Notes from the Woods

seeing · environment · exploration · photography
Lake Superior Microburst and Waterspout

Lake Superior Microburst and Waterspout

Season changes bring some turbulent and chaotic weather in the Great Lakes. Lake Superior is known to be particularly temperamental. Recalling a day from 2015 when I was in Michigan's Upper Peninsula photographing autumn color in mid-October, the weather was looking...

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Year of the Tiger

Year of the Tiger

When I was doing a little research for my Dune Dragons series years ago during the last solar eclipse, I become more interested in Chinese Astrological symbolism - but it sort of fell away. The 12-year repeating animal cycle has some interesting history, but when you...

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Amethyst Sage Agate with dendrites

Amethyst Sage Agate with dendrites

Sometimes I wish I had a more systematic way of mining my archives. The logical assumption would be to simply go through month by month looking for photos that I haven't developed yet or forgotten about. But the reality is I usually do it much more serendipitously,...

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Sticky Snow

Sticky Snow

While archive mining today, I came across this undeveloped photograph from New Year's Day in 2008. It is difficult to remember the specifics of that day, but the photo does offer some strong hints as to what drew me outside. It is what I refer to as "sticky snow." We...

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Squirrel Appreciation Day (Chipmunks too!)

Squirrel Appreciation Day (Chipmunks too!)

These little rascals may raid your bird feeders, entertain with acrobatics in your yard, or simply visit your campsite for a handout. Whatever your love or hate relationship is with these little mammals, they certainly deserve some credit for adaptation in our highly...

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twenty twenty-one

twenty twenty-one

Traditions have never resonated strongly with me for some reason or another. However, I suppose summarizing yearly favorites has become one of the sorts. I regret a little I didn't start it until 2007, perhaps a function more influenced by convenience. It is so much...

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Rembrandt Season

Rembrandt Season

On this Winter Solstice, temperatures have been somewhat typical here in Michigan. December always seems to be a bit of a roller-coaster ride of weather here as winter starts to assert its dominance. Not quite the winter wonderland yet, but trees have certainly...

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Color of the Year 2022 Very Peri

Color of the Year 2022 Very Peri

Pantone® announced their Color of the Year for 2022 yesterday, Very Peri. As Pantone always eloquently describes their picks, Very Peri is intended to be "a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit" as well as "a symbol of the...

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Remembering Cold

Remembering Cold

Walking one of our dogs this morning when it was 19°F (-7°C) certainly made it perfectly clear that winter is coming, by the calendar date anyway. Of course, meteorological winter already arrived 7 days ago. We've already had our first snow, first snow that sticks,...

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