weather | Change Is Hard

January 20, 2018
by dawnkinster 24 Comments

A day at the park

Katie here! I had the best day yesterday!

You know how I’ve been stuck in this house for a gazillion years? And when I did go out it was so cold that mama made me wear those silly booties? Well, I’ve been telling mama off. Repeatedly.

This is a lot of snow mama!

I’m doing my best to make her life miserable and it must have worked because yesterday mama bundled me into the car really early. I was suspicious at first because we hardly ever go anywhere that early unless it’s to the vet or the groomer or camp.

So I was sitting in my crate in the back of the car being very very quiet(so that she’d forget I was back there and maybe not take me somewhere bad) when I smelled my park! Well! I got all exited and started barking and pawing at my crate. Mama told me to be patient.

Right mama. I’m a sheltie, remember?

It was cold and windy out but mama and I walked around my pond so that I could make sure everything was good there. I hadn’t been to my park in a very long time, and you know how things can get out of hand if you’re not there to supervise.

Checking out my pond at my park in the early morning light.

It turns out things were just fine in my park and I wanted to stay longer but mama said her face was freezing and we had to go back to the car. Halfway back I refused and sat down. After all I am a princess, and this was my park. I wasn’t ready to leave.

So mama sighed and picked me up and carried me to my car. Mama does not play fair.

I was sad thinking that all the fun was over, but no! Mama took me to another park! There was a fenced area and no other doggies in it so mama let me run without my leash! I haven’t run in a very long time!

I don’t know why I have to stand on these things, but if it makes mama happy…

And then mama found a tennis ball! Oh boy my eyes lit up and I told her to throw the ball woman!

Throw it, throw it, throw it mama!!!

I wouldn’t actually pick up the ball, after all who knows what mouth that ball had been in, but I’d chase it and circle it and then run back to mama with a grin and make her go get it and throw it again.

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It was a very very fun game, and we played it for a long time. Then we walked around the park a little bit and I met a new friend. This is Louie. He and I sniffed each other and decided we could be friends. But Louie’s dad was calling him and Mama said it was time to go home and check on stuff.

Louie ignoring his dad.

Stuff? What stuff mama?

Well! When we got home there were trucks in our driveway! And lots of people coming and going! What was going on? I needed to be here to supervise! Let me at em mama!

Mama said we were getting a new furnace and that’s why she and I left so early, so that they could all work without my interference. Interference? Really mama?

Anyway, I got to supervise the last 5 hours of the furnace installation and all the people said I was a very good girl. I watched them go in and out, and I checked things out regularly. It appears they did a very good job, but it wouldn’t have been as good without me there to make sure things were done properly.

I’m watching you guys!

So I didn’t get any of my usual naps in yesterday. I figure that’s the sacrifice I have to make when my family needs me to oversee a project. Today I’m taking the whole day off….wait…what’s that you say mama? That today is going to be the warmest day in weeks? That we shouldn’t waste it inside? That we should maybe go to another park?

Well OKAY then mama! Let’s get moving woman, no time to waste! The princess demands her chariot…um…car…be brought around front for her next adventure.

Talk later people, I’ve got places to go.

Your Katie-girl.

This might be a bit much mama.

January 14, 2018
by dawnkinster 33 Comments

Surprise visitors

It’s been a weather roller coaster here in lower Michigan. We’ve had record breaking cold, with temperatures well below zero (-17.77 C) and lots of blowing snow. Then this week we had one glorious warm day with temps topping 50 (10 C) followed the next day by plummeting temperatures and more snow.

Crazy, but not unusual.

During one of the cold days, in between snow showers, Katie and I ventured out for a walk up the road. I was attempting to get her to hurry up while she looked for pee-mail from all her doggy friends when I heard a chirping from a tall spruce tree nearby. It didn’t sound familiar, so I searched the tree, trying to see what was making the noise.

Much to my amazement a pair of birds shot out of the tree, chased each other over my head, and then disappeared across the street. I wasn’t even sure what I had seen, but they sure looked like bluebirds. I’d heard that sometimes bluebirds overwintered around here, but I’d never seen proof before.

Hmmmm….interesting. But maybe just a fluke. Or maybe I didn’t really see bluebirds at all.

Yesterday afternoon husband glanced out the kitchen window and exclaimed “bluebirds!!” Out on our heated birdbath were two of them, all puffed up against the cold, taking their time while sipping their beverage of choice.

By the time I got the camera there was just one, and I had a dirty window and a screen between me and a clear shot. Still. How could I resist? I only had one shutter click before he flew away, and it was very very underexposed against the brightness of the snow. The original image is just about black.

Artsy

I call this my impressionistic bluebird.

Today we have sunshine, though it’s still very cold. Katie and I were looking out the back window, debating whether to go out and play in the snow when I saw a chunky bird fly toward the house. It swooped in toward the deck, but I couldn’t see where he landed because the blinds were down on that side of the room. Darn! It looked like a very fat bluebird!

I crept around the corner of the room to a door with open blinds. There were three bluebirds sitting on the heated birdbath! Again I had to shoot through the dirty glass and a screen door. And the light was a problem too.

Drink up little guys!

Still, what joy to see bluebirds on this cold winter day!

I sat and watched them drink and chatter to each other for a long time. And then they flew off — looking for lunch I suppose.

Come back anytime!

I guess I’m going to have to figure out what they eat and make sure I have some of that here for them, since obviously they plan on sticking around for awhile at our hot springs bird spa extraordinaire.

May a bluebird of happiness fly into your world this winter weekend, and may you be lucky enough to notice!

Everybody’s welcome here.

Wordless Wednesday

January 10, 2018 by dawnkinster 8 Comments

January 6, 2018
by dawnkinster 36 Comments

Katie’s fashion statement

The latest style in boots.

Katie here.

My mama travels too much and she hardly ever takes me! Doesn’t she know it’s all about me? I try to remind her every single waking moment (and some that aren’t waking!) of every single day.

My mama is not listening to me.

Why, she was gone (without me!) almost the whole month of December! She was gone for Christmas! And she slept through New Years Eve. I tell you, mama is no fun.

So now that she’s home she says it’s too cold to go out and have an adventure. She says maybe we’ll go tomorrow.

I don’t even know what a tomorrow is.

But one thing my mama did do for me this week was take me to a store and buy me boots! I was so excited to be out doing something that I wiggle-butted all over the store and could hardly stand still when she asked me to stand on the measure my foot thingy.

I’ll model my new boots for you.

Good thing I’ve had like over ten years of school because I finally realized she was saying “KATIE! Stand stay!!” So I did, and we picked out the perfect sized boots for me.

But then she put them on me! OH DOG! That was an ordeal! The first time she had some upside down and she didn’t make the velcro tight enough and I took two high kicking steps and threw them right off of my feet.

Then I stood and looked at her and dared her to try again.

Mama went and sat down to think about things. And she went online and asked a bunch of you guys for advice. Good thing too because sometimes mama doesn’t think things through very well on her own.

Anyway, the next time she tried to put those boots on she had my dad help. One of them held me and the other put the boots on and cinched them up real tight.

I did not like the boots! I walked around trying to kick them off. Mama and daddy laughed at me. I was humiliated. I put my head down and tried to look miserable but then daddy asked if I wanted to go outside.

OUTSIDE??

Well of course I wanted to go outside! I love outside! I love the cold! I love the snow! I love everything about outside!

I’ll wait for you up here mama.

So we went out and I forgot all about the silly boots and I pranced down to the mailbox with my dad. I was so happy! Then we went to my pee room (daddy shovels out a special place for me to do my business because the snow is too deep right now.) and I did my stuff pretty fast and then I pranced inside and mama helped me get the boots off and everybody was happy and I got a treat!

HA!

Now I have this whole boot thing figured out. Sometimes I forget that I like them, and I do a back foot high kick right at first but most of the time I let mama or daddy put them on with no objection and I wait patiently by the door, all four boots locked and loaded, while they put on their coats and hats and gloves and boots. It takes them a lot longer to get ready than it takes me. Mama and daddy are super slow.

So now I think we should be able to go for an adventure, right? But mama says it’s still too cold to be outside very long. I have to agree. This morning she filled the birdfeeder and I waited for her on the deck. She took forever and I finally went back to the door and barked to be let in.

Did I tell you that mama’s super slow? Sigh.

She says maybe tomorrow we’ll go to the park. I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

Stay warm everybody. And if your toes are cold have your mama take you to a store to buy you some boots! I’m sure you’ll look as stylish as I do!

Talk later….your fashionista girl Katie.

Standing on the deck is not all that exciting mama!

December 29, 2017
by dawnkinster 20 Comments

Chilly Tourist

Thursday the snow slowed a bit and someone plowed the driveway. I took the opportunity to go to town with groceries and visiting in mind.

But before I got to town I had to stop and grab this barn with the dark clouds.

There’s a storm brewing over there.

And this orchard with the rope of clouds above it.

Striking clouds that morning.

Once in town I stopped by Dog Ears Bookstore to visit with owner Sarah and her person Pamela.

Queen of all she surveys.

We chatted for awhile and then I got brave and drove eleven miles over curving hilly snow covered roads to Leland where I spent a few bone chilling minutes wandering historic Fishtown

Cold and lonely.

I don’t know what the temperature was, but with the wind blowing I know it was below zero.

Snowy fish.

I’d see something interesting, take off the gloves, shoot the image, and put those gloves back on while stowing the camera under my coat as fast as I could.

Icy cold.

I didn’t stay very long. This town is definitely a tourist destination, though there were plenty of locals out and about. They didn’t seem that cold.

Crazy cold.

Along the way home I saw a few interesting things that made me pull over and attempt a capture.

The snow is starting back up again.

I was only out there a couple of hours, but by the time I got back to the house I was glad to look at the view from the sofa.

There’s a lot of color out there.

And I was grateful for the little lap warmer named Lydia too.

Pet me!

December 28, 2017
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

Every day is different

Sometime in the middle of the night I woke to the absence of sound. I smiled as I realized that the wind had died down and the lake had stopped it’s incessant pounding. The quiet lulled me back to sleep.

This morning the bands of lake effect snow drift across the lake toward the house. I watch them like I used to watch rain on the lake where I grew up. The snow dances like fog out along the horizon and then moves closer until my entire view is obscured. And then, just as quickly it is gone.

More snow on the way.

Yesterday ice began to push against the shore. Today there is an even wider band of ice on the beach, and large pies of ice floating free in the slow rocking waves further out.

Cold.

And, today, in between bands of snow I spotted my first freighter headed north.

See that ship out there?

For a brief moment the snow abated and the colors of the lake, though muted, began to glow.

Catch the light when you can.

And then the snow closed in again, the vignette disappeared, and I headed back up to the house.

Another day of beautiful blues.

Wordless Wednesday

December 27, 2017 by dawnkinster 4 Comments

December 26, 2017
by dawnkinster 19 Comments

Day two on the shore of my favorite Lake

This morning, the day after Christmas, started out just like yesterday ended; blowing snow and roaring wind and waves. I was somewhat discouraged to face another full day inside. Still….the lake was beautiful, though often obscured by bands of incoming snow.

Not a good morning to lounge on the deck.

I began a new book. Checked social media. Checked the fridge. Filled the cat bowl with fresh food and water. Took a nap. Watched some cooking shows on PBS, and then learned how to paint a happy little tree with Bob Ross. By early afternoon the wind had died down a tiny bit and I pulled on the coat, hat, boots, gloves and grabbed the camera to go down to the lake and see what was what.

Each little weed is covered in ice and pressed snow.

For all the blowing and noise of the night there really was very little snow left on the dune. But each little stem of the dune grasses was coated in a hard covering of ice and snow.

And the rope, which would be used to help me climb back up the dune looked permanently frozen, but beautiful.

Not so helpful now.

The wind really hadn’t died down very much after all, I was just out in between snow bands. It was frigid, (only 7 degrees F, -13 C) so cold I couldn’t really see through my view finder, especially squatted down low to see those little ice clad weeds. The horizons on those shots were almost 45 degrees! Good thing I found the straightening tool in Lightroom!

I only lasted outside for a total of 7 minutes. And I didn’t risk climbing down the dune to the water. But I got outside and I feel much better for having tried. I might even attempt a drive to town. But probably not, as that would entail removing ice from the car windshield. Tomorrow might be a better day for that adventure.

So, until I get out to find something new to capture, stay warm everybody!

Cold.

December 25, 2017
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

Practicing on the lake

The lakes expands up over the beach.

I’m sitting in a warm living room, way up north, on the shores of Lake Michigan. I’m devoting Christmas Day to reading and napping and occasionally running down the forty-something steps in an attempt to capture the magnificent lake in all it’s windy, turquoise and frothy white splendor.

The colors are wonderful. In between bands of snow I try to capture the sound of the roar and sight of the tossing waves and the feel of ice pelting my face.

The sun came out for a brief moment.

I only take a few shots before my fingers are too cold to work and my ears feel like they might fall off. Still, it’s enough to use in my processing practice.

I’m still learning. But truly the lake really is this magnificent turquoise color, and the clouds really were navy.

The waves are bigger than they look.

Since this morning the snow has moved in and though the lake is still it’s beautiful greenish blue, the sky has turned an uninteresting shade of slate grey. They say it’s 9 degrees (-12.77 C) here, and that’s not accounting for the wind chill.

The wind is roaring in off the lake, the sound is deafening outside and noticeable even sitting on the sofa, the huge waves pounding the shore are mesmerizing. I’m glad I’m inside and I doubt I’ll be out again any time soon. So I’ll sit and listen to holiday music while figuring out more about Lightroom.