Tag Archives: Michigan

Art, Nature, photography, Poetry, rivers

Trout Fishing

Photograph of the Muskegon River near Newyago, Michigan.

This is a photo of the Muskegon River, a couple miles upstream from Newaygo, Michigan. It was a favorite place to fish mostly because of its proximity to my home. This post is for my good friend, fly-fisherman, and poet, Bob Dahl, https://bob-dahl.com/

I know that feeling of great satisfaction while fly-fishing!

I’ve spent many days on trout streams catching absolutely nothing

After a long day it felt as if I had been there only minutes.

I would get lost in the craft of fly-casting,

in the nature of trees and water

wading against the unrelenting force of the river.

Those days were the most memorable – and successful – of my life.

It wasn’t so much about catching fish

as getting lost in the nothingness of myself.

 

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Comment, Everyday, Landscape, Nature, Outdoors, Photojournalism, Town, Travel, Weather

The Montague Flood – 2018

Standing water surrounding an ice cream shop in Montague, Michigan.

Standing water in Montague, Michigan after several days of heavy August rain.

After several days of heavy rain, Twisters Ice Cream shop in Montague is bounded by standing water to the south across the bicycle trail.

Butternut Creek rises with the rain, but quickly drains into the White River, which empties into White Lake. The water level in the Lake is 3 to 4 feet higher than it was two years ago. The beach on Lake Michigan, about 7 miles to the west, is almost non-existent.

Evidence of flooding on Butternut Creek in Montague, Michigan.

Buttermilk Creek in Montague, Michigan. Although the water has receded significantly, it is still much above its normal level.

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Art, Comment, Digital Image, forest, Landscape, Nature, Outdoors, photography, rivers, Seasons, Weather

The White River

A summer view of the White River near Hesperia, Michigan, USA.

A place on the White River near Hesperia, Michigan, just upstream from the M-20 Bridge; it’s an easy place to get in the water and looks as if there would be lots of trout, but I’ve never done very well here. The well-worn path through the woods indicates that more than a few fishermen wade this stream. Maybe they’ve already taken all the trout.

Another side of the story is that it’s a quiet, beautiful place to spend a summer afternoon just being.

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Art, Comment, Landscape, Nature, Outdoors, photography, Weather

A Little Late

Hitting the snooze button proved a huge mistake this morning. I missed the best part of the sunrise and the fantastic fog had mostly evaporated. Another mistake was rushing out the door carrying only a wide angle lens. I missed several shots that demanded a longer lens.

On the other hand, I did get this massive flock of grackles rising from the marsh, coursing across the horizon in numbers too great to count. Even though the birds are much too small in the frame (they look like specks of dirt) the flock itself becomes a significant element of the landscape.

Had I been there earlier, I would have missed this shot. Had I carried a longer lens the flock of birds could have been an even more impressive component.

Mistakes: I make so many and learn so little. But then, in a civilized world early morning is no time for learning.

(Click on the photo to see a larger image)

Sunrise with a massive flock of grackles flying across the horizon.

 

Yesterday’s “Daily Prompt” Mistake

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