lake | Change Is Hard

July 5, 2016
by dawnkinster 21 Comments

Adventure – Day 3

The biggest, deepest, coldest lake of all.

It’s Lake Superior Day! Well. OK, it’s not a nationally recognized holiday but for me day 3 was all about Lake Superior. I couldn’t be in the Upper Peninsula, so close to the big lake, and not go for a visit.

So I drove from Tahquamenon Falls State Park up to Grand Marais which sits on the shore of the massive Great Lake and arrived just as a storm was rolling in.

It’s raining out there.

Perfect timing! Some people might be bummed out that there was rain (literally) on the horizon. But not me. The sky was amazing and I rushed down to the shore.

Low hanging clouds were fascinating.

I was not alone.

Kids heading out to witness the storm. And collect rocks.

Though there was wind and the threat of rain, several families strolled the beach.

Beach walking.

Once the clouds rolled through I went for a quick lunch at a local restaurant, wandered the town and checked out the bay. I don’t know why, but this kayak caught my eye. I still haven’t figured out just why I like this shot. But I do.

Waiting to go for a ride.

With some advice from friends I traveled along the shore of Lake Superior, visited a waterfall….

Young, foolish parents. Don’t do this if you visit.

…and explored a campground, potential for a future adventure…

Beautiful campground way back in the woods.

…but my all time favorite place on this adventure was along the trail to the Au Sable Lighthouse. I’d visited the lighthouse two years ago, and this year I didn’t walk all the way out there. Too many tourists.

Come walk on the beach with me.

This time I took a short trail out to the lake and walked along the shore. I love Lake Michigan, enjoy Lake Huron, was pleasantly surprised this past spring by the beauty of Lake Erie. But there’s something extraordinary about putting your feet in Lake Superior.

Superior bubbles.

Lots of people had been before me. But I had the place all to myself for the time I was there.

Evidence of visitors past.

I climbed up on some big rocks and listened to the lake gurgle against the underside of them. Watched the water move, the clouds, the seagulls. Took a gazillion photos. Smiled.

Amazing.

Eventually I climbed down, gathered up two rocks from the shore and headed back to the car. Someday I hope to camp at the Hurricane River campground which sits right across the trail from the lake. Not during a hurricane of course.

My last stop of the day was Munising. By the time I arrived it had begun to rain in earnest so I stayed only long enough to check out the harbor and grab a sandwich for dinner.

Headed out into the mist.

Pictured Rocks is there, and it would be fun to take a kayack tour of the cliffs. But that would have to wait for another trip, a sunnier day. I headed back to the campground, two hours away, satisfied with what I had seen on this trip to Lake Superior.

I ate my sandwich in the tent as the gentle rain fell. And fell. And fell. It rained for nine hours, luckily all overnight. In the morning I’d head out again. Time to go home.

Or not.

Summer playground.

June 17, 2016
by dawnkinster 24 Comments

Evil waves !

No it’s not mama who thinks waves are evil. It is I, Princess Katie, who doesn’t trust those noisy, ever moving, elusively wet things. Not at all. And mama knows I don’t like them, yet she took me on an adventure where there were lots of waves! Sometimes I don’t understand my mama. At all.

Our home away from home.

But you know what? I had a really good time anyway. You know how much I love to camp with my mama and we went to a park we’ve never been to before, way up north, on the shores of Lake Huron. Mama scored a beautiful campsite with our own private path to the beach (and those pesky waves!). Lucky for me it was a ‘no dogs allowed’ beach so I didn’t have to spend much time out there!

Some people ask me what I do all day when we’re camping. Well! Let me show you! We go on lots of walks around the campground where I can show off my beautiful self…

Not too many people around to admire me!

…and we take lots of naps. When my mama is reading in the tent I like to nap up on her bed, right next to her…

Reading is boring mama!

…unless I’m busy keeping watch on my private pillow from my own private window.

What’s going on out there?

And when my mama is reading in her chair outside I like to keep track of the world while keeping cool under the picnic table. It’s my secret hideaway. Nothing gets by me!

My secret hiding place!

But we explored lots of other places too. This campground has a dog beach and the first evening we went to find it. The path went through some tall trees and the sun was getting low which made the trees (and me!) just glow. Mama spent a long time in there taking pictures of everything.

Isn’t the light cool in here?

When we finally got to the dog beach I made it very clear with my flat ears that I did not like it mama! I especially didn’t like when the noisy waves were behind me. Mama tried to tell me that these were just little, harmless waves and she wasn’t going to make me get my feet wet but I was still very glad we didn’t stay there long.

What IS that mama?

The next morning mama almost missed the sunrise! I slept all night, hardly moving at all, while my mama shivered under four blankets while wearing layers of clothes. She finally fell asleep in the early morning hours and expected that I’d wake her up at the usual 5:30. But I didn’t! It was so nice sleeping in the cool night air that I just rolled over and kept sleeping. She woke up at 5:45 and woke me up! She wanted to go out on the beach to see the sun? Is she crazy?

The sunrise was nice but I didn’t want to be there, so she brought me back to camp, put me on my long leash and gave me breakfast to keep me busy while she went back out on the sand to take more pictures.

Morning light on my fur.

Well. I do not like to be separated from my mama! So after I finished my breakfast (You didn’t think I was going to leave that in the bowl did you?) I figured out my leash wasn’t really attached to my collar and so I walked casually right back out to the beach to find her!

Hey mama! Whatcha doing out there?

She turned around to check on me and there I was, standing next to the path (I don’t like the sand in my toes.) watching her! Mama came running and I got hooked up to my leash really good. I think she was sort of surprised that I came back out on the beach on my own. I like surprising my mama. Keeps her on her toes.

Later that day we went on a little road trip. And guess what? I got to see a real lighthouse in person! This is Sturgeon Point lighthouse. It’s very beautiful. Mama would have walked up to the top, but the tower was only open on the weekends. And she had me. As you know I don’t do stairs.

What is more beautiful than a lighthouse? Why ME of course!

Of course there was a beach there too, with even bigger waves and I didn’t like it. So mama and I walked around the grounds of the lighthouse instead of out by the water like she wanted. She’s good about compromise, my mama.

There is also a one room school, the Old Bailey School, on the site. Mama said that since there weren’t any waves nearby could I please sit and look pretty so she could take a picture with me and the school. But I was more interested in what that thing was over to the right of me. Plus there were two people on the other side of the school and I could hear them talking and I wanted to go see what was over there. So all my mama got was this.

What IS that mama?

By the time we got back to camp I was exhausted! I slept all night again, and mama shivered all night. She put on all her clothes and even wore a pair of socks on her hands and she was still cold! I don’t know about you mama! I was wearing all my clothes too and I thought the weather was perfect for sleeping! Anyway, this time my mama set her alarm to wake us up at 5:30 so we could go out and see the sunrise. It was spectacular. I couldn’t stop looking at it.

The sun’s got nothing on me!

Wouldn’t you? Out on the horizon was a fishing boat which made it even more interesting. The sky was just gorgeous. Everything was gorgeous, and this time I didn’t even act scared of the waves! I let mama enjoy everything!

Colors beyond description!

But then the clouds started rolling in….

Uh oh…

…and it began to rain. And rain….and rain. Mama and I hung out in the car. We drove into town so she could check the radar. We drove back to camp. We hung out in the car again and it continued to rain. And the wind picked up and the waves were getting bigger and noisier.

Getting noisier out here!

Mama thought about another night of sleeping in the cold. And now we were both wet from me making her take me on walks to do my thing. Even if she wore all her clothes again she’d be cold. And she didn’t think we’d ever be dry again. So she packed up camp. She didn’t even ask me if I wanted to go home! And I did not!

Goodbye lake! We’ll be back!

Sometimes mama uses that old excuse “because I said so” and I have to just go with the flow. But I have to admit I was really happy to see my Dad when I got home. I guess it’s nice to be here too. I slept upside down on my king sized bed that night. But now I want to know….what are you going to do to top this one mama? Huh? Huh?

What’s next mama?

It better be good, that’s all I have to say. Because a princess has certain expectations you know. And it’s very bad if she’s disappointed. I’m going to go take a nap now, in preparation for the next royal event.

I like the woods best!

June 16, 2016
by dawnkinster 17 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge – Pure

Those of you that live in or around Michigan have surely seen and heard the promotional advertisements aimed at getting tourism. So when I saw that this week’s WordPress Challenge was Pure…and knew I’d be ‘up north’ enjoying some of the best that Michigan has to offer….

Pure Michigan

…well, I couldn’t resist tying the two together.

January 2, 2016
by dawnkinster 17 Comments

Look! It’s the sun!

Late afternoon light.

I went for another walk in a nature preserve today and I planned on sharing that with you. While I was there the sun came out! Blue sky, shadows on snow in the woods, turquoise lake. It was all beautiful.

But do you know what was even more beautiful?

Tonight’s sunset! It’s the only sunset I’ve seen during the almost two weeks I’ve been here. Mostly the sky has been dark and ominous. Yesterday the clouds were almost purple – beautiful in their own way. But no sunsets.

Turning grass into gold.

So I decided to show you that instead. Sit down and relax. You’ll get to enjoy it from the comfort (and warmth) of your home. I, however, couldn’t help myself, I ran right out there into the wind. It was magical.

And then the sun began to set.

I’d already been out to the lake earlier in the late afternoon when I noticed the light had turned gold.

The light turned the waves to gold too. It was sort of mesmerizing. While I was trying to get the color recorded I’d notice myself watching through the viewfinder but not taking the shot. Just watching. Silly photographer.

Liquid gold.

Eventually I got cold and went back up the 40-something steps into the house. Where I almost immediately noticed that the sky was beginning to turn pink.

Turning pink.

I didn’t even take my coat off; just got better gloves and ran back down the stairs into the pink air. I was actually saying out loud “Oh my God, oh my God” as the light warmed and the world began to glow.

Sun is going down faster now.

The tops of waves were being blown by the increasingly blustery winds and they began to glow pinkish gold – like little tiny volcanoes.

Tinged with pink.

Wonderful.

Orange crush.

The sky to the south was turning more and more orange.

Orange sherbet.

The sky to the north was pink and purple.

Raspberry sorbet.

I was all alone, standing on a sandy snowy bluff and the entire sky had turned into art. It was indescribable. I turned my back to the wind, protecting the camera, and just watched.

Front row seats.

Bursting from my head and my heart deep thanks began to float on the wind. Thanks for being allowed to stay in this beautiful place. Thanks for one sunset during my stay. Thanks for being able to capture some of it to share with all of you.

Amazing doesn’t begin to describe the moment.

Overwhelming.

I guess you had to be here.

Thank goodness I was.

Gratitude.

January 1, 2016
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

On the beach

Many of you have retreated to warm beaches, beaches with palm trees and lounge chairs, beaches that require sunglasses and sunscreen. Where you can dip your toes in the waves. I’m at a beach too, though it’s a bit different. Just a tad cooler and windier.

Since the windstorm Christmas Eve I haven’t been able to walk on the beach right here at the house. The big waves dug away the bluff and now it’s more like a cliff. Sure, I could hop, jump or maybe roll down to the beach. But I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to get back up. And it’s way too cold to take that risk. So I’ve been looking longingly at the beach and staying up on the bluff in the wind.

Windy lake glows turquoise under a purple sky.

Today some neighbors stopped by to say “Happy New Year!” and I mentioned how I’d like to walk on the beach. They reminded me of a long staircase down in the next group of homes. They said it was covered in snow…but once maneuvered would lead me to a wide beach only a half mile or so away.

Well! This afternoon I bundled up, took the camera and headed up the street, down the stairs and out onto the beach. It was beautiful. And cold.

I’m teaching myself how to use manual camera settings.

Oh so cold. I shot a short video and thought my fingers would actually fall off. It’s posted on Facebook if you’d like to see it.

I found a very nice Petosky stone which was partially frozen into the sand. I got it chippped out and put the whole thing, frozen sand chunk and all in my pocket. I found another beautiful Petosky stone, but couldn’t get it chipped out of the ice. Most of the stones were frozen solid to the sand. Ah well.

Waves just keep on coming.

There were big boulders that had waves of ice and sand covering them from earlier in the day when the waves were higher. It was all beautiful.

All the photos in this post were from my walk on the beach. Notice how striking the sky was too. Every day the lake looks different. The sky changes. Wind and waves and light carve out a new view for me.

Giant ice cubes.

It’s going to be hard to leave this place, but soon I’ll be headed back to my husband and my Katie-girl. It will be good to be home, but it was very good to be here too.

Love my Lake Michigan.

Brrrrrrrr!

September 8, 2015
by dawnkinster 8 Comments

Random leftovers

I’ve been home a couple of days now and I’m sorting through photos. There are so many that you didn’t get to see. If you follow me on Facebook you saw the daily good morning lake photos, and quite a few of food we ate. But there was more to my trip than just the lake or food, or even family. Though all of that was a huge part of a wonderful trip.

Last boat ride back to the house.

I drove down to Alabama, and there was plenty to see along the way. I’ll try to share a bit of the trip with you here.

Kentucky tobacco field.

I only saw one field of tobacco the whole trip. I happened to get off the freeway for something else, and noticed barns. Well. You know me and barns..and the next thing you know I’m driving out on a little two lane road that twists and turns through farmland.

Tobacco barn

Sure was pretty, as long as you ignored that it was tobacco. Soon enough though I needed to get back on the road. I could spend hours, probably days, wandering in the country looking at farms but I had to stop it and just move on.

These people at the Tennessee Welcome Center are sort of moving and stopping all at the same time too.

Frozen in time.

It’s an art installation and I thought it was kind of cool. So did lots of people; almost everyone stopped to have their picture taken, or to take their kids’ pictures, in part of the exhibit.

While I was in Alabama I visited my brother at another large lake. We watched an osprey sit on a high tension electrical tower and eat a huge fish.

Lunch

This photo kind of makes me think about Edgaer Allan Poe. Don’t know why…just does.

On my way back home this past weekend I happened on these two old trucks in Kentucky. It was another nice find while I was driving a two lane road between tiny little towns.

Resting

Two lane trips are just so much more photogenic than freeways. Especially when you have the time to wander. Right after I saw the photogenic trucks I ran across a swimming hole…

Summer swimming time

…for cows. I couldn’t believe I actually saw cows swimming. I had to turn around and go back. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, it was really hot that day. The two cows in front were swimming across the pond so fast they actually had wakes behind them. Just like little motor boats.

And on the last day of the drive home I stopped for lunch at a truck stop that sold Subway sandwiches. After I got my sandwich I noticed this across the road:

Barbecue goodness

It’s a sign for a barbecue place. Probably should have gone there instead. I guess you can figure out what they serve. Can’t you?

Summer in the South. Somewhere there’s probably a good song or two about it. I hope you enjoyed a few of the sights. I know I did.

Floating

September 5, 2015
by dawnkinster 7 Comments

Sweet Southern Story

I was at the local grocery store in the small Alabama town where I’ve been hanging out for the past couple of weeks. An older man (probably about my age if I were truthful) is leaving the deli counter, a package in his hand, walking toward me.

He looks me in the eye and says “If I had any peanut brittle I’d give you some.”

I figure he’s talking to the women behind the counter, so I smile vaguely and turn my cart into an aisle, looking for something on my grocery list. He follows me and calls out. “Have you ever made peanut brittle?”

I respond that I had, but it was a long long time ago. He repeats the question. I repeat my answer. He comes closer and says he’s sorry he can’t hear me. So I say it again.

“Where’s that accent of yours from?” he asks.

“Michigan,” I say.

“Your team gonna do anything this year?” he asks.

I look at him blankly.

“You’ve got a good new coach.”

I figure out he’s talking about the University of Michigan, so I just nod in agreement…backing up down the aisle.

“You living here now?” he asks.

“No…just visiting.” I say.

“Well if you’re living around here you got to make a choice.” he says. “You got to choose either Alabama or Auburn. Doesn’t much matter which you choose but you got to make the choice.”

“You know this guy?” he asks, pointing to a store employee behind me shelving cans.

“No, I say.”

“Hey there!” says the clerk to the man.

“He’s rooting for the wrong team” says the man.

“I still pray for you every night.” says the young clerk smiling.

All three of us resume our business but the smiles stay with me as I drive back to the house. I’m still not sure what peanut brittle had to do with anything. But people sure are friendly down here in the South. Except on football weekends.

Just down the lake is a boat dock with a flag that flies. The homeowner has made his choice clear. For those of you not from around here that’s the Alabama A blowing in the breeze.

Football is huge down here.

Wonder what would happen if I were to hang Auburn’s flag at the end of our dock.

Go Tigers.

September 4, 2015
by dawnkinster 16 Comments

Black & white photo challenge: Shadows and reflections

Shadows and reflections. Having spent the better part of two weeks on the lake I’ve been struck by the many beautiful reflections I’ve seen, and I’ve used quite a few of them in the last few posts. Maybe, just maybe, there’s nothing new to show you.

Still. Cee’s black and white challenge is intriguing and I haven’t done enough of them. In fact, I had to go back and watch the you tube instructions again because I’d already forgotten how to convert a color photograph to black and white since I did my last black and white for Cee’s challenge a few weeks ago.

After I figured out how to do it, the question became what to use. I had a couple of ideas but what it came down to was the still water right in front of the lake house, and the reflection we look at in all different kinds of light whenever we’re here, of the house across the way.

Early morning stillness.

You can tell the weather just by the way the house reflects in the water. If it’s dimpled there is rain. If it’s ruffled there is wind. If it’s perfect it’s water-ski water!

So I guess you can tell what we did right after taking this picture earlier in the week.

Yep, it involved a boat.

September 3, 2015
by dawnkinster 21 Comments

Flying through clouds

Glassy water

I’m resting after more than a week at the lake house. A week filled with lots of water activities, lots of family, lots of sun, good food, laughter and quiet conversations.

Last night I randomly read blog entries from years past, blogs about hanging out at the lake. I came across this one written in 2010 that talked about being afraid to try water skiing after years of skiing only occasionally during summer visits.

It seemed appropriate because in the past couple days I’ve water skied twice. Neither time was for a very long distance, though I got up on the first try each time.

But it was still scary.

Scared

You think about how hard it’s going to be to get your heavier person up on that ski. How the boat will pull. Lots of water rushing over your head. Falling. You think maybe it’s best to retire from skiing. After all you’re older then you used to be. You’re no athlete. You might get hurt.

Then you think about your mom who was older than you are right now and still skied once a year just to prove she could. And you think about the fact the lake is absolutely still, the boat is running well, the sun is shining. There’s no one out there but your boat filed with your family.

Breathing relief

It will never be any better than this.

So you put on the life jacket and whine a bit about being scared. You slide into the water and put on the ski which feels unfamiliar and clunky.

You feel clunky and awkward and the ski rope is moving as the boat slowly moves away from you and you can’t remember which side of your ski it’s supposed to be on and you can’t remember if you normally put your back foot into the boot or trail it as you get up. And you’re wobbling back and forth in the water and the rope is tight and everyone is waiting for you to say “HIT IT!” and so you do.

And the boat surges ahead and the water rushes over you and you remind yourself to just hang on. HANG ON and it will all work out. Balance over that ski and hang on. Let the boat do the work. And soon you’re popping up out of the water. Not gracefully. But you can breath.

You’re no expert skier, not throwing big rooster tail spray, not preforming tricks. You’re just out there, but oh the water is glass, the clouds are reflected beneath you, the sun is shining, the lake is beautiful and soft.

Flying

And you are smiling, because you are skiing through the clouds, and because you didn’t give up on yourself.

Lesson learned. Again.

Summer fun

August 31, 2015
by dawnkinster 22 Comments

Gift of water

Last summer days.

My dad was always a water person. He played, as a boy, on the banks of a river and he and my mother went on a canoe trip down that river for their very first date. During his entire life he wanted to live on water, and he accomplished that when I was a kid, and then again later in life.

Reflective.

The love of water is one of the gifts my parents gave us. And another is their home. Tucked away on a big lake in a warm state it’s a place their kids gather to relax and spend time together.

Water that goes on forever.

I was thinking about what a wonderful gift the love of water is as we were out on their lake today. Big puffy white clouds interspersed with ominous dark streaks floated above us as my brother skied, as we floated near our favorite island, as we visited the mountain near where their ashes were spread eleven years ago.

Mountain balances lake.

Water. The basis of life. Magical, ever changing. Beautiful.

Evening falls.

Aren’t we lucky that our folks passed on their love of water and then made sure we were able to enjoy it for years to come.

They are always near.

And aren’t we lucky we get to spend time on a beautiful lake while thinking about them, telling stories about them, appreciating them.

Remembering them.

Island stands tall.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

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