My adorable nephew, Kaden, turned five this year. (I featured his Batman birthday party back in January.) While he is a wonderful child and skilled at many things, he does not have the interest or the patience to cooperate with me and my attempts at documenting his growth in portrait sessions. But I try anyway…
He is everything a wild little boy should be – he runs and plays, gets dirty and gets hurt (two trips to the emergency room so far, but who’s counting) – and we wanted his photo session to reflect who he is right now as a five year old kid. So we took him to the little fishing pond in the hosta hillside at Hidden Lake Gardens and let him be himself.
We took a drive along the narrow roads that lead through the garden and stopped in a field so Kaden could get out and run around. I managed to snap this one quickly before he darted away!
He found a forest of young trees, so he had to try them out.
They passed his test! According to Kaden, these trees are very fun to climb!
And here he is at the end of the session… exhausted, adorable and ready for ice cream.
It’s mid July again! Time for my birthday and our annual trip up north!
This year we decided to go big and go as far north as geographically possible in the state of Michigan. We went way, way, WAY up north to a place I can only describe as a magical world straight out of a fairy tale – the brilliantly beautiful and wonderfully wild Isle Royale National Park.
I remember first learning about Isle Royale as an elementary school student, and even then, it intrigued me. A remote island located in the formidable waters of Lake Superior, accessible only by boat or seaplane, populated by moose and wolves – it sounded like a great adventure! I’ve always considered it the ultimate place to experience nature in my native state and planned to visit someday.
Someday finally came, and as I stood on the dock in Copper Harbor waiting to board the Isle Royale Queen IV (the ferry that would carry us across the legendary Lake Superior), I could not have been more excited. It was just after the crack of dawn, but I was wide awake with anticipation. Lake Superior was surprisingly calm and welcoming as the sun rose slowly over her.
On a good day, it’s about a three hour cruise from Copper Harbor in the Upper Peninsula to Rock Harbor on Isle Royale. The day we made the voyage it took about three and a half, due to some fog and strong winds blowing across Lake Superior. As the Isle drifted slowly into view, nearly everyone on board the Queen made their way to front deck of the ship. We stood spellbound in the chilly wind and watched the Rock Harbor Lodge (Isle Royale’s only hotel) materialize in the mist.
Once we were once again on terra firma, we received a quick orientation from the rangers of the National Park Service. They made it clear that Isle Royale is truly a wild place, and medical assistance is hours away, so be careful!
We checked into our room at the Rock Harbor Lodge and counted our blessings – no TV, no phone, no Wi-Fi. But check out the view from our balcony!
I bought my first ever pair of hiking boots for this trip, and I was excited to put them to use. We chose the Stoll Trail to Scoville Point for our first hike – a 4.2 mile trek that meandered through the dense woods. At points, the path led us along the rocky shore and provided stunning views of Rock Harbor.
Before it became a national park, Isle Royale was quite the copper mining community. Evidence of this history is still present – from the mineral deposits which turn the water a reddish color in certain spots to the old cabins along the waterfront, now used as research stations.
When we reached Scoville Point at the end of the trail, we were greeted by a mama duck and her seven little ones. They entertained us as they swam around the rocks of the Point. The babies would rush up on her back and she would shake her tail to knock them off. And they all just kept swimming along.
Here we are, triumphant, at the end of the Stoll Trail at Scoville Point. Past those trees, it’s pretty much a straight down drop into Lake Superior, with some sharp, pointy rocks to break your fall.
The following day, we took a couple of tours on the Sandy, the charming little unofficial sightseeing vessel of Isle Royale. In the afternoon, we crossed the straits of Lake Superior to visit Passage Island. On the way, a hungry seagull circled the boat, hoping we might throw some food his way.
Passage Island is one of the many smaller islands which dot the coast of Isle Royale and benefit from the protection offered by being part of the national park system. A lighthouse built in the 19th century still stands and today it serves as a solar powered research station.
This particular island has no moose, so the vegetation is able to grow as thick as it wants. Hiking the mile long path from the harbor to the lighthouse was like walking through an enchanted forest in a story book.
When we reached the end of the trail to the lighthouse, we had a spectacular view of the rocky coast… and the lighthouse outhouse.
Some old, steep steps led up the hill to the lighthouse. They were covered in orange lichen and looked incredible!
Later in the evening, we set sail on the Sandy again for the Sunset Cruise. Before touring the harbor, the Sandy stopped at Raspberry Island, which is just across the way from Rock Harbor. We hiked around for about a half hour, hoping to spot a moose taking an evening stroll, but had no luck.
As sunset neared, clouds moved in and the skies turned overcast. Captain Ron promised that if we didn’t get a view of the sunset, we would get a view of a moose! So he took us towards Hidden Lake, which he insisted was a popular place for the Isle Royale moose in the evening hours. On the way, we passed Scoville Point. It was just as beautiful from the water as it was on our hike the previous day.
Cruising along the coast, my eyes were scanning the shore for anything moose-like. Suddenly, I saw a black shape moving in the distance. I’d never seen a wild moose before so I had no idea what one looked like from far away, but I was pretty sure that’s what I saw. So I stood up and pointed. Captain Ron saw it too, and he confirmed that it was definitely a moose. As we got closer, the moose watched us as closely as we watched it. It was awesome!
After the success of seeing the moose, we decided to sail out a ways into Lake Superior, just in case the clouds parted and allowed us a view of the sunset. But, they didn’t.
On the way back to Rock Harbor, we cruised along the shore again and this time, we saw two moose! It was about ten minutes after sunset by this point, so the only illumination was some faint twilight. Not ideal light for photos, but still, an absolutely amazing experience!
The next morning, we rented a canoe and paddled our way across Tobin Harbor over to Hidden Lake.
From Hidden Lake, we took a short hike through the woods passing amazing rock formations on the way.
Here we are at Lookout Louise! What a view!
We couldn’t resist doing a happy dance…
…and having a little fun on the edge of the cliff.
In the afternoon, we decided to do a seven mile hike – the longest hike of our trip.
The trail led past Suzy’s Cave, so of course we climbed in to take a look. The roof of the cave was covered in a neon green substance that seemed to glow in the dark! I have no idea what it was, but it sure looked cool!
This was our third day of hard core hiking, and my body was getting pretty tired. Mind you, I still carried my Shootsac and the burden of it’s weight – I just didn’t bother to change lenses that often, or really shoot much at all. While I enjoyed every step I took, I was very aware of every step I took. When we reached the wooden post pointing the way back to Rock Harbor, we were barely past the half way point!
Our final day on the trip, it was cold and rainy – as though Isle Royale was just as sad that we were leaving as we were. We watched the fog roll across the water as we waited for the Queen to pull up and charter us back to the world of cell phone service.
It was a magical end to a magical journey. Don’t worry Isle Royale, we’ll be back again someday…
For July 4th weekend, we went up to Traverse City to visit the vineyards and do some wine tasting on the Old Mission Peninsula (and purchase 10 bottles of delicious Michigan made wine). While sitting outside and enjoying a glass as the sun set, we were graced with the presence of a cute little begger of a chipmunk. We were totally tickled pink by his antics and named him Spot.
Justin offered him peanuts, which Spot happily accepted. He would shove them in his cheeks until he couldn’t squeeze in any more, then dash away to store them.
He always returned, ready for more.
Justin was determined to bring the little guy as close as possible. He managed to get Spot to climb up on his shoe for the final few peanuts.
I’d been looking forward to it since the moment the kid was born. It took five years to get here, but at last, the big day arrived – Kaden’s first tee ball game!
He played catch with some teammates to warm up…
…and then it was time for batter up!
At shortstop, his focus was intense. He’s taking his tee ball very seriously and having serious fun!
Stanley is strictly a house cat. This is a fate that he reluctantly accepts and deeply resents. But every now and then, Justin takes a little mercy on his little kitty and allows him to enjoy a few moments on the other side of the window. So on a drizzly spring afternoon, they took a little tour of the farm and I tagged along to capture the cuteness.
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