My husband said he wanted to take me to see a small lake that he used to go fishing in when he was younger, called Arflin Lake which wasn't too far from where we live.
The road out to the lake was awful! It was actually blacktopped but the frost heaves had made the road extremely bumpy.
I admit, I complained about it. A. Lot.
Then I sorta whined about not seeing one, single live animal or bird to take photos of.
A. Lot.
I begged him to go off onto a non-blacktop road with the chances of seeing more wildlife.
He wouldn't, saying...."Just be patient, we are almost there!".
Can you tell he is the patient one in this couple?
He was right. It was right around the corner.
So we pulled into the parking lot where the public access site was to launch boats. It was kind of a steep hill.
I looked down and was dissapointed. Dang, there were already people there! So much for pictures!
But it was a pretty little lake...
Here is the view coming down to see the lake. See the little couple sitting in their lawn chairs overlooking the lake? They had fishing poles in the water.:
THEY were probably thinking...dang, there's people here!
We said hello, and looked at the little lake.
It was really picturesque.
Just lovely:
The man said that the deepest fishing hole was right by that big rock:
We got to chatting and found out he was retired, and she was going to work another year and retire then too. We were all grandparents. They had property in Florida where we like to visit. We found all kinds of things in common.
They were delightful!
He asked me about my camera and I told them all about my love for nature photography and how I was dissappointed today about not seeing anything to photograph.
Oh, and I did happen to mention my blog...
No sooner had we talked and I saw a duck to my left in the grass!
He was beautiful!
So, up goes the camera and I start clicking away!
A Merganser Duck:
Diving for his dinner!:
Just LOOK at his handsome head feathers, even when wet!:
He kept swimming close to us, as if posing for pictures!:
And of course: fishing for a meal!:
And I kept saying how HANDSOME he was!:
Man, he was HUNGRY!:
His feathers were marvelous!:
Finally!!!
Success!
He caught a minnow!:
Followed by a sip of water.
Whoops, fella..
you forgot to wipe your mouth!:
Of course. I was happy!
And then, all the way home, I had to listen to my husband teasing me about whining about not seeing anything.
Ok Honey, it was worth the ribbing.
Oh, and one more thing.
We saw the BEST after we saw this Merganser.
But THAT will be in another blogpost.
Let's just call this a cliffhanger, shall we?
25 comments:
Oboy! Well, I know I will enjoy it, as I always enjoy your posts, and this one. Yes, he was posing for you, that beautiful duck!!
Wonderful pictures... again! Thank you!
Looks like the perfect place!
Pearl
You have such an eye for taking awesome pics. Makes one feel as if they are actually there with you ... love visiting you. TTFN ~ Marydon
Once more, thanks for sharing your wonderful blog. I'm really glad you don't have advertising, but I do think Panasonic would be smart to buy an ad. Of course, the skill of the photographer counts for a lot. In looking to see if I'd overlooked an ad, I did see your awards. Congratulations!
Can't wait!!
How nice to have met such cool people!!
beautiful photos...persistance pays off for the duck and for your hubby...lol. and now i sit and wait for the next post...
DJan: I do love me some ducks! :-}
Wendyytb: Glad you stopped by and glad you liked them!
Pearl: It was a really nice little lake.
Blushing: Thanks so much!
Anonymous: Thanks so much. I have received many more awards, but I stopped putting them on the blog and participating in them because you have to name favorite fellow bloggers and I had a hard time excluding some for the sake of others, so I stopped listing or posting the ones I got. I was very grateful for them, but I just decided to stop participating.
Jientje: Yes, they were very nice and fun to visit with out there.
Brian: It is fun to wait for each other's blogs to see what comes next, isn't it?
Beautiful, beautiful. Oh take me with you next time. It reminds me of the joys of my childhood. Lakes. Wonderful adventure playgrounds...
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WENT TO MINNESOTA OR CANADA!!! I love those big boulders...the shots are wonderful!!
Machinist's Wife: Lakes are always magical, aren't they? And lakes with ducks??? Priceless!
Cathy: I know! That is what our Lake Michigamme is like too...lots of rocky shore and cliffs. I can't get enough of rugged landscapes and water...ever!
You have a great eye for photography, and I really enjoy the way you connect a story to them!
I love those types of lakes, small and tucked away in the woods. Sounds like you had a nice time and you really got some great pictures.
Gorgeous photos. Great color, action shots, water movement, beautiful sky, and wonderful compositions. You are just too good. Thanks for sharing the great discovery. I will be back in a week.
Cheryl: Thanks so much!! I love going out and taking the photos for the blog.
Catherine: I love those little lakes in the woods too. I did have a great time...I always do when we go out exploring!
L.D: Thanks so much! I sure love taking pictures of ducks. I never met a duck I didn't like. :-} I will have to check your blog today to see where you are going for a week.
I am going to Kenosha for the weekend, so I won't be blogging everyday either. I will try and do some ahead, but I don't think I will have time to do too many ahead.
another great desktop photo: arflin lake. I love it.
Oh, I loved this post, hearing about your drive to the lake, LOL and meeting that couple and then the wonderful photo's of the duck. I am so looking forward to your next post my friend, luv ya...Hugs
Wow... I'm loving your pics...
My Travelogue, Thozhi-Mitr-Friend, Savoir-Faire
Don and I used to have the same reaction-Dang! People!!
What a chuckle.
And what great pictures-so clear. Loved the duck and glad you met some nice folks.
Grannyann: Glad you liked them enough for another desktop photo! I loved that duck, especially his head. The lake was very picturesque too.
Bernie: Glad you liked this blogpost. We always go on some kind of adventure. ha I will try not to whine so much next time when I don'ty see animals. Actually, my husband is right, we have been very lucky thus far to see the wildlife we have. :-}
Mitr: So glad!!!
Sue: yeah. Like we are the only ones allowed to enjoy an entire lake. ha I was sure because they were there, we wouldn't see any wildlife! How wrong I was!
Doesn't it seem as if the presence of people always spoil the look of nature? A good conversation can make up for that though. You got some great nature photos after all though. The duck is wonderful. I only get mallards here. And I just love cliffhangers!
As usual , great pics! No wonder someone was admiring your camera. Must add, your keen eyes too!
Great photos. That little lake is just beautiful. I love to fish and envy that couple sitting there. What a small world when you meet people that have so much in common in unusual places!
Beautiful duck...his coloring with the green lake water makes for great photos!
Ratty: You are the MASTER of cliffhangers. ha
Keats: You are so sweet!
Judy: I love to fish too. And I love to eat the catch!
Wanda: yes, the reflection of the green trees in the water against his rusty brown head was great. I lucked out!
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