Landscapes & Seascapes

Snow On The Two-Track

This was taken near my home one day on my walk. There is a single house at the end of the two-track. (2014)

Road Through The Wildlife Refuge

Seney National Wildlife Refuge is located in Michigan's upper peninsula and is rarely crowded. The one-way loop road is easy to follow and can be driven in 1-10 hours, depending on your interest. On your maps, you will find it located on Rt#77, north of Blaney Park. (2012)

Resting In The Fog At Dawn

We were in the nearby city of Petoskey, Michigan, early one foggy morning before sunrise and caught these boats resting off the beach. The body of water is Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay. (2015)

A Trail Under The Spanish Moss

This photograph was taken on Shady Oak Trail at Circle B Bar Reserve, a wetland reserve near Lakeland, Florida. The birds, wildlife, and user-friendly trails through the Spanish Moss laden trees make this, for me, the #1 attraction in the State of Florida . . . and it is FREE. (2013)

Summer Afternoon In Petoskey

The sun will not set for another hour or two. This scene is repeated day after day during the summer months on Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey, Michigan. Local teenagers use the breakwater as a diving platform to swim in the lake. (2014)

Bridge Over the Big Carp River

Looking down from an observation area high above, the bottom portion of the Lake of the Clouds is seen here as the Big Carp River begins its final journey to Lake Superior in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park near Ontonagon, Michigan, in Michigan's upper peninsula. The bridge crossing the river in the center of the picture is part of one of the park's trails. This park receives many fewer visitors than many State Parks because of its remoteness. (2014)

Fall At Black River

The Pines On My Walk

Part of my neighborhood . . . (2012)

View From My Kitchen Window

As I was getting a glass of water one morning, I glanced out the kitchen window to the woods in my back yard. The sun was coming directly at me through the light morning fog and creating a few God-rays. The overnight frost was beginning to melt and there were water droplets here and there on the tree branches. I called my wife over to share the view with her. She suggested I take this photo.

Evening At The Mackinac Bridge

Throughout the summer months, a few visitors will be found watching the sunset at the Mackinac Bridge at northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula. The bridge connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas and divides Lake Huron from Lake Michigan. The Bridge is 5 miles long and is the chief navigational aid for the large ships negotiating the Straits of Mackinac.

Early Morning Fog

Immediately after arriving on Mackinac Island on this morning, I strolled the harbor area and was fortunate to come across this scene of the three neatly anchored sailboats. (2013)

Dried Flowers Along The Trail

Out hiking at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park in California, I happened upon this scene. Often when we hike, we put one foot in front of the other and sometimes neglect to see what is in front of us. Once I recognized I had a special scene with the trail, fence, flowers, etc., then I thought 'Framing, framing, get the framing right.'

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

These visitors to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park near Ontonagon, Michigan, are enjoying one of the overlooks at the Lake Of The Clouds area. The many hiking trails and waterfalls in this park make it one of our favorite spots to visit. The park is located in Michigan's upper peninsula and, because of its remoteness, is never overrun by visitors. (2014)

Yosemite Valley

One of the most photographed locations in Yosemite National Park is Yosemite Valley. On the left you see El Capitan, while Bridalveil Falls is on the right with its rainbow, and Half Dome can be seen in the far distance under the clouds. By the way, Bridalveil Falls plummets 620 feet (180m). The trees in the Valley hide all the activity by the visitors. Yosemite Valley is seven miles long, less that 1% of the Park, but hosts the overwhelming majority of visitors. This image was taken from Tunnel View, a parking lot where you will see carloads, truckloads, and busloads of visitors. Be careful not to be run over in the parking lot. (2014)

Soft Ripples On Crooked River

This scene near my home is one I pass by daily. Its ever-changing look throughout the year is usually taken for granted by us local folk, but sometimes I must stop for a photo. (2017)

November Sunset On Crooked River

The late afternoon sun at my back brought out the brown and rusty colors of November along a local river and its boathouses. The reflections on the water were the icing on the cake. This photo was taken a bit later in the day that the previous one in this photostream (but two years earlier). (2015)

El Capitan Overlooking The Merced River

The Merced River can be so peaceful-looking in some areas like this one, while at other locations it runs violently over boulders and rocks. From the point of view in this picture, you will get a feeling of peacefulness as you look down the Valley past El Capitan on the left. (2014)

Birch Trees On Walden Pond

Along the edge of Walden Pond in Wolverine, Michigan, many birch trees grow. Here in November the leaves are gone from the birches but tamarack trees and evergreens in the background continue to provide a bit of color. (2016)

Clouds Over Tuolumne Meadows

If you visit Yosemite National Park, make an effort to spend at least a day at Tuolumne Meadows. It takes some time to drive from the Valley up to the higher elevations but it is well worth it. When planning my trip, I thought of Tuolumne Meadows as a vague sort of area. We had no idea what to expect. But, wow, how we loved it. We stopped frequently to park our vehicle and check out one sight or another. This particular image was a roadside view. We often find ourselves at these great locations at midday . . . we never waste time waiting for sunset at a location like this. I do not know the name of the river/creek in this picture. (2014)

River In Wyoming

(2015)

Island Of Birch Trees

There is a pond in Wolverine, Michigan, called Walden Pond. This island of birch trees sits in the center of the pond. (2016)

The Tree In The Hayfield

This huge tree at a local farm stands out as you drive past it . . . (2013)

Great Lakes National Cemetery

Clouds remain from a heavy ice storm that had passed through the area a day or two earlier. Trees, wreathes, and stone markers continue to be coated in ice. We make frequent visits to the grave site of my wife's father and mother where they are buried amongst warriors. We plan to join them at this cemetery at our time. (2013)

Boats Racing On The Crooked River

There seem to be so many grand subjects around my neighborhood. This is boats racing on the Crooked River, Alanson, Michigan, USA. These races are sponsored by the Top O'Michigan Outboard Racing Club (tomorc.com) and take place in August. As we drove along M-68 in northwestern Michigan, we drove over a bridge and saw all the people lining the bridge and the boats roaring past. We parked and went back for this view. The midday colors were so vibrant and matched the action . . . (2012)

At Home On Crooked Lake

Driving home from town one evening, I stopped to get this calm lake scene. (2014)

Roadside View in Wyoming

(2015)

Storm Approaching The Everglades

The field in front of us was bathed in sunlight as we watched the approaching storm clouds while visiting The Everglades National Park. (2015)

Hurricane River Flowing Into Lake Gitche Gumee

Glitch Gumee is what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called Lake Superior in his "The Song of Hiawatha". Here, the Hurricane River can be seen flowing over the beach where it has created its riverbed in the sand over the centuries. Lake Superior contains more water that all the other Great Lakes combined and, if its water was spread over North and South America it would be one-foot deep. If spread over the lower-48-states, it would be 8 feet deep. This river and beach are located in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan's upper peninsula, near the City of Munising. (2012)