weather | Change Is Hard

May 12, 2016
by dawnkinster 13 Comments

Baltimore…and a bit of sweetness

I was in Baltimore a few years ago for a truck safety event, but I never left the hotel. This visit was different. We began at Fort McHenry, which has been active in some fashion for every war, but is most notable for it’s involvement in the war of 1812.

Fort McHenry.

It’s also known as the fort that flew the flag that inspired the writing of our national anthem. In 1813 General George Armistead requested a “flag so large that the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance.”

The back of the barracks.

Mary Pickersgill sewed a flag 25 feet by 17 feet, and it was flown the day after a British bombardment, to show that the Americans’ still held the fort. Francis Scott Key saw the flag and was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner as the national anthem.

She sewed the famous flag.

We walked along the waterfront below the fort, the sky turning grey with the promised rain. Still, it was a beautiful morning.

Tourists sailing on the river.

Just down the hill a tall ship was moored. The Pride of Baltimore II was getting ready for a summer voyage up the coast and through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Great Lakes! She’ll be in Lake Huron sometime this summer.

Pride of Baltimore II getting ready to sail the Great Lakes!

We hope to see her near Bay City later this year.

It began to rain as we headed into the city of Baltimore. Wandering the inner harbor area we enjoyed all the shops and sights through a slow drizzle.

Vibrant Inner Harbor; books, bars, boats and more.

The USS Constellation is in the harbor and you can take a tour. It’s under renovation at the moment, and we didn’t take the tour as there was many other things to do. But it’s a beautiful ship.

A piece of history waiting to be explored.

There are a number of towers dominating the Baltimore skyline. Though it was beginning to rain harder we decided to climb several blocks up to the top of the hill to figure out what this tower was.

What is that up there?

Turns out it is the Bromo-Seltzer tower, built by a man named Emerson as an advertisement for his product. In fact originally this tower had a huge Bromo bottle on top!

Bromo-Seltzer?!

Apparently he saw a similar tower in Florence Italy, called his architect and said he wanted something similar, but instead of one clock like the Florence tower he wanted four clocks, and he wanted them to be larger than the clocks in Big Ben in London. No ego there!

An artist rending of what the tower used to look like.

As we were standing outside the building looking up at it in what was becoming a downpour a man opened the door and invited us in out of the rain. He explained that the tower is now being used as artists’ studios, and he was the curator. Though it wasn’t officially open he took us up to the 15th floor in an old manual elevator…

A Bromo collection.

…where there was a Bromo-Seltzer exhibit. And then we were allowed to walk down the 15 flights of stairs where the artists in residence were displaying their work. It was a fun example of the interesting things you might find if you just follow your curiosity.

It was raining harder on our walk back down to the harbor and the car. We noticed another interesting tower of sorts but decided it really was time to get out of the rain.

More interesting architecture.

After our tour of some of downtown Baltimore we headed out of town to visit a friend and his lovely family. I’ll share two of them with you. Griff….

I’m not sure about you yet lady!

..and Scout

All I want to do is PLAY lady!

Our friend has human family members as well. But…you know me and dogs. And I bet you think that the dogs were the sweet part of this post didn’t you. Well. They were sweet.

But this morning we stopped by Hershey Pennsylvania and took a little tour. We learned all about Hershey candy from a sweet little friend…

How do they make all that chocolate?

…and we shopped in the largest candy store in the world. It was almost as though sensible eating for months was thrown out the window. There was so much stuff! And suddenly I wanted it all.

Lots and lots and lots of candy.

But we were good and walked out of there with only $12 spent. It’s still more chocolate than I’ve had anywhere near me in a very long time. In fact tonight it’s out in the car so that I don’t eat it all at one sitting.

It’s calling my name. But it’s not going to win. Yet. I don’t think.

Tomorrow is a new adventure as we work our way home. It’s pretty here in Pennsylvania’s mountains. I don’t know where we’ll be, but I’ll share it with you after we get there.

Susquehanna River.

And of course…there’s still Williamsburg.

It was a little damp downtown.

April 11, 2016
by dawnkinster 13 Comments

Looking for fog

After days and days of cold littered with snow we woke this morning to more temperate weather. With the snow rapidly melting the warm air was tinged with fog. As the sun rose I headed over to the closest park to see what might be interesting. I actually caught this out of the corner of my eye as I was driving to the back of the park, and just had to turn around at the golf course and come back. (Click on any photo to make it bigger and see more detail.)

Mysterious

The fog was disappearing and by the time I got up to the parking lot and began the long walk down the hill toward the woods it was gone. So I began to look for other interesting things.

A flock of seven sandhill cranes flew by, oddly silent. It’s rare that I’ve seen them when they weren’t making a lot of noise as they fly. But this was pretty early in the morning. Maybe they hadn’t had coffee yet.

Incoming!

I liked the fact that the red twig dogwood bushes were very very red even under the dull cloudy sky. And that the fog, now droplets, was beautiful tucked among the bright twigs.

Color bursting out all over

And there was something else bright red flitting through the forest. Some people believe a cardinal in your path is a loved one’s spirit come to visit. I see so many cardinals that I don’t think they can all be my long gone loved ones, but this one was all alone, so maybe.

Just stopped by to say hello

Then there was this bird. It was sitting quite far away, and the morning light interfered with my sight. Or maybe I’m just getting older. Anyway, I don’t know what this bird is, so I took a shot blindly and then cropped it a whole lot hoping one of you will know. We have killdeer out at this park…could it be one of those? It was making quite a racket out by the road, but not making the typical killdeer kind of song.

Who am I?

I don’t remember killdeer having yellow on them either…so…what do you think it is?

Of course the red winged blackbirds are everywhere. At home they are eating me out of bags and bags of sunflower oilers. They are starving! But so are all the other birds, so I keep putting it out for them. At the park they are establishing their territories and this guy was not excited about me walking by on the path.

No crossing into MY territory!

He fluffed up to get his picture taken though. Show off.

The pack of sandhill cranes flew back over, something must have startled them from their breakfast on the golf course. One of them still has legs hanging low. I wonder if he flies that way all the time?

We all have our own flying style lady. Get over it.

And then the sun came out! It lit up the hill I was climbing as I headed back to the car. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of one of my favorite trees.

Splendidly alone

Someone going the other way asked me if I had gotten any good pictures. I shrugged, wagged my hand back and forth. Nothing special I replied.

On my drive home I stopped at a hilly field, the home of a crabapple tree that used to grace a farmhouse yard. I’ve always admired the way the tree and the hill share the space, always meant to grab a photo. Today was the day.

Little tree, big sky

I don’t know what it is about this tree, sitting alone in an empty field. I just like it.

So…did I get any good pictures this morning? Oh yea. Every morning that I get to spend outside with my camera is a good morning. Fog, no fog. Sun, no sun. There’s always something special to find. And to make the day even better, when I got home Katie demanded equal time and we headed out to her park.

I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it soon.

Pay attention mama!

April 7, 2016
by dawnkinster 8 Comments

Springtime in Southeast Michigan

Sigh…

April 5, 2016
by dawnkinster 31 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge: Landscape

The landscape in Southern Michigan in early April can look like anything. You never know. Could be snow. Could be sunshine. Could be both on the same day.

Yellow willow, red twig dogwood., blue sky. Perfect.

Yellow willow, brown reeds, red twig dogwood., blue water and sky. Perfect.

But here is what I found out at my favorite park today. It was cold, but the sun was shining and that made it a great day.

What does your landscape look like? Care to share? Post a shot and link it up to the original WordPress post. We’d love to see!

You can see other interpretations there as well. Or if you’re strapped for time, here are some of my favorites, each very different, ….here, here and here.

And let’s hope there’s no more snow in our forecast. I think we’re pretty much done with winter now if Mother Nature would just cooperate.

April 2, 2016
by dawnkinster 16 Comments

Morning in DC

Sunrise on the Hill.

Part two of the cherry blossom saga. Easter weekend was my first visit to DC during cherry blossom time. Sunday I explored, along with thousands of others, the beautiful tidal basin ringed with cherry trees showing off their blossoms. Monday was spent at meetings, but Tuesday morning I had a couple of hours before my flight. So I got up before dawn and rode the metro back to the Hill.

It was an entirely different experience.

For one, the sun came up and lit the western edge of the basin with a rosy glow that complimented the pink and white cherry blossoms. And for another, there were far fewer people out there. Most of them were joggers like me, or photographers also like me, though many of them had fancy equipment. I was carrying my trusty point and shoot, the better to get runs in between stops for photos.

Jefferson glowing way over there.

The first bit of sun tinged the top of the Jefferson Monument pink, and though it was beautiful I was still two very busy streets away. Still, I got a bit of it as I zoomed in as far as my little camera would go.

As I got closer to the tidal basin the sun was beginning to focus on the cherry trees themselves. Pretty breathtaking.

Morning light and cherry blossoms.

I could have spent hours just meandering beneath the beautiful trees…

The trees were art.

…but I had limited time. So I headed over to the Martin Luther King monument, just around the corner. I took a few shots of him framed in cherry blossoms, but I liked this version best.

Contemplation in morning light.

No blossoms, but a strong look for a strong man.

Then I checked my watch and realized I had time to visit President Lincoln if I ran. So I did. It was a great run, along the reflecting pool up to the Lincoln Monument. Could I make it up those steps at a run?

You can do it!

Why yes I could. And there was hardly anyone there, so I got a moment alone with the President. He was warmed by the morning sun, glad to see a new day. Me too.

Good morning Mr. President.

And because I was so close, I jogged over to the Vietnam wall. There were lots of veterans there. I learned later that it was Vietnam Veterans Day, and I had just missed the ceremony.

Reflection.

I didn’t jog past the wall, instead taking my time to walk it, reading a few names from each panel. So many names. So many families. Heartbreaking.

But time was slipping away. So I headed back, moving more quickly, probably my longest run. And it felt uphill at that, though I don’t suppose it was.

A long way back.

A good place to stop and catch my breath was the WWII memorial. I walked through a part of it, paid my respects and kept going.

Peacefully empty.

WW II, Washington Monument and Flag in morning light.

Heading back over the Washington Monument hill I saw lines of people already forming for the attraction. The sun was fully up. It was time to give the city back to the tourists and be on my way.

I didn’t want to leave.

I had experienced some pretty special moments during my early morning run. Not something I’ll be able to do again soon. Spending a couple days in the Nation’s Capitol turned out to be a gift.

With one last look over my shoulder I jogged toward the metro station and my flight home.

Until next time.

Bye Washington DC. I had a great time. See you soon.

I have no idea why Ronald was out so early.

April 1, 2016
by dawnkinster 13 Comments

It’s cherry festival time!

Close up and personal.

No, not in Michigan, that’s still a few months away. But down in DC? Well, it’s prime cherry blossom viewing down there! And I was lucky enough to have a meeting scheduled there, so in between commitments I went up to Capitol Hill and became a tourist.

It was glorious.

I’d never been in DC during cherry blossom time, so I didn’t know what to expect. I flew in on Easter afternoon, changed into running clothes and figured I’d jog a bit on the Mall, take a few pictures of cherry blossoms, just enjoy some alone time.

Pretty in pink.

I was so naive! When I came up out of the metro (subway) and made it over to the mall I was confronted with a few hundred gazillion tourists, all strolling along. It was like being at the start of a race, when you’re all jammed together and walking (slowly) toward the start line. Except there was never any start line…the crowd just kept meandering along.

Not going to be running here.

So, no running on the Mall that afternoon! What was I thinking? But the cherry blossoms were stunning! The trees glowed under their own power without benefit of the sun.

Crowds enjoy the blossoms.

I moved with the crowd from the Washington Monument where white cherry trees provided a heavenly canopy for people picnicking….

My favorite image from Easter afternoon.

…toward the Jefferson Monument on the tidal basin, surrounded by white and pink trees.

Jefferson Monument surrounded by beauty.

The water was filled with people in paddle boats having fun. The shore was crowded with people taking pictures of people in paddle boats, pictures of trees, pictures of blossoms, pictures of each other, pictures of Jefferson’s monument.

There were long lines to rent the boats.

It was so much fun, even though I was cold. I had dressed to be running and I was decidedly not running. But I didn’t care. It was so just much fun! Eventually I got all the way over to the Jefferson Monument….

Headed up the steps.

…and noticed how pretty the Washington Monument was, across the basin, ringed with cherry trees.

Washington watches over the crowds.

The short trek between the two had taken over an hour, and it was getting dark, so I took some side streets back to the metro. I even ran a few blocks, just to say I did.

I will put together one more blog about the sights on the Mall. Tuesday, before my flight, I got up early and headed back to see the sun rising over the cherry trees. You won’t want to miss it.

I couldn’t stop grinning the whole morning.

Found a few seconds of solitude at Jefferson’s.

February 28, 2016
by dawnkinster 27 Comments

WordPress Photo Challenge: State of Mind

Last week we were running through the park in shorts.

But this is Michigan, so this week is different. Can you guess what my state of mind was when I snapped this?

The weather outside is frightful.

You would be correct.

For other interpretations of ‘state of mind’ check the link. Or visit a few of my favorites (so far) here, here and here.

Seems obvious to me that the ground hog lied back at the beginning of this month.

Pretty though

February 19, 2016
by dawnkinster 21 Comments

Cee’s black and white photo challenge: Weather

It’s a long time till summer picnics.

The weather lately has been vacillating between cold snow and warm rain. Sometimes it all collides and we get this.

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!

December 24, 2015
by dawnkinster 5 Comments

Fury on the big lake

It started last night, the high winds TV weather people had been warning us about. Two in the morning the roar woke me from a deep sleep. High on a bluff above Lake Michigan, tucked warmly into bed, I heard the wind. Or was it the waves. The cat jumped off the bed and streaked away. And then the power went out.

Prime viewing seats.

People say a tornado or a hurricane sounds like a freight train. In the dark, listening intently I could almost hear the train whistle come and go, overshadowed by the intense roar of wind and water. In the dark, not being able to see the lake, all I could do was feel it.

The vibration of the waves pounding the shore hundreds of yards away came from deep in the earth, up through the bluff, through the house footings, through the floors and up into the legs of the bed frame, through the deep mattress and into my bones.

Yesterday I walked this beach now under water.

The house sighed. I lay still. Listening. Waiting. Planning where I’d go if I had to. Considering how to find the cat in her hidden safe place.

I toured the house with a flashlight, checking windows, doors. Listening to things hit the roof, scratch the windows. Calling the cat who remained hidden. Eventually I went back to bed.

The power came back on after an hour and a half. Welcome lamp light made the roar not so ominous. Still, the lake was completely dark and sounded angry. I toured the house again, turning on lights, checking, checking. Looking for the illusive cat.

Remembering cats of years ago I pulled out her food container, shook it and called her name as I wandered. Suddenly, out of the shadows, she raced toward me calling back loudly. Silly girl. She got a tidbit or two and then we both retreated to the warm bed, doors closed against the fury of the lake.

I fell asleep to the sound and feeling of nature running wild, still wearing my glasses, cat purring on my chest. We woke an hour later to find daylight beginning to reveal the lake in all it’s mesmerizing beauty. I ventured outside but it is impossible to catch the feeling of it in still photos, the winds so strong I could barely stand upright on the lower bluff, shielding the camera from the sandblast with my body.

As the morning progresses the light changes. The water turns turquoise and navy and brilliant white. The air is clear and the island at the horizon is visible.

Under dark clouds the air has been swept clean. See the island?

I glance out and see a bit of sun; careening down some of the 42 stairs to the beach I catch a brief moment when the sun slips from behind racing clouds and tips a few white caps with brilliant joy.

Fleeting light.

I don’t even care that I ran out without a coat, that the wind is bitter, the sound overwhelming, the moment brief.

I just know I am blessed to be here.

Turquoise.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: weather