Spring break up in the U.P.!!

I am getting closer to finishing my winter photos for you

and looking at Spring!

Winter "breakup" in the Upper Peninsula is an exciting time.

Rivers and lakes melt, causing rushing waters down our many waterfalls...

Wild birds begin migrating up from the south...

and the sun shines and gives us that FABULOUS fresh air.

One of the first signs of Spring that I look forward to every year

is spying the first goose back from the south....

I love the big ice chunks that float down the rivers when they break up:

Geese pair at the river:

Our lake with fog and ice!:

And again in black and white!:

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I hope Spring (and now officially summer after the Memorial weekend?!)

is treating you well...

I am happy that my photos are "catching up" to Spring!

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You only have a few more days to enter your May 2012

FREE PHOTO CONTEST photo!!!

The theme is:

MAILBOXES!

Get yours in before midnight, May 31st, 2012

following these RULES.

You don't have to be a Blogger to enter!

Beautiful Spring Here, but the Pictures are from March and are for the birds (in a GOOD WAY!)!

We are having a beautiful spring here...but today

I am still posting some March photos

that I took of some ice here in the U.P.

Love, love woodpeckers!:

I think this is a brown thrasher...does anyone out there know?:

Just LOOK at that head crest!:

 

 

 

 

I love birds, no matter what the season...but in winter, it is so nice to see so much life out there....

Now? My yard is full of spring singing birds, nests and a ton of butterflies...

more on THAT later....

We have a WINNER for April 2012's FREE PHOTO CONTEST: Theme: SHOES!! and revised to correct the May contest theme as MAILBOXES> LOL

Hi everyone!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you all

in announcing who won

our April 2012's

FREE PHOTO CONTEST~!

Theme? was:

SHOES!!

(For those of you new to my blog, just click HERE to see all the entries into that month's contest).

Without further delay,

HERE

IS

YOUR

WINNER!!!!!:

Congratulations!

to

Sara D.

Her blog is called: "Greyt Days". Make sure you stop by her blog, it is delightful!

The Judges made the following remarks on Sara's photo:

--"Great take on the theme!"

--"love the composition with the horse's tail leading the eye in this"

Thanks to EACH and EVERY one of you who entered...your talents are amazing and I love that you keep entering with your creative shots.  We all enjoy your entries so much!

Special mention also goes to:

--Charlie S.

--Marie B.

--Kirk G.

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And what is the theme for MAY 2012's

FREE PHOTO CONTEST???

(I know this is late notice, as your pictures are due no later than midnight, on May 31st!!)

is:

MAILBOXES

You don't have to be a blogger to enter...just follow THESE RULES!

Good luck!!

Winter Trucks, Farms, Rivers, Ice and Ducks!

A variety of winter shots today for you...

working my way through March photos

to catch up to May!

I loved loved this old rusty truck we saw beside the road, full of snow!:

Here is it is, closer yet:

Lovely farm against a winter sky:

Loved the red barn and gate against the winter white!:

A winter date!:

Winter river with open water..rare here, as they usually all freeze over with ice!

We often go down one road that has rock cliffs so we can

see the awesome ice on them:

The glaciers left behind this boulder in the middle of the woods!:

Here's hoping you can find some Spring beauty where you are today!

I know I am!

Have been busy going out and capturing wildflowers and birds with my lens...

so stay tuned, they will be posted in my blog in the future!

Birds and Winter Scenes Continue!

I have been out taking a zillion Spring photos here in the U.P.

over the past few weeks,

and still have some winter ones to show you!

I think this is a Brown Thrasher.

We had never had this bird in our feeders before:

The Sturgeon River winding its way to Canyon Falls in January:

The track was so packed on the way to Canyon Falls, that we didn't even need snowshoes to hike in!:

I think I take a photo of this tree every season that I take the walk down to the falls...I just love how it "hangs on" with its roots:

Five mighty pines laden with snow against the blue, blue Janaury sky:

This hardy pair of mallards stayed on open river waters near Michigamme all winter!:

I LOVED this snow ladened tractor by the barn when we went for a winter ride...

I made my hubby stop the car so I could capture it with my lens!:

I hope something makes you stop your car today

to capture your imagination and let you linger on the wonders of nature!

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Don't forget to enter your May 2012

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

picture!!

The theme is

SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Muskrat Love and Snow and Ice....

We were drving down the highway one winter day

and I spotted something low to the ground

running it's little legs as fast as it could.

I had no idea at that time what aminal it was!

Of course, I had my hubby pull over to the side of the road

IMMEDIATELY!

(Luckily there was no other cars behind us!)

And?

He is used to me yelling at a moment's notice: "HONEY!! STOP the car!

so I can get out and take a photo of something that strikes my fancy.

He had seen it too...we were guessing as we were trying to get the car off the road without killing ourselves what the heck it might be.

As soon as we got closer, we both exclaimed at the same time:

"MUSKRAT!!!!"

He was waddling down the side of the highway as fast as he could as I was running behind him tryng to get a good picture.

I was careful not to scare him and stopped when he stopped.  We have seen them before, but not that close.

I was amazed at the length of his tail!:

Several cars went by.  (Probably saying to themselves: "look at that crazy lady chasing a muskrat! I'm going to post this on Facebook for sure!)

I was afraid he was going to run ON the highway, but luckily

he finally climbed the snowbank

and ran to the woods.

Whew!

But I was so glad we saw him and that I got some shots of him before he disappeared.



So, then I calmed down...

and took some "normal" winter shots.

I was also surprised to see an oak leaf on TOP of the snow.

That little guy must have hung on to its Mother Tree as  hard as he could

until Nature decided he better let go.

I just love going in the woods in the winter and listening to the quiet.

I was surprised to see a river with open water...usually they all freeze over.

But our winter was weird this past year, much warmer than usual.

Snow and ice on the rock cliff beside a frozen waterfall:

We wondered what left THESE tracks in the snow...

Part of the fun of going out to take photos (during any season)

is never knowing WHAT you are going to see....

alive or not....

More Lake Superior and River Photos from this Winter!

Lake Superior is pretty

no matter what the season.

It is just harder to get outside when it is cold to face

the icy wind coming off the lake to take photos of it.

But, last winter, braved it, I did.

I am glad now that I took the time as it is beautiful even when it is frigid.

These pictures were taken before the lake got more ice...
it got ice in the bay this winter after I took these shots.

I also went on our annual snowshoe hike into Canyon Falls
and got some pictures of the river....but the falls were almost frozen over,
so I didn't get shots of those!

In case you are wondering what that long structure is on the right in this photo,

it is a set  of ore docks where trains run along the top and pour iron ore into

ore boats by lowering the chutes onto the boats:

I loved the winter sky and moon the day I was there:

We never see black squirrels here ---

but for a few weeks one showed up and then we never saw it again....

A shot of the Sturgeon River on its way to Canyon Falls:

No pictures of the falls, but the cliffs beside the falls had amazing ice and snow patterns clinging to them:

There was an instructional sign on the tree leading to the falls.

My husband makes birch bark frames out of white birch bark and yellow birch bark

but we never harm live trees like this one...we take the bark from dead, downed trees.

Yes, I am a lucky gal to have a husband so helpful!:

I am slowly getting to and through my winter photos for you

so I can get caught up to Spring!