Tag Arvhies: mittenz

Flying High

Posted on by

Okay!  I finally have 2 seconds to rub together, so it’s finally photo blog time!  In case you haven’t seen my latest posts on Buzznet or Facebook, you don’t know that on last Friday evening, Tom took me flying in his Cessna 150!  It was AMAZING!!!  I consider it one of the greatest days in my life!  It is just SO much fun up there!  I was really worried that I would be nervous or get scared, but I didn’t at all!  Tom agreed that if I was scared he would bring me right back down!  It wasn’t necessary!  So, anyways, let’s get started!


Here is Tom bringing out the plane!


This is the dash board and all the instruments!  It was cool watching Tom inspect everything before take off!  It was also cool when he was talking to other planes and pilots on the ground to let them know where we were and that we were up there too!


Here we are on the tarmack waiting to take off!





Here is the city of Cheboygan!  In the last photo you can see the privately owned grocery store, Family Fare, and Walmart beside it!


This photo is of the shore of Mullet Lake!  You can see the mansions and boats!  Most of these are vacation homes that their owners only use a few weeks each year!  There are a number of celebrities that have vacation homes in this area!  Mullet is one of the largest inland lakes up here!


While over Cheboygan, Tom saw smoke coming from Indian River, which is about a 45 minute drive in a car!  We were there in minutes!  He said, “that is a lot of smoke!  It has to be a house fire”!  So we flew down to take a look!  Sadly, he was right! You can see all of the fire and rescue vehicles too!  Later on that night, I found out on the news that the fire started with an explosion in the garage!  One man was badly burned!  I am so very sorry for these people who were both injured and the lost their home! This was one of the worst days of their life!  I debated whether or not to even post these photos!  As you can see, I chose just this one! They have been in my thoughts and prayers all week!  I have been through a fire, and although no one was inured, it was rough!


After seeing the fire, we headed back up the country side towards the Straits!  We flew right over Tom’s place!


This is the shore of Lake Huron, and I was fascinated by what we could see under the water! You can also see where the sand bar ends!  There are logs down on the bottom from when this area was being logged and settled!  It was very cool!  The land in front of the photo is my first shot of Bois Blanc Island!


Here is the BEAUTIFUL Bois Blanc Island!  Most of the homes are on the shoreline!  There is a road that runs through the middle, but it was hidden by the trees!  To get there you have to take a car ferry boat or fly in!


The green roof down there is Tom’s parents home!  He has one too, but you can’t see it clearly from up in the air!  I did get a really good look at their beach, and was impressed!  One day Tom is going to take me up there and we are going to hike the 5 miles up to his house!  That is a very long hike for me, but I am really looking forward to it!


We happened to fly over a freightor carrying ore!  It was a huge boat, but you can’t really tell that from the photos!


Here you are looking at Bois Blanc Island, Round Island, and Mackinac Island all in one shot !  If you look at Mackinac, you can see the Grand Hotel, as well as the fort !  Mackinac Island is one of the most exclusive vacation spots in the United States!  People come from all over the world to vacation there!  There are no vehicles with an engine there!  You have to go everywhere either by horse, horse carriage, or bicycle!  It is really impressive!  Back when we had our business, my dad and brother put our equipment on a barge in the off season, but before winter hit, and drilled several wells up there!  I was very nervous about our rig and water truck falling off the barge!  Oh, I should have said that you can reach Mackinac Island by taking a ferry boat from either Mackinaw City or St Ignace!


Here is an attempt at a selfie with Tom!  He looks great, but I am blurry! It was fun wearing and talking through the head sets! He is so handsome! ( :




These are all shots of Mackinaw City!


This shows all the hotels that border Lake Huron as you are going north into Mackinaw City (we were flying south when I took this)!  They are VERY expensive in the summer months!  Many close altogether as do many businesses in the winter months!


I will end with my favorite shot of the day! I know you have seen this one already, but I want you to see it again! (:  Here is our Mighty Mack with the freightor going underneath in the shipping lane!

Well there you have it!  I apologize for this being so long!  I took over 300 photos, so it was very hard to choose which photos to include!

I also have to say THANK YOU, TOM!!!  It was so very nice of him to take me!  I hope to get up there again soon! ( :

Hiking and Fishing With Trevor

Posted on by

Sunday was put aside for Trevor and I to hang out before he heads back up to college!  We had set out on our journey with the plans being, he would catch trout to go with the dinner he was planning to cook for us!  Lucky for me, trout fishing is done out in the forest with nature all around! While he fished, I shot photos!  That said, let’s get started :






Trevor knew about this awesome old train bridge over the Maple River that he thought would be a good place to catch fish!  I had no idea it was even there, and it is only about 1 mile from our apartment! (:  While he fished from the bank, I climbed up the steep hill and onto the train bridge itself!  Since we don’t have any trains up here anymore, the bridge has been converted in order to be a part of the Michigan Snowmobile Trail!





Here is the view from the top, in all 4 directions!  The Maple isn’t very deep right here!  The water level is very low again this year, but you can see that in years past it was much higher!



Here is us on the train bridge!  Trevor has no idea that I even took this shot of him!  Shhh!  Don’t tell him, okay?! (:  I was having a very bad hair day, but you can see how much weight I have lost, so I included this shot!  I just wish my pockets hadn’t been so full of everything under the sun!  I think that I would have looked better with them empty!


I think that these are Baneberries, but I am not sure!  They are also very similar to choke cherries, so maybe that is what they are!  The ones in our complex are a bit different, but I am sure there are many types of choke cherries!  I imagine the birds and the bears love them! 


There were a few of these flowers up by the bridge itself!  I have fallen in love with them!  Does anyone know what they are?  JJ?  Annie?  Hersh?



Since we struck out at the train bridge, we headed over to the Dam!  This is still Maple River btw!


This is the back side of the dam!  The actual concrete part of the dam is on the other side of the road!  Unlike the train bridge, this section of the river bank isn’t as steep!  There are trails to follow all along the river’s edge,which I did!  Trevor had several good nibbles here, but didn’t actually catch any fish!



Here are the trails that are off into the forest!  I love the way they look so rugged but beautiful little paths!


I am not sure if this is the work of beavers or the current, but I thought it looked pretty cool over on the other side of the river!


This tree branch resembles a spider web, but this wasn’t done by a spider!   This is fishing line, some even have sinkers on them where fishermen have cast their line only to have it get tangled up in the tree!  I thought it was rather funny!  Trevor said that some of it might be his from earlier fishing trips! ( :


Here is the view looking down the river!  I bent down on one knee to photograph a leaf while I was out here on the river’s edge, and was actually  down about 2 seconds before I jumped up and realizing that I was kneeling on wet marshy weeds and mud! My pants were indeed wet! (:


This is more trees, sticks, and roots that have spent some serious time under water and in the current!  The bark is all stripped off, and the white of the wood shines! It looks freshly polished! This is also my 2nd favorite shot of the day!


I looked across the river and into the dense forest, and realized just how lush and green it is!  I love nature!!!


Trevor moved over to where the river bends and that is where he got his nibbles and tugs on his line!


Somebody left behind their Whoopin Stick!  Well that is what we call it up here! (:


This is just where the trail is right directly beside a shallow part of the river!  I liked the way it turned out with the reflection from the sky!  It sure would have been nice to have a sunny blue sky kind of day, but we didn’t!


I found this and it gave me the sadz!  It is still supposed to be summer!  We are not ready for this yet!



Just down the trail we found this!  We figure it was done by a woodpecker, but there is no way to know for sure without seeing one!  What are your opinions, my fellow nature lovers?



This tree fell over into the river and made a beautiful design with it’s roots!


I was suprised to find this big blob of foam on the water!  I never thought to ask Trevor why this happens!  I mean he is about to earn his first degree in Biology specializing in fish, so he should know!


There once was a babbling brook!  In spring there is always a lot of water in this little stream that flows into the Maple River!  I am not sure where it originates!  But I always love how those tiny green leaves grow on that big old fallen tree trunk!  Some people have stepped on the top of it this year, which bums me out!  They don’t have to ruin it!  There is a log bridge that goes over the brook and onto the last leg of the trail !


On our way back to the van, I decided to stop and take a shot of the pretty thistle that is growing everywhere up here right now!  It is such a beautiful shade of violet!  I liked how this one was just starting to open up as opposed to the ones that are already open!


Last is my favorite shot of the day, like always! They used the old railroad ties to make a few steps as you climb up to the train bridge!  One still has the spike in it, so I had to get a shot!  I didn’t put the thistle there either!  It had just grown to the side!  I do think it adds a nice touch though!

Sorry for this being SO long, but I haven’t done one in awhile, so I thought what the heck!  I didn’t include the shots I took that day of my neighbor’s petunias, or more from the basketball court that day!  I still have no idea how we ended up at the basketball court, but somehow we did! And then…the sun came out! ( :

Let me know what photo is your favorite?

Evening Sky

Posted on by

While on my way home on Friday night, I noticed that the evening sky was BEAUTIFUL in my mind !  So, I went to my “secret place” and took a few shots that I want to share them with you!

To see the photos in full size, simply click on them!

DSC_0479

DSC_0492

DSC_0478

DSC_0483

Sky and Nature photography is typically my favorite!

My daughter doesn’t like the shots that are framed by the tree on the right, and the broken tree branch on the left !  The shots that I am usually  happy with, tend to be framed in some way!

Let me know what you think in the comments! ( :

Golden Curls

Posted on by

Today I had the privilege of babysitting for my two handsome nephews!  Both have big blonde curls and they are just too precious not to share!

DSC_0463

He looks so much like his daddy!

( If you wish to see the photos in full size, simply click on the photo! )

DSC_0468

Here is his big brother!

They are just precious to me!

Independence Day

Posted on by

Hi there!  I had a very quiet and emotional July 4th holiday this year!  Jordan and I went to the fireworks thinking we would be meeting a lot of family there!  Some weren’t feeling up to snuff, some were mad about things, some just didn’t show up, and in the end the only one that showed up was my dad! My mom gets a pass because she had to work! Jordan’s feelings were really hurt, and it made me cry!  This is his first 4th that he has been home for in 4 years!  He was really looking forward to the festivities!  He even bought an air mattress for the bed of his truck!  We went early at 7pm to get a good spot and to save spots for everyone else! It didn’t get dark until almost 10:30pm!  It was a long wait, and for some reason they NEVER have bathrooms there to use!  Lucky for me, the Hospice House that my mom works at is right by the fairgrounds!  I was able to walk down around the corner and use their bathroom… twice! You would think that they could put up some portable toilets for the thousand plus people that show up every year to watch the fireworks! In spite of everything, the 3 of us ended up having a wonderful time and the fireworks were magical!

I learned an important lesson!  I can’t shoot firework photos with a DSLR or an iPhone!  I pretty much suck!  Thankfully, I had my Kodak Easy Share with me and even though the batteries were almost dead, it got me through the night!

Lets start with the DSLR photos, just to prove my point!

This last shot is of the grand finale, I do actually like this one!

Now for the iPhone attempt!

Not good at all!  My friends on Instagram take brilliant photos with their phones, but I just cannot!  Here is proof ! (:

Now for the Kodak shots that I am happy with!

104_4928

As you can probably tell, I forgot to take my tripod, but I don’t think it ruined the photos!

I will end with my favorite shot of the night!  I can’t put into words why it is my favorite, but it just is!

Which photo is your favorite?

If you are in the US, I hope that you had a wonderful holiday!  If you are outside the US, I hope you are having a great weekend!  Either way, I would love to hear what you have done/are doing!

HAVE A WONDERFUL REST OF THE WEEKEND!

Thursday Tales

Posted on by

Today was a very good, but very long day!  I signed my new lease!  I went to Cheboygan!  I ate Thai food that was super yummy!  Then I went to my dad’s for the late afternoon and evening!

However, before we talk about any of that, or I show you my photos!  I have to tell on myself !  I definitely DERPED today!  We started our trip into Cheboygan with a visit to our  Chiropracter like always!  When it was my turn, I went into the room and put my things on a bench like I always do!  When I was done I gathered up my things and left like I always do!  We had been gone about 2 hours when we got a call from the receptionist asking if we had seen the Dr’s keys!  I looked into my purse and saw my keys!  We all said “No”! We forgot about it and finished up our day!  As we pulled into my apartment complex in Pellston, she called again because they had not yet found the keys, so she was double checking!  It was really bothering Gary (our Chiropracter,) that he had lost his keys!  I then had a weird feeling in the pit of stomach and looked into my purse again!  I again saw my keys!  I picked them up almost on instinct this time and under my keys were his! They had been on the bench beside my purse and when I gathered my things I thought they were mine and just pushed them into my bag!  So … COLOR ME RED!!!  I was so embarrased!  My brother had to drive back to Cheboygan and give back the keys!  Thankfully, he had other reasons for going back too, and it wasn’t just because I am a complete idiot!  I am NEVER going to live this down!  I may have to find a new Chiropracter! :(

Here are a few of the photos I shot while my brother went back to Cheboygan!

We finally have DAISIES!!!  I even caught a few bees and little bugs enjoying them too!  I love daisies because they mean we have moved from spring into summer!  Although it was only 39 degrees when we got up this morning!

I don’t know what kind of flowers these are, but JJ probably does! (:

I am not good at multi tasking!  I can’t hold the flowers and get a decent photo at the same time!  A few years ago JJ told me what these are, but I don’t remember what it was!  They grow all over up here!  If you open the round pod like things they are full of tiny, white, moist seeds!  They remind me of Cream Of Wheat! (:

The sky was so blue with pretty white clouds at about 5pm!  This is outlooking the field that used to be part of my grandparent’s farm!  I have run all over those fields with my cousins creating mischief as we went! (:

I keep mentioning my bestie JJ!  I have to bring her up again, because she has likes that lone funny shaped tree that I photograph at dusk every summer!  This was after the sunset, but the sky was still illuminated!  Am I correct in calling it “dusk”?

I hope you have had a great week too, with no stupid stunts like me!!!  I haven’t been here much because it is not only the holiday week, but Jordan is home!  That means LOTS of family time and outings!  We have been super busy, and have a few more days to go before life gets back to normal!

I want to wish a Happy 4th of July to all my American friends and followers!  I am all geared up for firework photos!  If you are outside the US, I hope you are having a wonderful week where you are!

I have missed you all so much!  Catch me up on what you have been doing this week?

Shooting Some Hoops

Posted on by

Saturday night before Kay got cut, I went with Trevor to play basketball and get a work out!  Of course, I had to take my camera and work on my action shot skills which are rather poor!  I usually blur them!  I am pretty happy with how these turned out!  So check out my AMAZING son!

The boy can jump!  I actually caught a few shots of him with both feet off the ground!  Annie does that with Hovis on the beach all the time, and I have always admired her skills! (:  However, I have never been able to focus fast enough!  Well, until now anyways! (:

The art of dribbling!  I should probably add, for what it is worth, both his dad and I played basketball in middle school and high school!  My brother played basketball too!  It kind of runs in the family!  Trevor, since his weight loss, has been playing at college with his friends for exercise!  He is trying to keep that going this summer! Luckily right behind our complex lies the elementary school!  School is out for the summer, so the playground is open to use! (:

I am SO incredibly proud of him!

He can even shoot it backwards! This made me laugh! (:

Like always, I will end with my favorite shot!  I hope to do this again sometime!  We can see how much we have both improved!

How was your weekend?

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Posted on by

My Gracie just turned 13 years old !  You know what that means? You got it right! … BIRTHDAY BLOG time!!!  We didn’t have dinner for Grace, just cake and ice cream because her actual birthday was spent at an invitational figure skating competition!  She got a really sweet jacket/coat made in Italy from her parents while at the competition, and she placed 4th overall !  Way to go Grace!  Okay, lets get started!

Of course, she had to wear The Most Awesome Birthday Hat Ever! ( :

Her Mom and Dad bought her this AMAZING gourmet birthday cake!  I wish I knew the name of the place where they got it so I could give you a link!  That place is pretty impressive!  The cake was DELISCIOUS!!!

And … the little brothers all enthused!  They were either making faces for the camera or wouldn’t look at the camera at all!  So, I just took a shot of them as they were! ( :  Gary is wearing a tshirt that says “I tried to be good, but I got bored”!  I thought that was very cute and very appropriate for this little boy! (:

I tried to get a shot of all 4 of them together, but that didn’t work out too well! (:

Here we are singing Happy Birthday, and Grace decided to join in, singing Happy Birthday to herself ! (:

Make a wish and blow out the candles!  I wonder what she wished for!?!

Now it is time for the prezzies!  Gary thought maybe he could help her out! (:

It wouldn’t be a family birthday party if Jewels didn’t photo bomb at least once! (:

I bought her “teen magazines” since she is now officially a teen!  Plus, one of them had a big poster of One Direction in it!  I knew she would love that! Harry is her favorite!  I also got her candy, but it isn’t in the photos!  She didn’t want her little brother’s to open it up and eat it all!  Neither did the grown ups! (:

She got a matching handmade wallet and purse from her family, along with some crafting supplies, and the Duggar girl’s new book about how they grew up!  Again, her “big” present was her Italian coat that I never thought to photograph when she was showing it to us!  Bad Auntie! (:  I will try to get a shot of her in it the next time I see her!  It is really cool!  Those Italians are VERY classy! ( :

Here are a few more shots of the opening of the presents!

I will end with my favorite shot of the night!  I just can’t believe that beautiful little baby girl who gave me the great privilege of becoming an aunt for the very first time, is already a teenager!

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY GRACIE!  I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!

My Visit To The Pellston Fire Department

Posted on by

 I got to visit our local firehouse here in Pellston, Michigan where I happen to live!  My brother was doing computer work for them, and he invited me over to have a look around!  Our firefighters are all volunteers, so there isn’t always a crew in the building!  I got a look at everything without disrupting anyone and was able to photograph everything that caught my eye!

So here we go…PHOTOBLOG time!

I took these as I was walking up to the firehouse!  I think it is a very pretty building, and one that we can be very proud of!

I thought I would get a few shots of the signs that were around the building!

I ventured into the upstairs of the building, and found that it had a rather eerie feel to it!  There was dust on the floor and my shoes left prints!  That tells me that no one else has been up there in some time!  I thought this cracking paint looked like something from a haunted house, so I took a quick shot of it!  It was dark so I had to use a flash!  There is a basement in the building, but I wasn’t brave enough to go down there!  Basements often have mice, and I just don’t do mice! (:

Now for the AMAZING fire and rescue equipment:

This fire engine looked so pretty!  Just seeing it makes me feel safe in my decision to live in the beautiful village of Pellston!

This is my favorite shot of the day!

Here are some of the brave firefighter’s lockers where they have their gear ready to go the next time a call for help goes out!

This antique toy fire truck is sitting on top of someone’s desk area in the main office!  I absolutely love it! One day I hope to actually meet the fire chief and photograph his office too!  I could see through the window that he has a collection of antique clocks!  That would mean another photoblog! (:

A photo of a photo! (:  On the bulletin board they have a group photo of our volunteer firefighters posing with the big fire engine!

Just before we headed off to lunch and shopping, Andy took my camera and got this shot of me sitting on my new favorite engine!

So what is fire and rescue like where you live?  Have you ever been inside your firehouse?  If so, what was your favorite part?

THANK YOU TO EVERY PELLSTON FIREFIGHTER FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY!!