Winter is here

Winter has arrived. There was a time when winter meant about six to seven months where I had to mentally shut down my anticipation of any outdoor fun. Snowboarding changed all that and I can't wait for the snow to dump. It's sort of like, "I can't wait to hit the beaches and have fun,"...winter style.

E.J. Fire Hall

East Jordan fire hall with a visually interesting apparatus on the top there. It looks like some type of siren.

Downtown East Jordan

Downtown East Jordan.

Barbershop with a Boar's Head

It seems like the more I want to take photos of a bustling city or new exciting place, the more I find myself in an environment that's the opposite of that. On my days off I'm often fixing my car and taking care of errands which also cuts into my wandering for photography. It's ok though because when I submit to the notion that I don't need to travel to some distant exciting land to take pictures, I find my photographic outings, however fleeting they might be, are fun and fulfilling. While walking through East Jordan yesterday, the town was mostly void of people. This barbershop scene caught my eye through the storefront window. That wall on the back is very typical Michigan (and I'm sure other states have them also) with the oddities. There's a boar's skull, next to another skull of an animal, pictures of fish and there are also some snowshoes. Of course there's a small circle of chairs to the right where I'm sure most of the world's problems are solved.

House Near Woods

It fascinates and intrigues me to come upon these homesteads that seem to have lost their tenants. In Port Oneida there are so many wonderful homes on these beautiful plots of land and although the photo doesn't show trees in their full summer splendor, it's fairly simple to see why the locations were chosen for a home.

In the Woods

Here's an old house and old car in the woods. They are in separate locations but in the same county.

Oneida House #3

Lately I've been wandering around Port Oneida because there's so much natural beauty and so many well-preserved remnants of bygone times such as this place here.

No Deer Heads

It's opening day of Michigan firearms deer hunting season.

White Beulah Car

This was taken in Beulah about a month ago.

Bar Harbor

Harbor Springs, MI

Bless America

This is another roadside find which can be spotted along U.S. 31 between Honor and Beulah. This is part of a group of metal creations which include some bugs, this America-themed set as well as some Disney characters like Goofy and Pluto.

Snoopy's Dog House

Check out this great find while driving around today. It's Snoopy's dog house (says "Snoopy" above the doorway) in the back of golf cart #1 as its battery is being charged, complete with a spare battery on the passenger side floor. The cart appears to be equipped with a high and low beam headlight setup. A bit random but the blue of the cart, red of the building and uniqueness of the scene is fun.

Iceman Cometh

The Iceman Cometh arrived this year with actual ice which isn't always the case. Last year had mild temperatures and the year before wasn't too bad either. Every once in a while though the snow seems to arrive especially for this event.

Patterns of Empire

It was a productive day so I spent my small amount of free time during the evening by setting out for the village of Empire. With most of the tourists away it feels like I have the entire Sleeping Bear National Dunes Lakeshore to myself. It's fun exploring these small surrounding areas in a more relaxed atmosphere.