Gazing at Winter’s Austere Beauty

The other day my friend Kathy wrote a blog about gazing that struck a chord with me so deeply that I’ve had to revisit her post at least three times. Her words hung with me Sunday when Tony and I visited a new-to-us place on the Leelanau Peninsula, and so we took a little more time examining the woods than we normally might when freezing rain threatens. (It held off until we went into the grocery store, soaking our bags on the way back to the car.)

In which I run, and ski, and photograph the in betweens

Just when I had resigned myself to staying inside for the remainder of my blue-sky Friday, the snowplow went by, clearing the way for an afternoon walk. I suited up appropriately and then left the house. Less than a half mile through the four-mile trek, I decided to try running half of it. I wasn’t dressed great for a run – too warm in my down coat among other added layers – but I was eager to try the Yak Trax for the first time, and if you’re a runner (or a previous runner), then you know how strong the pull is once the idea has crept into your brain. However, it’s been…well I don’t know how long it’s been. Suffice it to say it’s been a while since I’ve run because even though we have a treadmill, the only thing it gets used for is cool-downs from other workouts. And because I don’t like to run miles through melty, squishy snow, or in snow drifts. So, I settled for two miles so that I wouldn’t get overheated, and because we had planned to ski Saturday morning (I didn’t want to overdo it).

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!

Wonderful Winter Wednesday

Today was a perfect Up North day. The sun rose through a light morning haze, painting the sky a light peach before burning off the clouds. By mid-morning, blue skies dominated and temperatures soared – all the way up to 30F (-1C)! By the time the afternoon rolled around, I had a serious case of cabin fever. I stretched the Yak Trax onto my trail shoes and went for a walk with Mom.

UP and Away

Phew, have we been busy! Jess and I took a photography field trip (which she has diligently blogged about, and I have not) on Tuesday, and then on Thursday, Tony and I left for a long weekend in the UP. My normally linear mind is struggling with not sharing about the Tuesday outing, but I have decided to go with the U.P. trip first. Here goes: