofa. She says if I want to write I should go get my own blog, but I say why do that when she’s already done all the groundwork?

*This is mom’s garden. It might be the reason she’s snoring on the sofa.*

Hey! Did you guys know I have a niece? I sure do! Her name is Sarah and she lives with my Mama S, the lady that delivered me and my four sisters two and a half years ago. My dog mom, Vivian, and her best friend Olivia live there too.

*That’s me on the left, Sarah standing in back, my dog mom Vivian next and then Olivia.*

She’s almost one year old and I love her so much. Last month my mom and dad took me up to Mama S’s house for a playdate with Sarah who is a bundle of energy.

*Sarah loves to chase me, but I’m FAST! She’ll never catch me, no siree!*

All four of us dogs and the three adult people went into the big fenced in back yard to play. Mama S had a bright orange tennis ball that Vivian and Olivia get very excited over.

She’d fling that ball toward the back of the yard and all four of us would chase after it, a few of us (not me) barking wildly the entire time.

I never once got the ball, it was mostly Olivia who did the ball handling, but sometimes one of the other two would get a chance to take it back to Mama S so she’d throw it again.

And then we’d be off again!

My mom and dad laughed at us a lot. Mom was busy taking pictures too of course.

Mostly Sarah and I just ran and ran and ran. She loves to chase me and between you and me I could beat her but I let her get close once in awhile.

Then when she gets almost to my tail I take off again.

*Nope, Sarah, you’re not going to get me!*

We were both worn out when my folks said it was time to go home, but man, what a wonderful time we all had!

I’m just the luckiest sheltie girl in the whole world! I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as we all enjoyed playing!

Signing off now to dream of running in a big yard, your athlete girl Penny.

May 15, 2025
by dawnkinster 29 Comments

At last, the little birds

I took myself out to Kensington, a favorite park for bird photography, on Easter Sunday morning because I figured it would be empty.

*There appears to be a lack of breakfast servers this morning, lady!* – *Mrs. Red Winged*

And, in some ways, it was. There were no families enjoying barbecue, and no busloads of school kids enjoying a field trip.

No one was feeding the little birds.

*We’ve been waiting for you! – Mr. Red Winged*

But photographers? Oh yea, photographers with their long, heavy lenses are not going to let a beautiful spring morning get lost in a holiday!

*My royal self does not come down just because you have food, madam. – Red Headed Woodpecker*

Still I bet most of us out there that morning managed to get at least a few (dozen) great shots.

*We’ll get our own meal, thank you. – TWO Red Headed Woodpeckers!*

And long ago, on a previous post I promised I’d show you more birds.

*I am not too proud to accept a free peanut! — Nuthatch in flight*

So here you go. I’ll try to limit this to some of my most favorite from that early morning walk in the woods a month ago.

*Excuse me, if everyone else has had enough, I’d like to approach the hand. — Titmouse*

But it’s hard. I have so many favorites.

*I’m a little shy, but I’d really like a bit of breakfast, lady! — Chickadee*

As I study each of these I’m transported back to that cool morning, surrounded by hungry birds, the deer watching from further back in the trees, the squirrels hurrying so as not to be left out.

*Thanks lady! Sometimes we get overlooked cause we can’t fly. — Black Squirrel*

The chipmunks hoarding, the sunlight shifting.

*I’d like a little more please! — Chipmunk*

It’s always a magical time at Kensington, no matter what part of the park you visit.

*Too busy to eat, I’m building my future family a new home! — Mrs. Red Belly*

But if you want to experience wildlife in a more intimate manner, get there in the morning on a weekday before the crowds and walk the trails at the Nature Center.

*It’s the interior decorating that takes the most thought.*

Or early on a holiday morning. That works too.

*You got to really get in there for the deep spring cleaning required prior to babies’ arrival!*

So tell me, which image is YOUR favorite?

*I’ll ponder that question. — Sandhill Crane*

May 6, 2025
by dawnkinster 25 Comments

The yellow flower photo-shoot

Hey everybody, it’s me, Penny! Again!

Those of you that remember Katie know that every spring mom took her somewhere to do a yellow flower photo-shoot. It started out as a joke, since mom’s yellow flowers aren’t all that exotic.

But it turned into a fun outing for them and mom got some really sweet photos of Katie smiling at her parks.

Well now, mom doesn’t want to give that up so guess what mom and I did last week?

I suppose that wasn’t very hard to guess, was it!

Yep, mom rushed me over to Katie’s park when the sun came out one day. She had seen lots of yellow flowers in people’s yards and she figured as long as the park staff hadn’t mowed we’d be good.

And we were!

There were sooooo many pretty yellow flowers that I could hardly decide where to sit. In fact I didn’t want to sit at all.

I mean, if you’ve got the space and time, why not run through the yellow flowers with the wind in your furs? Right? So I did.

Several times.

Mom says I’m a very good model. I say as long as she has treats I’ll be a good model.

Cause if there’s one thing that Katie taught me it’s that you only have to sit for one photograph as a time and the flow of treats should be constant. And when the treats are done, so am I.

Thanks Katie-girl. You’re the best big sister ever!

Now I have to go comfort mom because she says that after looking at these pictures she realizes that I’m growing up too fast. She says she wants to slow it all down, but I gotta tell her, there’s no slowing me down!

Signing off for now, your flower girl, Penny.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

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