park | Change Is Hard

January 21, 2017
by dawnkinster 31 Comments

Respect

Life in the woods goes on undeterred by politics.

Four years ago, or was it eight, I had lunch with a good friend. We’ve known each other for more than 40 years, adventured together decades ago, worked together, grieved together, laughed a lot. That kind of friend. But at that lunch we learned our politics were light years apart. I was surprised. So was she. By the end of lunch we had silently agreed to leave the politics out of our friendship, and it’s never come up again.

My philosophy, which I voiced then, was that you didn’t have to like the person, but you had to respect the office.

There’s a lot to reflect on.

Yesterday the United States peacefully transferred power and, though I still believe in respecting the office, I’m having a hard time this time. I needed to settle, so instead of watching the inauguration I left home for the day and went to a place where I’ve always found peace.

Kensington Metro Park.

The world feels colorless.

It was a dreary, soggy, grey day and few people were braving the raindrops and cold. I should have worn warmer and dryer shoes. And a hat. Still, the birds, always eager to great me, made me smile.

Thanks for coming by lady!

And there was color to be found if you looked for it.

Blue and green living together in harmony.

Even when the fog began to drift in and the cold made it’s way into my bones I didn’t leave. So much on my mind, I debated both sides of the argument I’ve watched unfold in the news and in my friends.

Only time will tell.

Can a man who has spoken such vile things, a man who apologizes for none of it, a man who essentially uses his wealth and celebrity to bully, can such a man lead the free world? Can he be my president?

Can’t we learn to get along?

You don’t have to like the person, but you have to respect the office. Somehow that’s harder to do when your candidate didn’t win. I’m reminded by my more conservative friends that they quietly accepted a candidate they didn’t support for the past eight years.

Can I trust you lady?

Still…this president scares me.

On the other hand….respect the office.

I am more liberal than many of my friends and family, more conservative than others. Yet we all care about each other and I hope that will continue far into the future, beyond the term(s) of this president, beyond the terms of presidents to come.

Looking for some resolution.

Today I will respect the office, but am mindful that there must be accountability. It’s early yet, but I reserve my right to respectfully, peacefully but loudly protest any actions that take away benefits and rights from members of my family, my friends, and even strangers that deserve the same respect I give the office.

I’ll respect the office Mr. President. But I think we all expect some respect in return.

Change is hard.

Thanks lady!

December 26, 2016
by dawnkinster 6 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge: Path

Katie and I hope that 2017 provides us many new paths to follow.

Let’s go this way mama!

For other interpretations of the word “path” check out these; here, here and here.

We hope all of you find your own exciting, fascinating and joyful paths going into the future!

November 14, 2016
by dawnkinster 17 Comments

Stalking the super moon

Sunday’s moon.

Let’s just call this a good lesson in what not to do while trying to get that perfect shot of a huge moon rising up from the pumpkin patch. Oh wait. That’s a different story.

The super moon sort of snuck up on me, even though we’d been told about it daily for at least a week. Suddenly it was Sunday and I hadn’t looked up any instructions on how to shoot a great image. I figured I’d wing it, using things I’d learned about shooting stars.

Moving up into Sunday’s sky

Right. Never wing something that only occurs every 18 years. Especially when you’re already 60. I never did get it right, though, while messing with white balance I did get a gray image that was pretty sharp.

Different white balance on Sunday night.

So Sunday night I went home and read some articles online. I put the manual settings into the camera prior to heading out into the dark. I had good intentions.

A little cloudy Monday evening.

Monday evening the moon came up more than 45 minutes later than Sunday night. Plus the library was open, so there were lots of parking lot lights to contend with. AND the moon came up much further to the north on Monday.

So far to the north that at first we thought it had been obscured by clouds, and we packed stuff up and headed to the car. During the walk down the hill I glanced over my shoulder and saw it, right above the library!

Super moon over library.

I tried a lot of different shutter speeds and found out that the faster it moved the sharper the image when it was just the moon.

Golden orange moon Monday night.

The clouds shifted, moved over the moon, then moved again setting it free. The moon grew more golden, though it still came out orange in my camera.

It was a dark and cloudy night.

I tried and tried to get a true color, trying all the white balance options, but though I got one shot that was more black and grey, otherwise they were just shades of orange. Eventually the moon was high and my fingers were cold, so I gave up and went home. Some of the images are nice, but none of them are what I actually saw.

Clouds move in.

So more lessons must be learned, more studying needs to be done. And I need another clear night with a beautiful moon so that I can try it again.

I can’t say the evenings were total failures — after all I got to spend two nights under a beautiful super moon.

Really, I can’t complain.

Goodnight moon.

November 14, 2016
by dawnkinster 16 Comments

Finding color in all the right places

Katie here. So it’s mid-November, the leaves are pretty much gone from the trees and it’s getting cold. I like the cold unless it’s rain. I don’t appreciate my mama making me walk through cold rain to do my business, but I like snow. I don’t know why mama doesn’t. She’s silly, my mama.

Hey mama! Wait up!

Anyway.

We don’t have snow here yet, but I’m having fun anyway. This weekend my mama took me to meet my friend Deuce and his mom Karen and we got to walk in beautiful Bloomer Park!

My friend Deuce and me.

Even though most of the leaves were gone, we still found a ton of color. The down side is that the moms made us pose next to every single leaf. I swear. Every. Single. Leaf.

Are there treats involved in this?

OK. Maybe not every leaf. But a whole lot of them! We got bored!

BORING mama!!

But mostly we had fun! And guess what? We walked two whole miles! That’s a record for me lately.

Do you see me? Isn’t this beautiful?

I’m sort of a one mile kind of princess, you know?

Did you get my good side mama?

I did get sort of tired at the end and my mama worried she was going to have to carry me but I was strong and powered through it.

Never ever underestimate a princess.

Talk later guys!

November 1, 2016
by dawnkinster 30 Comments

When the future is uncertain

Autumn light catches color.

I suppose the future is uncertain for everyone, after all tomorrow is not promised. But when you’re 101 the future is even less certain.

I wonder what that feels like.

We grow up looking forward into forever. When we’re five we can’t wait until we’re 10, excited by those double digits. And then we want to be sixteen so that we can drive a car and eighteen so we can vote, and twenty-one so we can legally celebrate with a beer.

Golden glow tinged with red.

And the future stretches out forever into the horizon.

Then suddenly you’re closing in on one hundred, then a hundred and one, and you’ve outlived most of your siblings, many of your friends. Your only child. And you remember the smallest details about the century just past, the events, the places you’ve lived, the places you’ve left. So many people that are now gone.

Purple focus.

You don’t see so well now, you’re uncertain who is entering your space, and family and friends announce themselves and you smile and nod, glad of the company, the time to talk, to tell some of the stories, some of the things you have stored in your mind.

You know time is passing, that your body is becoming more frail, that a fall will likely cause you to lose the last bits of independence you enjoy now. You’re careful. Still, it is inevitable.

Early morning light shimmers.

And when you fall you hesitate to push the button for help. You know it will mean leaving your home behind, perhaps for the last time. You’ll be leaving all that is familiar and under your control.

You know you’ll no longer be able to make all the decisions, that you’ll have to live somewhere else. Somewhere different and less private with less privileges and fewer friends near.

Lonely.

But you push the button.

And now things are being sorted out and you wish you could go home but that’s probably not an option. And the future looks different than you wished it could be but maybe that doesn’t matter so much anymore.

Maybe you’ll be fine for the time you have left no matter where you end up, as long as your friends and family still come to visit and you all get to tell the stories of the old days and remember the good times.

Standing proud.

Maybe you’ll be fine. Because no mater the length of time allotted your future still stretches into the horizon.

Note: Many of you have read and care about Aunt V. She’s in a rehab center now and things are being sorted out.

She’s being brave, but change is hard.

Pink. A favorite color.

October 17, 2016
by dawnkinster 35 Comments

Walktober

Time to go for a walk!

It was a beautiful Monday morning when I drove to my favorite park, intent on capturing my “Walktober.” Every year I do Robin’s walk, and every year I think I want to do it out at Kensington Metro Park. But this was the first year I actually got out there.

Let’s start out here, shall we?

Have a seat. It was so beautiful that I couldn’t stop capturing images. And then how could I choose only a few? So this is going to get kind of long. You can skim if you want, or take your time and meander along with me.

Whatcha doing lady?

That’s the benefit of heading out on a Walktober….there’s no real definition and you get to do whatever suites you best.

So here we go.

Back in the woods the trees were still mostly green, but there was a bit of red if you looked.

Standing out in all that green.

On the entire walk the sun and I were racing each other; big puffy clouds kept obstructing the light. I’d see an image and get all set up and then the sun would go under a cloud.

So I’d wait.

A touch of sunlight made things glow.

Inevitably the sun would peak out again, though sometimes only for a moment. I had to act fast.

Golden light.

Along the way there was a lot of detail to notice too. Like this fungus on the ends of a tree that had fallen…

Orange woodland ruffles.

…and the first of the bittersweet berries beginning to ripen.

Berries glow.

This is the park where the little birds like to be fed. And even though there are signs not to feed the wildlife it’s hard to resist when they fly down and hover in front of your face hopefully.

What did you bring me lady?

This time I got really lucky. I’ve had chickadees, titmice and woodpeckers land on my hand before, but never a nuthatch. They’ve always hovered around, wanting to get something, but a little too scared. Not today!

I decided to trust you!

At one point I dropped the rest of the seed in my hand onto the path and walked away. The little birds flew in to finish it off. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this guy swoop up to a branch overhead.

Looks like dinner down there!

“Oh no you don’t,” I said. I marched myself right back there and waited until the little birds finished off the seed. Disappointed, Mr. Hawk flew off to find lunch somewhere else. Darned if I was going to present my birds to him for a meal!

A little way further up the path I came upon a clearing.

Inviting place to sit and think.

This land was donated to the park by the estate of George and Virginia Danz in 1997. It was the site of their summer cabin. It’s just beautiful and I sent them up a silent thank you.

It was such a beautiful day for a walk. As I came to intersections on the path I always took the one that sent me further away from the parking lot. I didn’t want to stop!

Pretty no matter which way I went!

The path wandered in and out of the woods, along wetlands, and groves of ceder. The sun poked it’s way into the deep reaches of the woods. The birds sang. I didn’t see anyone else out there until I got back almost to the parking lot.

Enticing me to go further.

It just kept getting better and better.

Red pops.

I’m sure there’s a story about this old farm implement that was sitting way out there. All of this land used to be farm so maybe this was from the original owners. Or maybe it was put there to tell a story. Guess we’ll have to come up with one on our own.

Lost in the woods.

There was something fun no matter where I looked.

You looking at me?

Eventually I had to stop, so I headed back toward the car. Of course there was one last photo…and then another…

More color across the way.

…and when I finally got back to the parking lot these two guys were waiting for me. Silly birds, they’re supposed to be heading south by now.

Is it time to leave already?

But I’m glad I got to see them up close and wish them safe travels.

I had such a wonderful time on this year’s Walktober. Thank you Robin for organizing this every year! You make me get out and take a walk!

Peachy.

And for all of you readers out there, there’s still time for you to go on your own Walktober. Take a walk. Urban. Country. Somewhere in between. Take a few pictures (you don’t have to go overboard like I did!!!) and link to Robin’s blog, or just comment in her blog, and she’ll organize it all at the end. The timeframe is from October 15 through the 23rd, with blog posts due by October 25. But she’ll stretch the timing for you if you need a few more days.

I’d love to see what you see in your worlds as you walk! Share with us!

Golden.

September 25, 2016
by dawnkinster 23 Comments

A walk in the woods

On my last full day ‘up north’ I stopped by the Leelanau State Park hiking trails. I’d spent most of my three day visit near the water, understandable given how much I love Lake Michigan, and I thought I should see what was going on in the forest before I left.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot I realized that I’d been here once before, a few years ago during the winter when we’d all gone cross country skiing on these trails. It looked different now, but not that much different. And walking was so much easier than skiing!

What’s over that hill?

It was a dreary and rainy day when I went into the woods, which only served to intensify the green that was waiting for me to discover. The path was soft and squishy with fallen needles and leaves. The only sounds where the chirps of chipmunks, the cries of bluejays and a slight breeze in the trees.

Hey lady! Stop clomping around in my woods!

Since it had been so damp, days and days of rain and clouds, everything was lush including the mushrooms and toadstools growing on the forest floor. Luckily I had my tripod with me, so I was able to get up close to these little orange guys, even in the low light.

Orange is very in this fall.

It took me a few times to figure out the white balance and the ISO, not to mention the f-stop and shutter speed. But thanks to some advice Heather of Snap Happy Gal gave me the night before I was able to fiddle around and get the shot using manual settings on my camera. The hardest part was getting my knees to unbend and to stand up once I’d been down there for awhile.

It was such a beautiful day, as overcast and dreary as it had been out on the road, it was fresh and green and pleasantly cool in the woods. I appreciated finding these informative signs at each intersection so I didn’t worry about getting lost.

Which way should I go?

I wanted to keep going and going from one marker to the next. I wanted to explore all of it, but it’s pretty big. I guess I’ll have to go back to see more of it the next time I’m up that way.

I sure enjoyed my walk in the woods, watching the ground for beautiful stuff…

Little red guy growing right in the middle of the path. So I couldn’t ignore him.

…and watching the treetops for more beautiful stuff.

Deep in the woods the trees are tall.

And then, surprise, surprise, the sun came out! Suddenly light flooded into the woods, and the trees smiled.

Let there be light!

So did I.

While I was in the woods exploring the sun fought it’s way out from under the clouds and when I emerged from the trees blue sky and puffy white clouds greeted me.

Nothing but blue sky…

Back in the parking lot, sitting in the car drinking some water, I noticed one last beautiful thing. I couldn’t help but get the camera and tripod back out. It reminded me of Lake Michigan which also has a wide range of colors, depending on the light.

Look at all the colors!

It turns out that after my walk in the woods I found one of the prettiest things I had seen that afternoon on a tree standing right next to the parking lot. I guess you never know where you’re going to find something beautiful!

So tell me, what beautiful things have you seen lately?

Good spot to contemplate

September 23, 2016
by dawnkinster 2 Comments

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Two different things

While I am ‘up north’ today I visited the lighthouse at the very tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. I was walking out among the scrub at the edge of Lake Michigan, looking back at the lighthouse when I realized there were two of them.