Tahquamenon Falls Riverbank

Tahquamenon Falls offers idyllic winter scenery to the hardy tourist who braves the elements to capture the beauty of this wondrous Michigan setting. The snow draped forest bends into beautiful shapes and spurs the imagination. This shot was taken from the outlook at the Upper Falls. I have taken many shots which will always stay in my heart.

Jeff and I will head back soon to snowshoe to the Lower Falls. No trail has been cleared like to the Upper Falls, although the park has been plowed. Everywhere we look we are captivated by the beauty of this area tucked inside the Lake Superior State Forest. Is it time to travel now!!!

Have I told you lately how much I looooove living in Michigan!!! It takes awhile to grow thick skin when the temps dip to zero or below, but there are winter days when the sun warms my face and the deep blue sky appears once more. Those are the days I revel in the time when Michigan is farther from the sun.

Have a super day, dear friends. :D

Hugs, JJ

Tahquamenon Falls Ski Trail

This inviting Giant Pines Cross Country Ski Trail (3.5 miles) greeted Jeff and I at Tahquamenon Falls and made us yearn for replacing our ski boots which have disintegrated over the years. They are the old fashioned kind of boot and we aren't sure anyone carries that style anymore. But we would have loved to follow the fluffy snow trail for more adventure at the falls. There's nothing like hearing your skis skim the snow as you traverse a forest rimmed trail with the wind numbing your face and excitement tingling through you. We might have to break down and buy new ski packages. LOL The temptation may be too much for us.

Our visit to the winter falls was breathtaking and I wish we were back there now. :D Not as many people visit the winter falls and they miss out on the magnificent beauty. But the conditions do become icy and it is harder to make your way to them. My grandmother always told me to travel when I was young and not to wait until arthritis set in because then travel becomes tedious. I do have arthritis already so Jeff and I should get movin'. :D

Have a super day!!!

Hugs, JJ

Embracing the Snow and Ice

If you can't beat the snow and cold, start having fun in it. That's our January motto. In the first photo you see me draped across the Lake Huron ice with my fingers tingling and my face bright red from the brutal winds sweeping across the arctic landscape. I thought we were in the Arctic. LOL There are fascinating ice formations along the shoreline that you can see from the highway and Jeff and I had fun exploring them. We made sure the ice was frozen solid under our boots before we ventured out onto the frozen waters. Jeff carried a ski pole and dug into the ice as he walked along. I followed him.

We headed out the first time this morn for anticipated photos, our boots post hole digging through the snow until we were on the windswept icy lake. But the below zero windchill stole my breath and my hands grew quite numb when we were there for only a few minutes, because we forgot the handwarmers. Thought the short time we were experiencing the elements would be okay, but I'm here to tell you only a couple minutes out in that exposure can do you in.

When we returned home, I dove back inside the house and lay on the couch and had Jeff bring me chocolate while my hands painfully tingled their way back to a normal temperature. My lungs were having a hard time working. It hurt to breathe.

Braced with handwarmers a little later, the die hards that we are, we ventured back out onto Lake Huron and that's when Jeff snapped the photo of me above.

The second photo was snapped by me of Jeff at the Lower Tahquamenon Falls State Park last week. God bless those winter campers who enjoy the harsher elements. Only the rustic side of the campground was open with snow plowed camping sites inviting to pull in. No thanks. We have winter camped before but not rustically. We had electricity so we could stay warm.

Thought you would enjoy seeing what we are doing while we wait out the frigid January weather. :D More Tahquamenon Falls pics coming next. :D

Hugs, JJ

Snowy Tahquamenon Falls!

Jeff and I had a romantic, enchanting snowy day at Tahquamenon Falls yesterday. When we left town, it was 12 degrees Fahrenheit, a little cold, but the snow squalls were intermittent and we knew the sun would help us out with some warming rays. Just in case, I slipped heat warmers around my ankles and the cameras had their little heating pads too. My toes stayed toasty warm for the adventure. And I wore a huge faux fur scarf that kept my face warmer. Last year I thought my chin would fall off from the numbness. LOL

As we walked the path to the falls, the snow was packed and slippery so we used caution, but the delights that met our eye - the snow covered railing and snow blanketed pines - were worth the slower steps. I snapped pathway shots with my Kodak Easy Share camera, saving my Canon Rebel XTi battery for the falls. I'll show more pics soon.

After the winter brought temps below freezing and snow to Upper Michigan, the falls began to take a surreal, breathtaking look and we're happy we didn't miss this awesome view! As you can see in the Tahquamenon Falls winter photo, we were greeted with the amazing sight of the tannin streaming waters cascading over the steep ledges and the "Victorian" look of the ice in the middle of the falls caught my eye right away. Ice sculptures at Tahquamenon are always amazing and give the scene a surreal setting.

After I tired of snapping photos - the crazy carpal tunnel, we headed to the Lower Tahquamenon Falls where a snow piled campground is kept open all year. However, the trail to the falls wasn't cleared and we would have had to snowshoe for two miles. So we are saving that adventure for the next trip. :D

I know I have some blog visiting to do and promise to catch up in the next couple of days. :D


Hugs, JJ

Female Downy Woodpecker

This female downy woodpecker landed on my feeder yesterday. She had her black and white feathers puffed against the cold and was eyeing up the sunflower seed while she pecked on the suet block that had broken in half. We have to remember to buy a suet feeder.
Every morning the trees are full of chickadees, gold finches and red polls waiting for us to bring out more seed. Something gobbles it all down during the night.

The winter continues to howl around us. More snow today. But the temps are heading into the teens, so there is hope we can enjoy the sunshine again. Yesterday was frigid downtown. I walked like a broomstick in and out of the stores, bracing against the cold. LOL

Have a super weekend, dear readers. :D The birds are a blessing right now, because nature has frozen breath.


Jinhui has given me the Butterfly Award. :D Thank you. I love how different cultures come together through blogging.

Hugs, JJ

Lower Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan

Last summer when we were camping at the Lower Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan, Jeff rowed me over to a small island that is surrounded by lovely cascading falls, and the music from them delighted our ears so much that we never wanted the allowed hours there to end. It was great also hearing the soothing falls at night from the campground. What a way to go to sleep. This photo of the park's colorful stacked rowboats brought all the flavor of that adventure back to me when I was reviewing my digitals. :D

We had a romantic time that warm autumn day. We held hands, laughed in the sunshine, strolled the pine scented paths that led us around the island, sat down and dreamt the time away.

The second photo shows how some of the Lower Tahquamenon Falls looked like from a walkway. You can see how marvelous and scenic they are!

We're heading to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls soon and a surreal landscape awaits us because the falls have a portion that freezes over in the winter and the mist coats the riverbanks with weird icicles that makes you think you have stepped onto another planet. We won't have the sun to warm us on this trip but it's worth bundling up to see the falls this time of year. If the Lower Tahquamenon Falls are viewable during this season, we will also stop there for some shots.

Hugs, JJ

Guess What This Is?

This morning the temp reads 0 degrees as Jeff and I begin the cabin fever time of winter. We're socked in except for our jaunts downtown. But Jeff and I love to use our imaginations to entertain each other while we wait out the arctic cold that has crept into our bones. Guess what this photo is? :D

Many of you know I have a book coming out next summer where I provided the photos. The book information isn't posted yet, but I can give you the link for my new professional website. Tell me what you think. Rae Monet designed it and has done a great job. Thanks, Rae. :D. I wanted to surprise you and show you that dreams can come true. It's been one great nature adventure. Jeff even helped out by providing the template photo for my site...I am the one under the baseball cap. :D

Have I told you lately how much I looooove my hubby!!! :D He has been so supportive, helping arrive at my destinations and carrying my camera bag and tripods around while I wrestled with the two cameras hanging from my neck, not complaining if I told him I needed him to take me to the moon. :D

I also will begin an inspirational blog for my new website that has nature photos and musings about Bible passages. This blog will also continue.

Have a super Sunday!

Hugs JJ/Nancy

Alligator Driftwood

The creature had washed up on the sandy Lake Huron shoreline exhausted and in need of rest. He had traveled from the far reaches of the earth and wanted to explore the Great Lakes one by one. But little did he know they were so huge! A bask in the sun would do him good and then he would have to look for food.

As he slept he heard footsteps and the sound of voices. Opening an eye, humans - at first blurry- came into view.

"What's that?" The woman asked, pointing right at him. The creature transformed into a wooden alligator, hoping to look like driftwood, although a scan of the shoreline assured him he was the only huge log on the beach and would look conspicuous.

"Let's check it out," the man said. Their steps drew closer and the alligator waited for them to pass on by.

The woman knelt down beside him. "It looks like an alligator, doesn't it! Look at his eyes and long snout."

"It does, indeed," the man said. "Let's snap some photos."

Click. Click. Click. Click. Heavens, the alligator wondered, how many times are they going to circle around me? Don't they know I could snatch one up in an instant!

"I love this driftwood," the woman said, patting the wooden head. "Can we take it home? It would be quite a conversation piece."

Was he going to end up in someone's garage or as a flower border if he didn't change back to his true form? But he was so exhausted. He'd have to sleep for a week for all it would take out of him.

"Nah, it's too big for me to handle," the man said.

Dropping her camera to her chest and letting it hang from the strap, the woman said, "I guess you're right. But I was going to paint it pink. "

PINK! The alligator transformed back to his natural state and slipped back into the fresh water lake, happy to put a distance between himself and the woman. Pink, Sheesh. He was a male piece of driftwood. Couldn't she tell?

The two stood in the warm sand with their mouths open. "Did...did you see THAT?" the woman asked.

"Uh-huh? Did you snap the alligator's photo before he disappeared?"

"No. I was too stunned."

"I didn't get a shot either. So, let's not tell anyone what we saw. We can show them the driftwood photo and tell them we imagined it to be a real alligator. We don't want people thinking we're nuts."

"Sounds good to me," the woman said. "Maybe we've had too much sun."

****

I hope you enjoyed my flash fiction. :D

Hugs, JJ...who is musing the winter away.

Through the Icy Glass

As you can see in this icy photo, winter has been having a delightful time of pounding us with everything she has. LOL I used my Canon Rebel XTi for this shot and aimed the lens through the icy window of the screen door. Was happy with the results. Notice Jeff's image with the weird pant shapes...and look at his head. :D It's great to experiment with photography and delve into the artistic side. The car ended up with some interesting distortions too.

When the nasty rain/sleet mix gets too much for a scraper, Jeff pours warm water over the windshield. With that completed and the windows of the car cleared, he then has the fun of driving down a frozen and rutted two-track to the highway. That can be an adventure in itself. WHEEEE!!!!

Have a super day. :D While I wrote this post, sleet started pelting the roof. Here we go again. I should send out a SMC...Send Me Chocolate request. :D

Hugs, JJ