Old Mission Peninsula

As a benefit of the recent time change here in northern Michigan we are able to take advantage of one more hour of daylight in the evenings. 

 A tour of Old Mission Peninsula was in order.

  It's been a while since I was last out there and it was great to visit again.

It's such breathtaking country how can you beat being surrounded by water on three sides

Liam and Audrey

Just a few images I was able to grab of my niece Audrey and my nephew Liam at a family gathering this past weekend.

Don't you just want to take em' both home.

Here's Liam as a Tyranosaurus Rex, he's a GRRRRRRREAT character actor

Summer Vacation To Canada

I was reminded recently of a trip my wife Ann and I took to a lesser know place in Canada called A-Ga-Wa Bay.  It's part of the Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario and is located on the eastern most part of the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Superior.  The wind was crazy, the waves coming off the lake were about eight feet tall. 

We drove from our hometown of Elk Rapids through the Upper Peninsula, past Sault Saint Marie, following the shoreline past Batchawana Bay, finally arriving at the A-Ga-Wa Bay campground.

The whole trip was about 5 or 6 hours in total.  There were so many amazing sights to see along the way not mention the scenery once we arrived within the park.

This place is extremely difficult to get to unless you have a 4x4 or are willing to abuse your car.

It is called Gargantua and is a small bay totally secluded and remote and can only be seen in person to describe it's splendor.  I can't wait to get back for more.

It's a Boy!

Garrett Finnigan O'Donnell was born February 7, 2008.  I was so happy to be able to visit with my brother-in-law Ray, his wife Dana and tiny Garrett this past weekend.

 Of course I HAD to squeeze in this quick photo shoot with the little guy.

Newborns chunk out so quick so it's crucial get photos of infancy within two or three weeks.  (Garret was two weeks)

Dana and Ray are already such great parents, the little man is going to have an awesome childhood.

  I can't wait to watch this little guy grow up.

Looking for the spring

I know its only February but as the days slowly get longer and longer I can't avoid the sub-concious countdown to spring.  Recalling the first glimpse of flowers poking through the seemingly dead and frozen earth.  Case in point: the Trillium one of our first flowers to bloom.

 Don't get me wrong, I love winter, it has many redeeming qualities.  Here's me in my backyard taking advantage of one of few sunny days.

 I am very impatiently waiting for a day like this: (also in our Backyard)

Dog Party!

If you can imagine for a bit that 30 degrees is actually warm for those who live near the 45th parallel.  We do live half way between the North Pole and the Equator, if you think about if my dog Timber (the brown, short haired, Catahoula Leopard Dog) headed south for one quarter of the distance around the earth and my wife Ann's dog Dugan (the Collie) headed North for the same distance they would both probably feel pretty comfortable.  So us living where we do is a compromise for our two dogs being slightly miserable during different times of the year.  Who says dogs don't own their people.

BREATHTAKING! (in more ways than one)

My wife Ann and I recently went on a sun searching trip to the west side of Leelanau County.  Anyone who has spent at least one winter in northern Michigan can attest to the fact that is cloudy at least 95% of the time here during the colder months.  Needless to say we were in need of some rays so we hopped in the car and followed the sun.  It took us through Traverse City (we were tempted to stop and watch a movie at the newly remodeled State Theater) up M-72 on the west side of town and all way to the quaint little town of Empire.  Once we arrived in Empire we meandered through a few side streets until we arrived at the beach.  It was blowing a steady thirty miles an hour and was about 20 degrees so we opted to stay in the car and soak up some rays through the windshield.  As the sun was about to go down we headed north toward Glen Haven, an abandoned fishing village that has since been acquired by the National Parks Service and is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore.  The lighting here was so amazing I couldn't resist the urge to take a few photos.  We ended the peaceful evening at Boonedock"s in Glen Arbor, a must for anyone visiting the area.