Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse

We visited the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse on Lake Huron.  It was built in 1847 and has been converted to a state park.  The park was closed and it was a cold day so we were the only ones crazy enough to be walking around in the snow and cold weather.

A flurry of Gray and white Silhouettes

Roadside images of the country side after the snow storm.  Traveling to Flint, MI from Bad Axe.  A flurry of Gray and white Silhouettes against the cloudy skyline.

There was beauty and there was Chaos

On the Way to Bad Axe Christmas Party

Scenes before the snow storm hit Huron County.  It snowed during the day and I purchased my first pair of snow boots the day before the storm swept across Northern Michigan.

Trees of Winter Grace

 There was a light snow fall which outline the fields.   Winter time brings out the simple elegance and grace of trees.  Photos taken in Kinde, Michigan in the late afternoon.

Standing Tall - Cockrell Mountain

Plants Standing tall in the wind - highway 48w to Cockrell Mountain

Cotton Fields of Alabama

Photo taken outside of Wedowee, Alabama. 

Watching the purple sky fly over me

Purple Sky

Nature's Caravan of red, gold and silver

This was an park we visited in Colorado Springs.  The landscaping of the trees really made the park a beautiful place for both kids and adults.  The park benches were under glorious shade trees and the street was decorated in a caravan of red, gold and silver trees against the backdrop of the Pike Peak mountain range 

Helen Hunt Falls

We visited Helen Hunt Falls at Cheyenne Mountains.  This is a popular place and people enjoy climbing to the top of the falls and across the bridge to look down at the water hitting the rocks.  Helen Hunt, a famed author, moved to Colorado Springs in 1873. She wrote many poems and stories about the Pikes Peak Region. She started a letter writing campaign to promote the preservation of North Cheyenne Canyon as a public park.  She became outraged by the unfair treatment of American Indians. She was outspoken in defense of the Cheyenne and Arapho people after the Sand Creek Massacre (1864) and defended the Utes after the Meekere Massacre (1879). In order to increase the awareness of the injustices suffered by the American Indians, she wrote her 2 most important books: "A century of dishonor", and "Ramona".

Bridge to the Little Church in the Wildwood

How sweet on a clear Sabbath morning
To listen to the clear ringing bells
It's tones so sweetly are calling
Oh, come to the church in the vale
Come to the church by the wildwood...

Path of the Golden Hue

The walking trail  leads into the foothills of  the Garden of the Gods.  I understand they had their first snow fall of the winter season so these trees may now be bare or will be very soon.  I was happy to capture the delicious golden hue of nature.

Angels of Stone & Halos

It is difficult to pick out just one or two favorite photos when you have such a spectacular view.  I tried to do many different angles and zoomed in as much as my camera would allow.  The far off scene looks serene and peaceful like angels of stone with white halos.

Mountain of the Dragon

The people of the earth got tired of life here and decided they wanted to leave the land behind and go to heaven. The gods were angry that the people took for granted the great gift of life and the earth. So they sent a great flood that covered all the flatlands and began creeping up the mountains. A man and woman survived the flood, swimming for days as the waters rose. Finally, they found an enormous corn stalk and fashioned it into a canoe that saved them as the water covered the mountain peaks. The gods were pleased with this man and woman. They told them they would have dominion over the earth and a mighty people would spring from them. To save them, the gods sent a dragon of great thirst from heaven to Earth. He gulped down the waters of the flood as if his thirst might never be quenched. Slowly, the waters receded down the face of the mountains, revealed the flatlands, and were once again contained in the rivers. The dragon's body swelled and swelled, but still he drank. The gods worried the dragon might drain all the water from the earth, so they turned him to stone. He is Cheyenne Mountain. The dragon is still in our midst, and you can see his horns, his flat head, the spines along his back and his bloated body.

Entrance to Legends

Entrance to the myths and Legend of Pike's Peak is how I would start a novel of the ancient civilization that lived here.

Silver Lining before the Rain

I like this particular stone formation with white/silver rock against a large grey sky. The Rain Clouds were headed our way.  It was a rainy day and dark clouds covered the area.

Garden of Cliffs

Many people automatically assume that the Native Americans named the Garden of the Gods, Colorado. However, in this case, they are mistaken. In August of 1859, two surveyors begin a town site, which would soon be called Colorado City came up with the name.

Church of Magnificent Miles

This photo was taken by DW Fallin in Colorado Springs next to Garden of The Gods.  I wonder if the local people realize the magnitude of the beauty of this church setting.   It is very small but magnificently located in the foothills with miles of mountain range.

Her lower branches were bare

Her lower branches were bare but the tall, lanky tree held on to her lovely top foliage wearing it like a hat. If trees could talk, what would they say on dark, cloudy days of rain and wind all around?  I loved "Lord of the Rings" where trees came to life and battled for good.

Nature Deserves Respect

This area was spoiled by the park personnel placing a large garbage can in front of this tree.  There was a parking lot with plenty of other spaces for garbage cans.  The gracefulness of the bare branches cried out  Why?   Nature deserves more respect then this.  I cropped the garbage out and the image reflects the way it should have been.

The Bridge to Wonderland

The bridge to wonderland leads you down a path into a fanasty world of high peaks and valleys with strange shapes and legends.   

Nature's Magic Wand

In the summer, this bridge is basically plain and nothing unusual but nature has a way of dressing up even the most plain looking and simple structures into a beautiful sight. She waves her magic wand called autumn.

Kissing above the tree tops-Garden of the Gods

The trees are so small compared to the massive rocks.  Their brillant colors stood out against the red clay peaks.  The scene looks like it belongs to "Lord of the Rings" or better "the kissing camels".

Naure's Watercolor Wash

I have studied watercolor techniques and you apply several washes to your canvas working on the different levels of color.  Working from the light to the dark and to the vibrant details as finish touches.  I applied several watercolor washes to this photo but it is pale in comparison to the real thing.

Silver Silhouette of Splendor

A silver silhouette that caught my eye among the bright autumn leaves.  A small birch tree had already lost its leaves but yet its slim branches reached out with silver splendor and touched the sky.

"From Where I Stand" Vol 3

As night falls, you try to capture every moment and breathe in all you can to carry it with you through the night. Until once again, day light comes and you can join nature in all her splendor.

"From Where I Stand" Vol 2

The veiw is endless; the limitation of the human eye cannot grasp the distance of the far beyond.

"From Where I Stand" Vol 1

The contrast in colors between the distant mountain peaks and the fall foliage was stunning to the naked eye.