Ludington State Park

Some of my favorite images from our September trip to Ludington. More to come in a few weeks after our long weekend at Orchard Beach.
This was a view from a precarious perch on a half-submerged, half-decayed birch log off shore about 2/3rds of the way up the Island Trail. We hiked a 4+-mile loop Saturday morning and I can say it actually pained me a bit near the end! Okay, so the biggest pain was a blister betwixt my two far-left toes, but I also felt like this was one of the most vertical hikes we've ever done in Michigan. The views, the natural textures, colors, light & shade, birds & critters, were all so incredible it's hard to select just a few pics to share.

We arrived at the park Thursday night. Our reservation was originally Friday-Sunday. But spontaneously, Thursday morning I called to extend an extra day and we left work early, in dire need of an extra day away from the office. Best decision EVER! Not only did we get the most gorgeous Lake Michigan sunset all to ourselves, but we also got a great table at Sportsman's Pub for pizza without any wait ;-)

Ah... This is why a 3-day weekend at Ludington State Park has the same soothing effect as a week-long vacation in the Caribbean.

Negril, Jamaica

R & I took our first extended vacation together in March and I'm just now feeling confident in my ability to select the *best* photos to post here. Every moment of the entire vacation was amazing, and the pictures turned out so incredible it was a tough choice. Here are just a few. I highly recommend taking a trip to Negril if you ever have the chance. The food, the people, the sunsets, everything exceeded my expectations.

Ignoring the April Snowstorm

And pretending it's still sunny & 60 like it was on Saturday. The dogs received a much-deserved field trip to the beach this weekend and I still have warm-fuzzies from the joy it brought us all. Evidence:

Maya in heaven - look at that amazing stick!

Isn't that the most painfully sweet Westie face you've ever seen? I can't believe I got it on film because it never lasts more than 0.2 seconds. It is followed almost instantaneously by sloppy kisses and wet dog tongue up one's left nostril. Love from Nory, take it or leave it.

Breezie on the prowl.

PS ~ I'm getting the hang of this cheap digital camera while my Canon is in the shop. Or, at least in a box ready to go to the shop while I muster the courage to send it away.

Winter Photos

Northern Michigan on a macro- and micro-scale, January 3, 2009 ~ the first sunny day of the year... amazing how the blues dominate the landscape...

RAVE: Fab Fotog!

Shey Marin.... the name evokes images of the Rockhouse Hotel in Negril, Jamaica. We've been trying to plan a trip to Negril for months now, and while selecting lodging, I couldn't help taking a look back at Shey's wedding pics on her Knot bio, only to find in my disappointment, (sniff) her bio pics are now itty-bitty thumbnails =(
HOWEVER! Google is your friend. Look what I found!

She is a fabulous portrait artist who all you Indiana folks should hire, and you absolutely must check out her delectable food pictures (what's for dinner? Ideas? Anyone? Because if no one gives me any ideas it's gunna be another Mejier rotisserie chicken.)