A couple of days ago I saw on facebook that Betsy Ratsch, from Betsy Ratsch Pottery, had commented on the amazing crabapple blooms in Ada Park on Buttrick. I decided to blast on over there and see what all the commotion was about and was sure glad I did. First off, there was this wonderful crabapple perfume permeating the park, topped off by beautiful blooming trees everywhere.
As I was leaving this dude with a guitar walked by and told me that he comes there just before sunset because the light is so pretty and “it beats playing at home.” Well played sir, well played.
Even thought I HATE crawling out of bed early in the morning, once I’m up, I’m always glad I made the effort. The morning I took this photo is a perfect example of why. The only thing that would have made the picture better is if I had been the person running down the road and getting some exercise.
This is a typical Michigan fall morning, but I just happened to take it on the backroads in Ada, Michigan.
So, can you guess where I took this photo? I gave you a huge hint when I said it was a favorite place… I took this on a walking trail at the Frederik Meijer Gardens with my friend Patti. The Frederik Meijer Gardens is a great place for walks, it’s scenic, smells nice and just plain makes you feel good.
One thing though, you might forget the time so make sure you leave before they close. We totally blew the closing time and would have been locked in if it hadn’t been for a wedding there.
If you drive around the Leelanau Peninsula for any length of time, you’ll happen upon historic looking little places that make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. I have no idea what is at the end of this trail. I do know that I think this is cool. I want an arch like this over my driveway!
It’s private property and I really wanted to go back there, I’m imagining some big old haunted mansion, what do you think?
Fall colors have peaked, this was taken on the new bike path in Ada on Bailey Drive.
Autumn leaves have turned to the most brilliant colors I have seen in at least 10 years. I’ve heard from reliable sources that the fall foilage is just as spectacular up north and throughout the state. One of my favorite things about this time of year is the incredible fall colors in Michigan due to all of the trees we have here. Although I took this HDR photo in Ada on the new bike trail on Bailey, you can travel just about anywhere right now in Michigan and hit the fall color at its peak.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens will be a venue for ArtPrize this year. Artprize starts September 22 at 6PM. I’m planning on going to downtown Grand Rapids to start scoping out the work that is already up (by the way, this sculpture is not an ArtPrize entry.
Wow! What a summer this has been. Other than a few days that were over the top hot, I can’t remember a more beautiful or fun summer. I took this while visiting my son Paul and his family on a camping outing at Big Wabasis Lake. It’s quite a nice place to visit, especially if you love camping. Here’s some helpful links:
In addition to camping, you’ll find a boat launch, enclosed shelter, baseball diamonds, fishing, hiking/walking, picnicking, a playground, swimming, a bathhouse, basketball, restrooms and a springhouse (which is VERY cool).
I took this photo driving through farmland in the Belmont, Michigan area. For those who think of Michigan as a washed up rust belt state, think again. The majority of the state sports lush farmland, lakes ripe for fishing and trees everywhere.
I just got back from visiting gorgeous Steamboat Springs. While I love the mountains and big, huge sky, I missed the variety of trees and “green” that Michigan offers.
Now for the favor… my son Paul is getting married on August 21. He’s having trouble finding a rustic cabin or cottage in the Upper Peninsula to rent from August 23 – August 30. Any suggestions or places you know of with availabilities? If so, could you please make a comment about it? I would greatly appreciate it!
A couple of weeks ago my new iPhone4 came in and I decided to get it in spite of the reception problems. Truth be told, I have been using Mac products for my entire career and have yet to be disappointed with the company. I LOVE the iPhone4, it is a huge upgrade from the original iPhone, which is what I had. Here’s why:
– The optics are amazing, result, everything is easier to read and a joy to look at.
– I love the movie camera on the phone, it takes great video and is so convenient. I won’t be dragging around my movie camera any more.
– The still camera. Okay, it’s not as good as my SLR, but for crying out loud, it takes great photos and again, it’s convenient.
– All the apps. The scope of truly helpful apps that are free or just $1.99 boggle my mind. Everything from making expense reports easier, to tracking my workout program.
I just thought you might find it interesting that I took this photo with my iPhone. After taking it, I processed it with Topaz Labs software.
About the photo… more and more Michigan residents are raising chickens in their backyard. That would include my friend Ruth, these are her “Chickapees.” They follow her around everywhere and are so cute, she even tolerates them tearing up her amazing flower gardens (at least until recently!) Grand Rapids is considering and ordinance to allow homeowners to keep up to 5 chickens in their backyards. A similar ordinance has been effect in Ann Arbor since 2008. I love visiting her and watching her chickens, they make me laugh.
Kalamazoo is the home to lots of special places and Milham Park is way up there on the list. My friend Jill told me about historic Milham Park and I’m sure glad she did. It’s 49 acres of creeks, stone bridges and hedges, geese, paths and just a serene, beautiful place.
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