Late Summer Fog

Cool August mornings give us a sure sign that fall is near.  Temperatures drop at night and the warm water starts to lose its heat.  Fog rises from the water each morning giving a peaceful feal.  Add a sunrise and you've got a perfect start to the day.  I saw this one a few days ago and I pulled over to capture the beauty.  It made me think of fall, which is my favorite season of the year.  I thought about the cool weather coming, then I thought about sitting in a duck blind with friends.  I looked forward to sitting in my deer stand on a crisp night, and big fish in cold weather.  I thought about sharing the time with my love and making the time for both of us.  It's odd to me that a picture can make me think of all these things, but I believe it's important that it does.  I hope it inspires you to think of things that you enjoy in life. 

Fall Grasses

Fall is a photographers dream.  So many colors and so many opportunities.  It seems everywhere you look, another picture is waiting to be taken.  Typically these pictures are taken of the bright colors and leaves, but I was strolling through the Carver Park wilderness near my home yesterday and I stumbled upon these fine looking blades of grass.  Maybe you can help with the name, because I have no clue.  The only thing I know about them is that they sure captured my eye.  I snapped a few pics and will post them all with time.  This is one of favorites.  Just the way the light shines through makes the glow stand out.  The sun in the background and the blue sky.  I don't know why, but I like it.  I hope you do too!

Mink

I've always been fascinated with these creatures.  A mink is one of the most viscious animals in our neck of the woods.  They look harmless, but in reality I would rather get in a fight with a grizzly bear than a mink.  They have razor sharp teeth and they are lightning fast.  If you know a chicken farmer, they'll probably tell you stories of mink troubles.  The end result is never pretty.  It's for this reason that I find them fascinating.  They are creatures of the night and rarely come out during daylight hours.  This, coupled with the fact that they don't like humans, have made it a goal of mine to sneak close enough to capture a good shot.  It took me a few years, but I finally snapped one that I am proud to share.  The mink - a killing machine!

Muskie Love...

It never gets old catching these big creatures.  Over the past decade I've been blessed to take hundreds of pictures with these beautiful fish.  I always find it interesting when the picture process comes to fruition.  Generally, there is a large struggle to maintain the fish without it flopping, and the idea is to snap 1 picture as fast as you can.  The life of the fish is always at risk when you pull them from the water, and releasing them quickly is rule number 1.  This doesn't bode well for the camera man trying to capture a unique image.  This time, I am very happy with the shot I got during the quick 10 second photo shoot.  Dusty holds his proud muskie catch and I'll have the memory saved forever!

Wood River Alaska

I can say without a doubt that this phrase is true.  "No picture will ever do Alaska justice."  We said that many times on our visit.  I tried my best to capture the beauty of it all, but came up short.  It was so vast and the view was all around.  Too much for a camera lens.  This particular shot is one of my favorites.  It comes from the Wood River.  As I sit down to write this I'm sure the ice is gone and the water is flowing over this log, but not then.  At that time the ice was just starting to break up and water could be found below our feet.  In fact, that was the water we survived off of during our trip.  Yep, crystal clear mountain water ready for drinking.  It didn't get much better than that.  Nor did the endless view!