Dreams of a White Christmas come True

It just doesn't feel like Christmas if there isn't snow. The past few years have been quite disappointing, with green and brown patches all around.

I was very excited this year that there was no shortage of snow on Christmas. Obviously, I had to go out to photograph the winter wonderland.

Beyond the snow, Christmas was great. We had family in from out of town. It was fun to catch up with them.

Jonah enjoyed Christmas as well. It was a lot of fun to see him open gifts and play with his new toys. Seeing his joy and excitement was priceless.

Hopefully everyone else had a Merry Christmas and is ready for the New Year.

Merry Christmas from the Peninsulas



Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Peninsulas.

 

The coming weeks are sure to be filled with Christmas parties and family. There will be lots of good food, and no doubt the air will be filled with laughter.

 

 The past few weeks, the peninsulas have been trapped in a freezer, and it looks like there won't be much reprieve. So bundle up and go out to enjoy the winter wonderland. Or sit by a fire and grab yourself a nice steaming mug of hot chocolate.

 

And have yourself a very Merry Christmas!

 

The Last Two Months in Ten Pictures

I haven't blogged in quite a while I realized. Life has just gotten busy I guess. So instead of trying to write a post for all the major things that have happened in the last two months, I'll just hit the highlights with pictures instead.

1) We're having another baby!

2)We spent a weekend up north at the cabin with Friends. Had some good father/son time.

3 & 4) Jamie and I went up to Ludington for a day and went hiking.

5 & 6) Jonah was Charlie Brown for Halloween.

7) We started finishing our basement. This is going to take a while.

8) Peninsula Photography has a new helper.

9) Jonah had some not so happy experiences with snow.

10) We went out as a family to pick out our first real Christmas tree.

That's it in a nutshell. I'll try to do better about keeping up with the blog.

Serene Autumn Evening at Holland Harbor

The sunbathers have long since gone home, and no one would think to go swimming. Gone are the crowds. Gone is the humidity, and gone is the sweltering heat. The days of Summer have long since past, and we are firmly into the depths of Autumn. This is not the time of year when most would think of heading to the beach.

But Autumn may be the best time to truly enjoy the beaches in the Holland area. There are no crowds to contend with, and you don't have to fight to get a parking spot. The noise of cars and people are silenced and replaced by something else. Instead of the hustle and bustle of the summer, there is now tranquility. From the sounds of the waves lapping against the shore to the sound of the wind blowing in Autumn storm clouds, this is perfect time of year to just sit, relax, and forget the worries of the world while staring out at Lake Michigan. It is the perfect time to feel the spray of the waves on your face, to watch the clouds roll by, and to see Autumn storms send massive waves crashing in the pier.

A few nights ago, I went to take some pictures at Holland's south pier, where the Big Red Holland Harbor Lighthouse is located. I was the only one there. On the north side of the channel at Holland State Park, there were a few people; but on my side, I had the place to myself.

It was nice to enjoy the quiet solitude and soak in the scenery. It had a very calming effect. If you are in need of a similar evening, I would suggest heading out to one of Holland's beaches on a gloomy Autumn evening. You may be surprised at how pleasant it is and at how refreshed you feel afterwards. Just remember to dress warm.

Van Houten Family Pictures: Who Says Family Pictures Have To Be Boring?

Every few years, we get the privilege of taking the Van Houten Family pictures. The Van Houtens are an amazing family, and we consider ourselves blessed to be able to call them our friends. It has been fun taking pictures for them over the years and to be able to watch their 7 kids grow up.

So often when I do family pictures for Friends and Family, there is usually someone in the group who isn't too excited about it and isn't afraid to share their distate for getting their picture taken. Whether it is the young adult male who thinks it is stupid and a waste of time, or the young child who cries because they would rather be playing, these critics often make the who experience difficult both for their parents and for the photographer.

The Van Houtens are living proof that taking family pictures doesn't have to be boring. They had a fun idea to have a "Color Fight." This unique and crazy idea managed to keep all 7 kids happy and interested in getting their pictures taken for the entire session.

Here are my TOP 5 favorite/most fun pictures from the day.

Wounded in Action

Ganging up on Dad

The Aftermath

Tahquamenon Falls and Heading Home

Saturday - September 7th, 2014

Even though we didn't stay at the state park, we still wanted to stop and check out Tahquamenon Falls, Jamie had never seen them, and I had never seen the lower falls. We spent an hour or two checking them out.

The Upper Falls

The Lower Falls

After that it was the long drive home. Found something out, the Mackinac Bridge doesn't accept credit cards. Anyways, it is good to be home and really good to see Jonah again.

Backpacking the Peninsulas: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Day 5.

Friday - September 6th, 2014

Today's Miles:         8.9
Cumulative Miles: 42.4

We were up at 5:30 this morning. We immediately started packing our gear, even though it was still dark out. We were ready to get going and get off the trail. We had hiked in enough water the day before that we were able to top off and wouldn't have to stop to fill up. Maybe those grueling 3 miles yesterday were worth it.. After a quick breakfast, we were on the trail by 7, just as the sky was starting to brighter up. The trail descended quickly from where we were camped. I didn't realize it until the trail curved around, but our camp was on top of a huge 100 foot cliff.

We were at Miner's Beach before we knew it. Had I known it was that close, I would have just gotten my water there yesterday. I made Jamie stop, so I could photograph a small waterfall.

We hiked across Miner's Beach and then started the climb up toward Miner's Castle. At Miner's Castle, we stopped for a bathroom break and a picture or two.

After that, our goal was the end. There wasn't much of a view that last day after Miner's Castle. Although we were still on the cliff tops, the view was blocked by trees. We just kept our heads down and trudged along. It is funny how your body knows you are close to the end. As you get closer, it seems like every ache and pain gets worse. Jamie's heel was really bothering her, though she did a good job of not showing it. My feet were also getting pretty sore. We stopped for a snack/early lunch at Sand Point Junction. Our energy levels were running low, but a little food helped fuel the fire to get us to the finish. After that it was non-stop to Munising Falls. That last 3 miles seemed to last forever, but eventually we emerged from the woods into the parking lot at the visitor center.

And just like that, our trip was over. Ending a backpacking trip is always bittersweet. On one hand, your tired and sore muscles long for it to be done, On the other, you really don't want to trade the simplicity of trail life for the hustle and bustle of the every day grind.

We checked in at home to let our family know we were off the trail, spent a little bit at the falls, and left to get our blizzard from Dairy Queen. To our dismay, Dairy Queen was closed. So we decided to head to Newberry to get a flurry from McDonalds.

As we were driving, the radio suddenly started screeching out the tones of the emergency broadcasting system, informing us of a chance of severe thunderstorms, with wind gusts up to 60mph and quarter sized hail. At that moment, camping at Tahquamenon Falls sounded a whole lot less appealing. We decided to get a hotel room instead. We were soon all showered up and lounging in a king size bed. We even got to soak away some of our aches and pains in a hot tub. We went and got dinner at Timber charlie's, one of my favorite U.P. stops. It was a nice night, in which we indulged ourselves with lots of food and lounging around.

At about 3 in the morning, I woke up to the sound of hail pelting off our hotel window. We definitely made the right decision in getting a hotel room.

Backpacking the Peninsulas: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Day 4

Thursday - September 5th, 2013

Today's Miles:         7.5
Cumulative Miles: 33.5

Had a good morning at camp. Moseyed down to the pit toilet. So nice to have one at this campground.  We got packed and were off.

If you only have time to hike one section of the Pictured Rocks, make sure it is the section from Chapel Rock to Mosquito Beach. There is a trailhead that connects trails to both. You could probably do it in a long day hike, or spread it out to an overnight trip. This section of the trail is jam packed with views. Around every corner is a new cliff.

There were coves, caves, and arches. It was absolutely amazing. From Chapel, we hiked to Grand Portal Point. As well, there was another big arch, which I'm not sure if it is named.

We ate lunch at Mosquito Beach. On a hot summer day, this would have been an amazing swimming hole. Too cold today though, even though it was the warmest day so far.

From Mosquito, things started to go down hill (figuratively). The place where we were going to camp next didn't have water available, So me trying to be a boy scout (motto: always be prepared) decided we needed to hike in a whole bunch of extra water. We were loaded down with more weight than normal, which made things difficult. On top of that, the views for the day seemed to be over. And finally, the mosquitos were horrible. It was hard to try to stay positive and remember why I like backpacking.

We made it to camp (Potato Patch Campground) and quickly set up the tent for shelter from the mosquitos. We play a card game to pass the time, which as usual Jamie won. Then we made a fire, hoping the smoke would help keep the mosquitoes at bay, which it did.

We had company tonight, There is an older couple, Dale and Karyn, who are also staying here tonight. We had met them earlier on the shuttle to Grand Marais. It was nice talking with them around the fire.

While we were talking, a chipmunk came and nearly ran up Jamie's  leg. It was random and pretty funny to see. As well, there were a lot of big 'ol Jack Rabbits hopping around the camp site. By far, this was the most wildlife we've seen on this trip.

We're hitting the hay early tonight. We are in the tent just after 8.  We're hoping to get an early start tomorrow so we can get off the trail by early after noon. We're looking forward to getting a blizzard from Dairy Queen and a burger from Timber Charlie's.

Backpacking the Peninsulas: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Day 3

Wednesday - September 4th, 2014

Todays Miles:          8
Cumulative Miles:  26

Woke up early having to pee. Darn, it was still dark out. I hate having to go out into the cold blustery dark to pee. Got back into the tent and slept for maybe another hour. After that we got up and immediately started tearing down camp. Had everything ready to go, then realized I couldn't find my camera. So I tore my bag apart to find it. We re-packed my bag and were on our way. My legs were feeling a little stiff and weak in the morning. We said a quick prayer for strength and endurance, kept our heads down, and plodded along at a consistent pace. We were able to somehow knock the first 2.5 miles out in no time at all. After that, we started to see why this area is called Pictured Rocks.

We got to a section called the coves, which was amazing. The waves were beating off the rocks. It was insane how powerful the waves were.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the views from the top of the cliffs. We had lunch in our ENO's on top of one.

We passed Spray Falls.

Some of the trails were pretty muddy, which slowed us down a bit. As well, I had a blister and Jamie had a bruised heel and toe nail. We were really feeling it by the end of the day. It is always a feeling of relief when you get to your goal for the days. Today's goal was Chapel Rock and Chapel Beach. It was a great place to finish the day.

We have a great campsite.

Chapel Rock was amazing.

After dinner, Jamie and I sat on the beach and watched the sunset. It was cold but the view made it worth it. I could photograph here for days.

It was a good day on the peninsulas.