Beacons of Light

As promised, I'm highlighting our Michigan trip again today. The Great Lakes need plenty of lighthouses, so the shoreline of Michigan is abundant with them. I got this shot of the Charlevoix South Pier Light on one of our day trips. This lighthouse replaced a wooden one in 1948. The turbulent weather definitely played a role in this image!




Here is a shot of the first lighthouse we saw on our trip, the Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse. It's been in service since 1916.



This is the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, built in 1892. It was decommissioned in 1957 after the brightly-lit Mackinac Bridge was built. We took a tour and climbed the 52 steps to the top. Whew! There isn't a light in the tower any more, which is a good thing because there isn't much room up there!




On our way home we saw the Sand Point Lighthouse, built in 1867. By 1939, there had been so much dredging and filling of the harbor that this lighthouse was no longer close to the water and became obsolete.

That's the end of the mini history lesson for today. Stay tuned for more pictures from our trip.

Mackinac Bridge

We got back from a week long motorcycle trip to Michigan last Saturday. The weather was brisk and damp most of the time, but I managed to get some pictures.

I love bridges, so of course I had to get pictures of the Mighty Mac. I've been over the bridge a few times in my life, but this is the first time on a motorcycle.

The first two days through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the UP were very gloomy and drizzly and depressing (despite the gorgeous fall color all around us.) But as we approached the bridge Sunday evening, the sun actually decided to peak out for a short time, highlighting the bridge nicely. What a welcome site!

The Mighty Mac turned 50 years old last year and it's still as beautiful as ever. The center span between the two towers is almost a mile long and the whole bridge is 5 miles long. It didn't seem that long when we crossed it. Except when we had to cross one day when it was raining and windy and the outside lane was closed due to construction and we had to ride the metal grates in the middle of the bridge for over a mile. Whew!

Here's another view. I love the cut-outs in the towers.


Here's a view most people don't bother with--the underside of the bridge. I also like geometric patterns, so I thought this was pretty cool. The water was so pretty too, lots of blues and emerald greens.


Thursday, Oct 2nd, we spent the day on Mackinac Island. I got this shot during a carriage ride. I guess the turbulent weather was good for cool looking skies, at least.

I'll be posting more pictures from our trip soon.

2008 MN State Fair

For lack of anything better to do, we went to the State Fair yesterday. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! I think it is one of the few times I've gone to the fair where the outside temperature was better than the air-conditioned buildings. Cool and breezy.

Of course, it was mandatory to go see the piggies. Piggies are the cutest things. These piglets had only one thing on their minds....FOOD.












I feel sorry for this cowboy! I guess ol' Bessie didn't want to be milked today.












We took one of the sky rides back from the far end of the fairgrounds, which gave me a great opportunity for an overhead shot of the antique tractors.











I also got a nice view of the ferris wheel from the sky ride.












We finished our day at the fair by buying our first-ever bucket of Sweet Martha's Cookies. There was a bigger crowd in front of that building than anywhere else in the whole fairgrounds! Maybe it's because she winks at you as you go by. Who can resist a cookie that winks at you?


Techie Corner
I took three shots of the Midway ride. Out of the three, I liked this one best. I like the fact that the Cuckoo Haus is still in focus in the background. I also like the silhouettes of the people.
Shot at 1/10 Sec @ F5.6, ISO 200

Busy Bee

It's almost 90 degrees today, and boy, does it feel hot in the sun! This little buzzer doesn't seem to mind, though.

Techie Corner
I used my +4 close-up filter and my 50mm lens. Manual focus, hand-held, and the bee was moving, so I'm amazed that the bee is in focus!
Shot at 1/500 Sec @ F2.8, ISO 200

Fireball Hibiscus

This is the second year for my Fireball Hibiscus plant. Unlike the tropical variety, this hibiscus can survive a Minnesota winter. And the flowers are HUGE! This flower is almost 10 inches across!





The plant has gotten a lot bigger this year. Which is remarkable because it gets cut back to the ground each year. All this is new growth for the season. I love the pretty flowers. Each flower opens for one day and then it dies. But there are plenty of buds on each stalk, so there is at least one open flower every day.







Here is what it looked like last year. It looks positively puny in comparison! This year it has pretty much engulfed that whole corner. I wonder how big it will get next year? Hmmmmm.