Category Archives: Travel Blogs

Getting the Shot–Split Rock Lighthouse Under the Stars

After reserving my campsites at Split Rock Lighthouse last winter I began to explore different photographs I wanted to attempt to get. With several weeks passing pondering several ideas I finally decided I would love to capture the lighthouse under the Milkyway. The direction didn’t line up great but with the dark skies of the North Shore in Minnesota I expected to at least see a partial band of the our galaxy over Split Rock. Continuing my research I discovered the moon could be a problem as it would be nearing it’s full phase. Armed with this information I waited until the camping trip in June to make further preparations to capture the lighthouse at night.

The lighthouse from a distance

During the afternoon, while at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, I began to scout out potential locations and compositions. Starting from a distance I took a look at the overall scene attempting to figure out how much of Lake Superior I wanted in the photo and how much of the night sky I could get in a picture and still see the lighthouse well. From here I continued to move closer to the building as there was no way it would stand out this far away.

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As the afternoon was nearing the end and evening was about to take over, I continued to climb over the sharp granite of Lake Superior searching for an interesting place to set up later that night. I began to feel more confident in a location to start at once darkness arrived. It may work well but it could be less interesting once the moon broadcast its light over the landscape.

Adjusting the composition

Pressing on to find an alternative location or two I continued on closer to the lighthouse perched on top of a cliff overlooking the grand lake. Finding a couple more spots closer to Split Rock Lighthouse I was finally satisfied. Time had arrived to return to the campsite for a delicious dinner cooked over a fire and a little rest before journeying back during the night.

First photos under the stars

Now with a full stomach and the sun falling below the horizon it was getting time to head out. But now the days activities were beginning to wear on me and I was ready to crawl into my sleeping bag. In addition, the temperature was dropping quickly which had begun to penetrate through to my bones really causing me to question just how bad I wanted to go out with the camera underneath the dark sky. After fighting with myself for nearly 20 minutes I forced myself to get up, put on a coat, and grab the backpack containing my gear. Still reluctant to take the 15 minute walk to the lighthouse, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other until my motivation returned. I knew where I wanted to go and in no time I arrived. Scanning the scene now under moonlight, I became less convinced it was the spot for the photograph I wanted. Still I knew that if I didn’t pull out the camera and take a couple of shots I would likely not make it back here. What if this turns out to be the best location? After a few pictures, I wasn’t satisfied with my results.

A different camera position

The first thing I like to do is change my cameras orientation to see how that alters the scene. I liked this look better as the boulders became more prominent for a more complete picture. Still it wasn’t giving me the photograph I was after. The lower boathouse was a huge distraction under the near full moonlight and I couldn’t compose the shot in a way that the boathouse was removed and the lighthouse was located nicely. It was time to move closer as I suspected I would have to do. Under the moons illumination along with my flashlight I continued to crawl over the rocks slowly getting closer to the lighthouse and the cliff it guarded. By this time I was beginning to warm back up from my efforts to safely maneuver the rocky shoreline.

Getting closer to the Lighthouse

Finding a spot close enough to capture the lighthouse with stars above I scoured the shoreline seeking out boulders positioned in an interesting way to give me the picture I was attempting to capture. While doing this a voice called out from the dark. It was another photographer camped among the rocks photographing the Milkyway. Proof that each photographer sees things differently to create a unique picture. He had come here on a rare free night with no work the next day to capture the beautiful band of stars but having a difficult time due to the moon. I wanted to capture the Milkyway also but knew it would be a challenge due to the moon and altered my plan to use the moonlight to my advantage. It lit up the shoreline and lighthouse better than I could have expected creating a photograph that appears to have been taken during the day but then the stars shining above let you know it was not. It made for a scene very few people get to experience let alone photograph. It did take a bit of time to get an appropriate exposure due to this high light with a dark sky and water. Once I found a good exposure I kept snapping photos making little adjustments until I had what I thought would be a nice photograph. I actually like the picture above better than the one at the top of the post but that doesn’t show as well on the website which is why I used the landscape oriented picture for the post.

A faint view of the Milkyway over Lake Superior

I decided to snap a couple of pictures of the Milkyway shining dimly in the night sky just to see how it would turn out. Some time I hope to work with the photo a bit more and see if I can extrapolate this band of bright stars more. While talking with the other photographer, he mentioned that using a good telephoto lens you could actually capture Jupiter with its four visible moons. Once I was done with my session at the lighthouse I headed towards my car to retrieve my Sigma 200-500mm lens and attached it to the camera. After a little searching through the viewfinder I spotted Jupiter. Focusing in on it I could definitely make out four other objects around it. These must be the moons! Playing with the camera a bit I snapped some photos before decided I had enough fun and was now cold again and ready for sleep.

Jupiter with four of its moons

Enjoying more snowflakes

People love to enter hibernation during the winter. Especially when a snowstorm is causing havoc on the roadways. All it takes is an incredible snowflake landing on my sleeve and I’m addicted. During the cold months of the year I keep much of my camera gear cold so that I can be out taking pictures in an instant. Photographing these little ice crystals is fun but what’s even better is seeing them up close and exploring each ridge or crevice. Many are incredibly beautiful when viewed in detail. I keep trying to get some great photographs of them but have yet to succeed. Viewing snowflakes in a photograph is enjoyable but also disappointing. There’s always an area that’s out of focus and I can never seem to capture. The 3-D aspect capturing each detail that makes them so captivating to me continues to elude my pictures.

The snowflake above is probably the best one to fall in front of my camera over the past few snow falls. I love the clear, symmetrical center and all of the patterns radiating out from the center. I just keep studying each ray and wondering how they formed, fell from the sky with the high winds accompanying that snowstorm, and landed on the purple glove I was using all without breaking.

Ice flower

This was another ice crystal that I couldn’t wait to examine up close and capture with the camera. The frosted edges created a beautiful outline of the petals in this snowflake. Again the clear and symmetrical center is so amazing to me. I know the hexagon shape is the base for many snowflakes but it always has me wondering why. What forces cause this to be the most stable formation for ice crystals whether it’s flatter flakes like this or even columnar ones or the multiple combinations in between?

Clear flakes

The group of snowflakes above appear to be incomplete. Like they fell before finishing their design. What could have scared them out of the sky early? More likely they were evaporating before I could capture the complete flake. Most of the time these little pieces of ice art show up better with a darker background but once in awhile I like to see them as a sort of x-ray. It’s just a little different way to view them. Often a single flake makes a beautiful photo but sometimes there are too many interesting snowflakes and the only way to photograph more is to take a picture of a group of them.

Frosty edges

Another snowflake that captured my attention when I first spotted it was the one above. It also has the frosted edges which seems to really highlight the clear ice closer to the center. Such an interesting contrast to me. It also makes it so much more visible against the background. I love the curvy lines in between each ray. What causes that during the formation in the clouds? These make each ray of this flake unique like they were all in slightly different parts of the cloud when they were created.

Below is another group of beautiful ice crystals. Each one different from the one it’s touching. I was experimenting with different backgrounds to see what I like and if I can come up with something different that might still provide an interesting contrast to these snowflakes. Ice crystals are something I’m hooked on. Since these couple of snowfalls the temperatures have warmed just enough that we’ve been experiencing more rain in central Minnesota so I haven’t had more subjects to work with as often. But when I do you can be sure I’ll be out trying to capture better photos.

A group of snowflakes

Favorite Photos of 2019

Some of the pictures are cut off in the collage above so I also put it below.

Just a quick directory of these pictures from the past year going clockwise from the top left:

Two Lessor Yellowlegs battling for a spot on this fallen log. These were in an area that I’ve never seen them before as this was a pond recently drained exposing valuable shore for these birds to feed on. Check out the post here: http://monopolytraveler.com/a-may-morning-watching-migrating-birds/

A single snowflake. I photographed several in 2019 and had a difficult time choosing a favorite as they are all unique and interesting to me. You can see more here: http://monopolytraveler.com/snowflakes-are-amazing/

The Utah Landscape. Beautiful red rock formations set against a white capped mountain background under a blue sky.  What’s not to love about it? http://monopolytraveler.com/pictures-from-the-traila-beautiful-utah-landscape/

Nighttime at Split Rock Lighthouse. A full moon ruined a sky full of visible stars on this cold late spring night. I’m thankful for that as I think it’s a much better photo with the moonlight highlighting the lighthouse and shoreline with stars still shining above. Article still coming but you can see some similar photos here:  http://monopolytraveler.com/splitrock-lighthouse-state-park/

Hiking under the rising sun. The light peering through the forest shines nicely on ferns and dogwoods blanketing the ground as we follow the narrow trail winding carefully around them. http://monopolytraveler.com/isle-royalefrom-feldtmann-lake-to-siskitwit-bay/

Purple Lupines in full bloom. Such vibrant colors dominating this picture brings such great memories of springtime.

Utah under the great blue sky. Another photo capturing the amazing scenery Utah is well known for. http://monopolytraveler.com/getting-to-moab-and-the-first-trail/

Pink Ladyslippers. I got a chance to see these twice in 2019. Once in June in Northern Minnesota and again in July on Isle Royale. I’ve never seen them before. What a beautiful orchid! Not yet written about. Here’s an article from where the photo was taken though: http://monopolytraveler.com/a-return-to-isle-royale/

A Foggy Sunrise. There wasn’t a lot special about this sunrise as night became day and there wasn’t anything that stood out about the landscape but add some fog hovering near the ground and you get an amazing picture. http://monopolytraveler.com/getting-the-shota-beautiful-foggy-sunrise/

Moose Bath. The opportunity to watch a full grown bull moose trample through the water was a great experience. And don’t I have a story to tell so stay tuned for that in 2020. For now here’s some of the wildlife spotted during this same trip: http://monopolytraveler.com/independence-day-on-isle-royale/

Stars over Double Arch. A highlight for me was to see Double Arch in Arches National Park. I was blown away at how incredible it is in person and to climb around under with the stars shining bright above was pretty incredible. http://monopolytraveler.com/getting-the-shotdouble-arch/

An Early Morning in the Boundary Waters. The fog once again made this picture. It diffused the sunrise creating some amazing colors reflecting off of the smooth water surrounding this little island. A restoration of inspiration for me. You can see more about this particular morning here: http://monopolytraveler.com/a-sunrise-worth-waking-up-for/. There’s a post about this photo in the works for 2020.

Sitting among the Shore. I just love the two people sitting on a log next to the water enjoying a calm morning. It helps that one of them is my daughter and the other one of my cousins sharing a life adventure. http://monopolytraveler.com/independence-day-on-isle-royale/

 

There are a lot of other photographs I could have added from the past year but these where definitely at the top of my list. I hope you enjoy them as well. Most of them have appeared in my posts or will soon if you want to read more about them.

2019 Collage

Isle Royale–From Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay part II

After a short time, making our way through the swampy landscape near our campsite  on this beautiful summer day, we began a steep climb onto the second highest ridge on Isle Royale. Fortunately there were stairs made from stones to assist in this steep climb. At least this climb is near the beginning for us while we have most of our energy. Finally reaching the end of this climb we removed the backpacks, grabbed some water, and caught our breath before venturing on. The trail continues to climb from this point but at a much more gradual ascent. In no time at all, at least that’s how it seemed, we were on top of the ridge looking over Feldtmann Lake. We had reached the other end of the lake which was about two miles of our journey. It was another beautiful view of this part of Isle Royale. This seemed like a nice place to once again remove this weight from our backs and take a short break enjoying this place we’re at. After some time we hefted our packs onto our backs again ready for the trail once again. I looked at my camera and noticed it seemed to be broken and missing some pieces. By some luck I was able to find the missing pieces after searching for several minutes and snap them back onto the camera. Nothing was broken. What a relief! We shoved off once again.

Looking back at Feldtmann Lake from the fire tower

The trail winding back and forth through trees and meadows. It was warming up now and the mosquitoes began moving to find their meals hidden beneath the skin in our arms, legs, and face. It was time to apply insect repellant which helped a lot but did not stop all of the mosquitoes from the sweet taste or our blood.  Marching on through the woods, the trees began to get less and less as we started to climb once again. Going around a corner a fire tower came into view. What a relief! This marks the halfway point of our day’s adventure. This seemed like a nice place to rest for awhile and grab some food and water. After sitting and regaining some of our energy we climbed the many stairs to the top of this tower. Seeing where we had come from on one side and examining the area we were headed put our journey into perspective. Most of our climbing appeared to be done with mostly downhill and flat trails ahead. A bright spot as the soreness in our legs and backs continued to remind us how heavy our packs were. Sitting awhile longer trying to motivate ourselves, we finally heaved the packs up onto our backs and began the descent towards Siskiwit Bay.

Crossing a creek

This part of the journey continued on through forests with a few swamps mixed in where beavers had damned creeks to create small pools above the trail. Mosquitoes obviously thrive in these as they braved our repellant to steal whatever blood they could. At one of these mucky areas there was a stench of something dead. Nearby were the remains of a beaver which looked like it had been killed by a wolf. We had been told of a few of these signs that wolves were nearby the day before from others traveling over this trail. To see a wolf is a rare sight on the island but does occasionally happen. As the trail once again turned downward into the trees, there was a creek to cross. Fortunately a large tree had fallen across making a path over the moving water without having to get wet. From here we continued down through the mosquito filled forest making our way to dryer soil.Entering the meadows near Siskitwit Bay

About halfway between the fire tower and our next campsite the trail reached a valley making travel a little easier on flat ground. The only challenge now was the Thimbleberry bushes continually grabbing at us with stiff, sharp branches which hid the occasional rock or tree root from which to trip over. Continuing through these Thimbleberry bushes for several miles they eventually end with a mix of trees and meadows filled with all sorts of plants displaying their colorful flowers. It’s been warm under the blazing summer sun with little to no breeze since leaving the fire tower. As we continue hiking through these meadows, a cool breeze starts to make its way into the trees reached our sweat soaked faces. We have to be close! That cool air must be blowing off of Lake Superior. A short distance later there was the sign with the trademark metal map of the campgrounds nearby. We’ve made it! Dropping my pack I continue on exploring the campground to find which spot we’re going to spend the next couple of nights at. Looking over each tent site and shelter I realize we’re the first ones to camp and currently the only ones here. We chose which shelter we wanted to sleep and set our stuff down. The first priority was to filter water. While doing so we soaked our sore feet in the cold waters of Lake Superior relieving our burning ankles after hiking near 11 miles with a lot of weight strapped to our backs. We could only keep them in the 45 degree water for a few minutes before they turned blue and became numb. It was better than soaking in an ice bath. The rest of the day involved relaxing, setting up camp, and a little exploring before ending this day with an amazing sunset. The best sunset during our time on this beautiful island!

Ending a day of hiking with an amazing sunset

Isle Royale–From Feldtmann Lake to Siskiwit Bay

There’s a scratching noise near the corner of our tent that welcomes me back to consciousness after a nice sleep. What is that? I wonder. Listening a bit more before moving I hear it again. It must be some kind of rodent so I reach over to the edge of the tent and knock on it a few times. The sound goes away. Being a little more alert now the nerves start to enter. Today is our longest day on the trail of this entire adventure. The listed mileage is over 10 miles. I’ve never gone that far before with a heavy backpack on. How will we all do? Have we recovered enough from hiking into Feldtmann Lake? Will my cousins ankle hold up? He injured it falling off a roof several years ago. I know it will be painful for him but will it be manageable? How will my daughter do? She’s been nervous about being the weakest link and holding us back ever since deciding to come back to Isle Royale. I’m confident she’ll do well but she doesn’t seem to be enjoying the island as much as the last time she was here. These thoughts continue to cycle through my mind for awhile before being interrupted by splashing out in the lake. A Moose….

Waking up to a moose

I decide to get up and grab the camera. Watching the moose, if that’s actually what’s making the noise, is what motivates me to begin moving but the camera is for capturing what I hope will be a beautiful sunset. Reaching the shoreline I can see a young bull moose a short distance down the shoreline walking around in the water in search of food in the dim light. Sunrise is at least a half an hour away yet. I slowly attach the camera to it’s tripod because it’s too dark for hand holding and getting a sharp photo. Trying not to disturb the moose while I’m doing this which was successful. After a few minutes the moose begins to swim across the lake all the time shifting his ears listening for anything chasing it from behind or on the shore on the other side of Feldtmann Lake. Such a peaceful and beautiful way to start this day in early July. By the time the moose neared the shore, fog had rolled in making it almost disappear into the mist. The sun was nearing the horizon but the fog blowing in off of Lake Superior was now covering much of the sky. So much for my desired amazing sunrise this morning. Just at this time another moose came splashing into the water nearby looking for food. What an experience!

A foggy morning

From behind me I could hear rustling in the tent and then the zipper moving. My cousin was now making his way to the beach after hearing the moose. Pointing to where the large animal was we both sat and watched, snapping a few pictures every now and then, as it slowly walked further and further into the water. I headed back to the tent to let my daughter know there was a moose not far away and that it was almost time to start packing anyway. She was outside of the tent in a minute or so and all three of us were watching the moose until it was out of sight. Now time for some nourishment while stuffing all of our belongings into backpacks for a trip through the island. Within the next hour we were packed, refilled our water containers, and grabbed our hiking poles while munching on some protein bars for breakfast. The fog was disappearing which allowed the sun to penetrate the thick forest as we set off on a day of hiking.

Hiking on

Continued in part II……

2020–A New Year and a New Decade

The start of the next decade comes with no adventures planned. This is such a weird, and even a little uneasy, situation for me. At least it should give me some time to get projects done around the house that I’ve been meaning to do. There’s some discussion about a quick snowmobiling trip this winter. It’s been several years now since the last adventure on a snowmobile. Outside of that I’m a little lost for what’s in store for the next year. Maybe that’s a good thing.

Hitting the trails on a snowmobile

There are definitely some things I would like to do in this next year. One of those is some camping. I’m sure I can come up with a few spots I’d like to visit and explore in Northern Minnesota.

Tent camping

Another adventure for 2020 could be visiting a National Park or two with my family. This is difficult to do with everyone’s schedule so varied between school and jobs. Hopefully a summer trip can be managed. I would love to take some more time in Utah or maybe go see Glacier National Park.

Visiting a National Park

Working on my photography seems to be a continual goal and one that I’d like to work on further in 2020. I use to set a certain number of photos I’d like to attempt in a year. This new year has me trying to work more on subjects and composition rather than just getting out and shooting. Last year really highlighted some beautiful subjects and compositions for me. Being creative seems to be a challenge and finding the best composition can be difficult for me but I still enjoy trying.

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2019- It’s just about over

There’s a lot of year in reviews coming out at this time of year. I really was planning on skipping such a post and just continuing on with some of the stories of recent adventures but there’s one thing that continues to drive a post like this. Gratitude! I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities and new experiences over this past year. Some of them in different places while others in locations I’ve been to previously, but all of them were new adventures to me. Looking back over my list of things I wanted to do in 2019, they were all accomplished which led to so many great adventures. The year started with a trip to Northern Minnesota to see the frozen North Shore. It was an extremely cold day but the sights were so amazing it was worth braving the elements for. The next day ventured inland of Northern Minnesota to see birds heading south for the winter where I did get to see a snowy owl. That was such a beautiful bird to watch perched in a tree and soar overhead.

 Snowy Owl

Once spring began there was a trip to Utah to explore a few of the many off road trails in such an incredible landscape. Moab is home to a big playground of outdoor adventures. From hiking, biking, and photography to dirt bikes, Razors, and off road vehicles, it has it all. And it’s against a backdrop made for television and movies.

Utah's amazing landscape

Once spring was beginning to morph into summer, there was a week long journey to Northern Minnesota to go camping. The first time I’ve camped near the BWCA. Such a beautiful experience, especially when the mosquitoes and black flies took a break from their constant attacks.

The beautiful BWCA

A month later a trip to Isle Royale began. A few years ago I planned on returning to this National Park but those fell through late in the summer. That was a bit crushing and extinguished my motivations for hiking for awhile and made it so I wasn’t convinced it would happen again this year. As it got closer the plans continued on course and the day came to drive to Grand Portage, MN to board the boat. It was at this point I felt confident this adventure was going to happen. Something I will remember and am so thankful I got to share the experience with my youngest daughter and a cousin of mine that has joined me on a number of adventures.

An amazing sunset on Isle Royale

That completed my plans for 2019 but were not the only adventures for the year. In addition to these I really enjoyed the winter weather with all of our snow and cold well into March. As winter began to lose it’s grip I took an opportunity to visit Wabasha, MN for the spring eagle migration. It was so much fun to see so many eagles along the Mississippi River. Shortly after that I visited a Heron Rookery in Minneapolis. Who would think a large number of Great Blue Herons would nest near downtown Minneapolis? Thanks to a few other photographers for letting me know about this spot. Late summer brought a weekend adventure to Blue Mounds State Park with a great mix of photography subjects from storms to Bison. Once fall arrived I finally decided to see what Carlos Avery Wildlife Area is all about. I hope to return to this place a little more frequently and see what it’s like during the seasons, especially during the spring bird migration. Late fall brought a trip to Florida for a school trip mixed with some days working. It was nice to feel summer weather once again before returning to Minnesota’s cold and snow.

Herons preparing a nest

It was an unusual year for adventures which I’m very thankful that I got to share with others. An adventure is a lot of fun but it’s even better if I get to share it with others. I’m humbled by these opportunities! Currently I don’t have anything planned like this for next year which makes it even more of a memorable year.

Blue Mounds State Park

A Little More Time With The Ice

Snow is expected to begin overnight so all of this newly frozen water will be covered. And most likely covered until it thaws in the spring so this would be the last opportunity to photograph clear ice. I decided to take advantage of a nice afternoon, although the wind was picking up making it feel a bit colder. I was hoping to capture some interesting pictures of this glass like ice. A nice black and white picture was still a goal of mine this fall I would like to achieve. But more than that a beautiful sunset reflecting off of this ice would be great. As the afternoon wore on clouds moved in hiding the sun. With about 30 minutes to go before sunset the skies were just a dull grey. Disappointed I was debating on weather or not I should just head home as there would be no colorful sunset on this night. I ended up talking myself out of calling it a day and going to warm up as I was cold and shivering. I’ve spent all afternoon outside walking and searching for interesting subjects hoping to end the day with a sunset. It was only a few minutes more until the sun falls below the trees. I should stick it out until then. And thankfully I did as the clouds began to break up near the horizon giving an amazing sunset. You just never know. Often times the sunset can be a bust with grey skies turning to darkness but sometimes a little light peaks through and rewards those who are paying attention with almost magical colors.

A shell frozen in the ice

Earlier I came across a shell frozen to the top of the lake. How did that get there? An interesting contrast of summer and winter I thought. Also, the ice had an interesting jaggedness to it. From above the ice appears almost smooth and was quite slippery but closer to the surface you could see all these different grooves and bumps. It was anything but smooth. I spent a little time trying to compose some interesting pictures capturing these different aspects with only moderate success. I like the photo above because it shows the shell frozen to the ice along with the spirals. The photo feels like the shell is stuck there for all eternity. In the next picture you can really get a sense of how rough the ice is. Most of the bumps in the shape of a rectangle which really was intriguing to me. Why did the water freeze in these patterns? Was it because we had some very cold weather freezing the water very quickly? Would there be different patterns if the water freezes more slowly?

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Scouring the ice near shore, as it was not thick enough to walk on safely yet, I saw this trail of footprints left in the remaining snow near the shoreline. I like how each footprint is turning a different way as the goose waddled further onto the ice. For me it’s just a fun pattern in the snow.

Footprints in the snow

Winter on the calendar is just around the corner. We’ve been experiencing winter conditions for several weeks now which is way too early for me. I’m not ready for another round of snow and cold yet. Getting out with the camera lately has been difficult. I would much prefer staying inside where it’s warm right now which is a change from the last several years. I’m trying to remind myself that I just need to dress for the weather to enjoy our winter landscape. Snow brings with it some very interesting subjects. The difficult part is those interesting subjects usually don’t show up on my schedule. I need to take advantage of a situation when it arrives. Hopefully I will begin to enjoy this season once the holidays have passed and daylight begins to increase again. This may be the year I take a week to escape to a tropical destination.

Just after the sunset

Exploring Carlos Avery State Wildlife Area

Carlos Avery Wildlife Area has been a place I’ve heard of a number of times and even view photos from but not some place I’ve been to. I just kept forgetting about it whenever I’ve decided to go out to a park for awhile. Finally I took the opportunity to explore this wildlife area this summer to see what’s there. Much of it is wetlands and lakes but there are some gravel roads that allow you to drive around and see some of the scenery and wildlife living in this large protected place. I arrived before the sun came up to enjoy a beautiful summer mornings sunrise. To make this even more enjoyable, fog started to develop just before the sun ascended above the tree tops. As the suns power continued to grow, the fog quickly disappeared leaving a heavy dew engulfing all of the plants near the ground.

A bee waiting to dry off before buzzing from flower to flower

Since the dew drops were so large I decided to try and capture the mornings soft, yellow light reflecting in these drops. My efforts provided less than interesting results. As I was continuing to photograph different drops I noticed a bee sitting on one of the still blooming flowers. As I studied the bee further I saw all of the dew drops preventing it from flying away. And since it was a cool morning the bee wasn’t moving much at all. I set up the camera for close up photos since I knew the bee wouldn’t bee going anywhere real soon. With the camera lens inches away I snapped photos until I had one that was nice and sharp. The wind was beginning to pick up moving this flower around so it took a few tries of clicking the shutter at just the right time to capture the flower and bee in focus before they swayed away again. Wind can be very frustrating sometimes when you want sharp photo in the early morning light causing the shutter to be slower. Still a fun challenge.

Blue Gentian

As the day went on and I continued exploring Carlos Avery I came across several different late season flowers blooming away under the warm sunlight. One that really stands out against grasses and ferns is Blue Gentian. One of the few true blue wildflowers around. It’s so striking but I always continue to look for an open flower. It always appears to be just about to open but never actually seems to. Part of the interest I guess. As the afternoon approached, clouds increased and a stray shower passed by. There were even a few cracks of thunder with a lightning bolt flashing from time to time. Staying mostly dry I continued exploring different trails to see what treasure may lay ahead.

Rain showers passing by

Many of the interesting finds on this late summers day where interesting mushrooms of different sizes,colors, and shapes from the wet, cool days just before. I could have spent most of the daylight just photographing these fungus but I would have given up opportunities to explore other areas. I expect there will be other trips here in the future to see how it changes throughout the year. Winter could be a fascinating time to explore some of the wetter places once they freeze over. Spring promises to provide many different bird sightings as they migrate north and early summer likely produces many blooming wildflowers. I always enjoy another place to explore beautiful days that should include an outdoor adventure.

A colorful mushroom peaking through the grass