I'll Follow The Sun

Celebrating the fact that we are having a heat wave here in Michigan. The temperature has been 25 degrees for two straight days now! I'm being optimistic that the record-breaking cold is gone for the season, maybe just wishful thinking....Here is a photo that I took last Summer, where the flowers are growing towards, and basking in full sunlight. It warms me inside just thinking that Spring is right around the corner! So, TGIF, Happy Valentine's Day, and enjoy your weekend everyone!

Let the Light Shine Down

The woods in our yard at our summer place are beautiful. I can sit and look out there for long amounts of time and never get tired of the view. On the side of our woods is a path that the deer have created for themselves in which they go back and forth from the woods to the street. Usually, in early morning, they can be seen playing in the street and at dusk go back through their path and into the woods. Occasionally, a wild turkey runs across our yard, and the amount of different birds to be seen is pretty unique too. I have been trying to really learn about natural light and how to capture different kinds of photos with them. This particular photo is a picture of the woods where the trees seem to go on endlessly. I did not like the photo as much in color as I did while playing around with Infrared and B&W. I think this depicts more of how I actually saw the woods on this morning. The sun and the shadows the light created really stand out a lot more than the color version of this photo. So, "Let the Light Shine Down." Hope you enjoy!

Standing Out in the Shadows

Finally made it back to our summer getaway on Lake Huron. Hoping to spend as much of the summer here as I can. I have been waiting for so long to get back here, where the air is clean, the sky is wide open, and of course the beautiful lake sunrises, and sunsets. Here, I am hoping that we can somehow heal a little and make some sense out of life. That is a post for later, when I feel I can actually talk about what the healing is all about. When I pulled up to our place, these flowers are first thing I saw, and it somehow reminded me of my Mom. My Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease about 2 years ago. Many people do not know that it is a disease that takes your mind, your memory, your dignity, and eventually turns the brain into the "broken" position permanently. The daffodil here is shining brightly in the sun, but with the sunlit shadows on the back of the flower. That is why it reminds me of my Mom. She is still shining, but the shadows represent each part of her memory that has been taken forever. The other daffodil is me standing beside her for as long as I can. I know the day will come when she will be truly alone mentally, but until that time I will keep reminding myself that she is truly "Standing Out in the Shadows", and always will for me.

Catching Rays

This is a photo of yet another blossom tree. I'm not sure what kind, as there are so many different ones blooming all over right now. Some of these blossoms are so tiny, so thin, and so fragile, yet their beauty never ceases to amaze! I was with my kids for Mother's Day last weekend, and the home we were at had two different blossom trees outside. It was terribly windy out, so before I left, I snapped a branch from the two different trees and brought them home to take a few photos. Here is one of them entitled "Catching Rays". I think the title explains it all, as the beautiful blossom sitting next to my window was catching the great afternoon lighting. Since they are so thin, all of the little veins running through each bloom can be seen very well also. I just love Spring, as it never disappoints, sharing the beauty of nature all around us. Hope you enjoy this photo too!

Is it Real?

It looks like Spring may have finally arrived here in Michigan. I took my Mom who has Alzheimer's Disease to one of her favorite parks for coffee and a bagel on Sat. morning. The ice on the water is gone and it looks like sunny days ahead.

This is where I want to be. My home away from home. The place where life is simple, no worries, and something of beauty to see everyday. It's a place on Lake Huron about two hours from our home. We have this little place that we can't seem to get enough of in the Summer. Was the best investment we ever made. There is not enough money in the world to give us the peace and tranquility we find when we are here. As I wait for the warmer weather, get rid of my shoes, and grab my camera, here is another of my abstracts that I made. I love the yellow daisies!

Winter Fades, I Hope!

Friday was an absolutely beautiful day here in Michigan. The sun was out and it smelled like Spring is in the air. I decided I had to get out with my camera for awhile and went to one of my favorite local parks near Lake St Clair to see if any of the ice had melted on the water yet. Well, it has not melted yet, but is definitely showing signs of moving in that direction. I love the way the sun was reflecting off of the snow and ice. I saw a few other weird things there too! I have so much to learn, but love each and every minute of taking photos, looking for my mistakes and what I can do better next time. One thing I've been trying to remember each time I am out is, to "look up".