18 Below and Beautiful!

Sunrise and Sea Smoke over the Susie Islands on January 19, . This morning when I saw that the temperature was well below zero (a rarity this winter!), I knew that there was going to be plenty of sea smoke (steam) rising off the waters of Lake Superior. So, I headed to my favorite place to make photographs of the steam. It's difficult heading outside on such a cold morning, but the spectacular photos make it worth the effort!

Show Opening

Today was the opening of my photography show in Greenfield. Weather was cool, overcast, and some rain. Not a pretty day. Sun peeked out for a couple minutes. Rain again in the evening.
The show is being held in an old opera house. The structure is being refurbished/renovated. I got a tour the the building this evening. The original proprietor (E. E. Warren) lived in an apartment of the building. This evenings photo is of the building with the light drizzle in the air.
Some visitors came in to tour the exhibits. Many commented that they liked the photographs (but then who would say they didn't like them with the photographer right there!)
No visitors in the evening open hours. If the weather improves overnight, I want to ride the T-Bone trail (Atlantic to Audubon, IA).

Devil's walking stick

Devil's walking stick, Aralia spinosa.
I grabbed onto one of these on a steep trail once, and really wished I hadn't. Floridata calls it "one of the most viciously spiny things in the vegetable kingdom".
Since then I've been a lot more aware of them. But until I looked up the latin name just now, I didn't realize that this was the same plant I'd been trying to identify since the spring.
Before the leaves fell off, and also when in bloom, it reminded me of an oversized elderberry. (But prettier, really -- click the top link.)
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Edited to correct a typo. Too anal to let it stand once I'd noticed it. Sorry sorry sorry.

National Trails Day

Today was National Trails Day. I spend the day at CAMBA's Festival of the Trail in Wisconsin. The day started sunny, comfortable (about 60), and no wind. I slept in a bit - finally got up after 6am.

Checked out Cooper's for breakfast. Good place to eat. Coffee is $0.99. Special was eggs, meat, potatoes, & toast for $5.99. Such a deal!

On to OO Trailhead. Scoped out the skills class they were conducting. Little different than the last time I attended the Festival. Still does not compare to the course I saw at Midwest MtB Fest in Quad Cities. The upper photo is one of the skills whey were teaching - riding up and over a little hill, with a turn.

At the trailhead, there was a taped off chute coming from the woods, crosses the road, under the ski-race hut, and disappears into the wood. I asked and found out the at Mt. Borah Epic race was coming though this morning. I settle down and shot photos of the races as they came through (see previous posting).

By the time about all of the racers came through, the sky was overcast and threatening. I drove over to the Wilson Lake area for Taste de Trails (food). This year, the "Taste" was organized a little different. The 2 other times I attended, you rode the trail, stopping at different stations for food. This time, all of the food was under 1 tent.

Food was sponsored by the following business in the area: Brick House Cafe, Coop's Pizza, Delta Diner, Namakagon Grocer, and Rivers Eatery. Seems that they had plenty food for the riders.

I had the bike with me, but just did not feel like riding. The weather was turning for the worse, spitting rain, cold, and raw. On the way back to my motel, I detoured to one spot where I could get my ticket punched along the road.

That done, it was time for a nap until the mountain bike party with food, beer, videos and music. The party was up in Cable at Rivers Eatery. The place was packed. I ordered my pizza and a beer. It was not comfortable outside under the tent, but that's where I sat for dinner (with a couple other folks). Did not say very long after I had eaten - just too raw. I headed back to Hayward to my warm motel room.

'Victorian Gold Laced' Primrose

This primrose is a recent addition to the garden.

Santos

WOW - really nice trail system. Rode for nearly 2 hours yesterday morning. Sure was relaxing. Rode both yellow and some blue trails. The whole trail system is awesome.
I see why it is rated EPIC. Nice "skills" area. Saw some of the free ride area from the Dog Bone trail. Planning to be back on my way home.
Watch for more photos on the way back and on the web site when I get home.
Now visiting the "Mouse". Not much riding arouind here. Will have to get out someplace tomorrow.

Yes, it was still a good year for fall color!

(Above and below: Morning reflections on Turtle Lake)
Despite the frequent claims by many people that this was a "bad" year for fall colors, I was still able to find plenty of good color. True, I had to look a little harder than I normally do, but as long as you spent a lot of time out in the woods there was still plenty of autumn beauty to be found. This is a collection of fall color images taken at various times over the month of October. Enjoy!

(Below: Fallen maple leaves on Old Highway 61)

(Below: Vibrant Maples)

(Below: Sunlit Maples)

(Below: Maple Forest)

(Below: Maple Forest Abstract... Sometimes its fun to play around with shutter speeds and create some abstract images with an otherwise "ordinary" scene. This image is a 1/2 second exposure of a stand of Maple trees. I shot the image hand-held, without the use of a tripod and panned the camera vertically during the 1/2 second exposure).

(Below: Mountain Ash trees on Grand Portage Bay)

Places Where Things Happened

"NO PLACE IS A PLACE UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENED THERE...A PLACE YOU COME BACK TO TIME AND AGAIN AND STAY LONG ENOUGH TO LEARN FROM IT...A PLACE THAT EVENTUALLY FORCES NOSTALGIA ON YOU." WENDELL BERRY

I'm nostalgic about both of these places; one is where I spent the first eighteen years of my life, and the other is where we've raised our own five children and made a life for the last twenty-three years. The remaining sixteen years were spent in other houses and places, but these two hold the most meaning for me.

Snowstorm, what snowstorm?

Like it has been all December, Christmas Eve morning is chock full of snow.
The fluffy white stuff has been falling all night, accumulating enough to keep snow plows busy and holiday travelers driving cautiously.
Undoubtedly, the holidays can be a stressful time of year. There's presents to buy, decorations to hang, and family gatherings to plan. For the already-stressed-out holiday consumer, bad weather only adds to the stress like snow piling up on a sidewalk.
But I've always felt that the holiday season, and life in general, are better enjoyed when you don't let the stress get to you. Sometimes, that means taking a break from your routine to collect yourself. Other times, it means making the best out of a tough situation.
For me, on Christmas Eve morning, it meant taking a break from packing for my holiday travels, lacing up my running shoes and going for a run.
Some people think it's crazy that I enjoy running outside in the winter so much. But during a holiday season snowstorm, it really doesn't get any better.
The freshly fallen snow gives the landscape a picturesque look and Christmas decorations dot the scenery in residential areas. You have to deal with the occasional unshoveled sidewalk and inconsiderate motorist. But hey, it beats worrying about the weather, doesn't it?
I wasn't the only one making the most out the weather. Several other runners could be seen out and about (met with a hearty "Merry Christmas!" from myself) and the Sibley Park hill was littered with anxious sledders. The occasional snowman/snow fort construction could also be spotted.
Overall, the run was a fairly nominal part of my day. Just 40 minutes of light jogging that could've (and probably should've) been spent packing or driving up to my parents house. But it was 40 minutes well-spent. The stresses of the holiday fell by the wayside and weather some would view as ominous became enjoyable.
Happy holidays everyone!

Wedding Photos

The photos I took of Roxzanne and Ryan Feagan's wedding are on my photography web site. I was debating about posting the photos on that site. Decided the the trail group could use the money, so all monies I get from the wedding photos will be donated to T.H.O.R. (TrailsHaveOurRespect.org).
http://win-photo.photoreflect.com

Winding up

It's been a while since I got to ride in genuinely windy conditions. That is, in part, because I've redefined what I consider to be a brutal wind after my New Zealand experience. Basically nothing I've seen since my return has measured up to my new description, until this morning. I ended up taking a ride to Binna Burra -- one of my all time favourite rides, but one I haven't done for quite a while (apart from the night ride two months ago). The Beechmont Plateau along the way is absolutely exposed to any decent wind in basically any direction. This morning it was a big, spanky old-fashioned westerly.

A wind can be considered brutal if controlling the bike takes any additional effort -- and that was the case several times this morning. Dealing with some of the gusts was a real game of cat and mouse. A lot of people would probably refuse to ride in such circumstances, but I loved every minute of it. The challenge inspired me, and it's this inspiration, the adrenalin resulting from the situation, that results in an emotional high, a sense of achievement in having taken on the elements, and won.

The scenery up there isn't bad either.

Tekapo to Mount John

Our longest walk in N Z so far. About 10 km - up to the hill top Observatory and back the longer gentler way. We followed instructions from a local leaflet.



The only map we needed on a fine summer day was the one in the picture. The tracks are clear, well signed when they diverge, and easy to walk along. I had the photo on my camera - just in case!

ready for action

not as steep as the Trig Track on Kapiti Island

out of the woods

welcome . . .

telescopes

toposcope

Lake Tekapo

Heights above sea level
Lake Tekapo: 710mMount John 1043m
So - 333m of ascent - must be around 1000ft.
Deepest point of Lake 120m