Wordless Wednesday

My neighbors’ barn under the stars – lit by the full moon on the opposite side of the sky.

A Visit to Stone Gate Farm

I’ll be brief: my neighbors rock. They share conversations, lend us tools, help on patio renovations, plow the drive, and now they’ve even let me come over to photograph their red barns in the snow…and all I do is share baked goods as a thank you. They must think their neighbors do not rock. More treats must be in order.

The other night on Facebook, I unceremoniously invited myself over to their place. To Gary: “I meant to send you an email earlier about pics…as in, can I come over and take snowy photos of your barn?” His reply: “Any time Heather, no invitation is ever needed…!” See? They are awesome. I suited up at noon and walked over for lunch…which you might think would give road crews enough time to clear the road. Nope. Snow pants and boots were in order.

I traipsed down their driveway for a few shots, slogged out through the snow for some more, and then crossed into the pines on the edge of the property for a couple more. Satisfied, I waved to Jill (had I known she was home, I would’ve happily chatted), and returned home for a bite.

The day was so spectacular though, that I soon found myself back in my snow gear for the four miles around the block – this time having waited long enough for the plow. The surface wasn’t too bad, but I was regularly pelted by tufts of snow blowing out of the trees. As I crested the last rise, Gary pulled up beside me in his truck. When he asked if I had stopped by, I replied that I had, but that I’d be back since the light was better.

I stayed home for the rest of the day, finishing up the work I had left to go walking. After dinner we took a quick drive, but I wasn’t camera-compelled until sunset. Sunset! We had one! We’re seeing these more often now – perhaps spring is on the way…though it didn’t look much like it as I trudged through deep snow for the pictures. It was worth it 😉

Report from the Field

Today was another splendiferous day Up North. Though it wasn’t quite as brilliantly blue as yesterday, it was more than sunny enough to make me itch for outdoor adventure all work-day long. Fortunately (for my paycheck), I had enough serious tasks to tend to that I managed to stay relatively focused all day. By 5:02pm however, I had texted Tony that I was going walking, and was out the door.

Old Mission Outings

More than two weeks ago, Jess and I took a photography field trip up the Old Mission Peninsula. It was a dramatic kind of day. The temperature was in the single digits, and the wind chill was well south of zero. Parts of the sky were clear with bright sun spilling through, and other parts were heavily clouded with snow pouring down. Since it was so cold out, our field trip consisted of multiple brief stops where we’d hop out of the car, frame a few shots, then run back to the car to warm up.

I intended to share the photos sooner, but with one thing and then five, it didn’t happen. And then I accumulated more. Chances are, since the weekend is ahead of me, that I will be accumulating even more photos, so while Tony and I are out skiing this morning, I’m going to share. This way we can all move on with our lives 😉 In addition to this morning’s outing, we’re going to check out a chocolate festival in Boyne City and then maybe go for a hike tomorrow. What plans do you have?

Happy Weekend!

Baby It’s Cold Outside

The weather behaved a bit atypically on Thanksgiving Day. We enjoyed mid-sixties, albeit with quite a bit of wind – downright balmy by Up North standards. By the end of the day, though, things were cooling off, and the sky was dropping flakes by 9am Friday – about four hours earlier than predicted. Mom and Dad took a break in da U.P. from our renovation while the tile sets, and ended up in a blinding snow for their troubles. They’re back now, and Mom has taken over my kitchen, not following the soup recipe she has pulled up, but making dinner, so I am not complaining one bit.