The first morning, life on the lake...

Once again, it's like I never left. The Red Cottage is perfect and the sunrise this first Sunday morning was (of course) spectacular. There's something about these Michigan mornings that I find just like nothing else. I really should have been in a canoe on the other side of the lake, but that's my goal for at least 4 of the next 6 days.

So in the meantime, got to finish this coffee and go paddle across the lake while this fog is laying on the water.

OK, so back now and Billy has me drinking my coffee black....I'm actually liking it this way. It looks to be a beutifull day on Lake Bellaire, and I'm in charge of barbecuing chicken tonight onan old Webber kettle grill. So, should I take another paddle (solo this time), or just sit here and listen to these loons call from the distance?

Bellaire bound, again...

Well, it's been a while since I've been here (to look at this blog, much less write in it) but here we go.It looks like its been a little more than a year and a half, and there sure have been a lot of going's on...but let's get to the present. With 2 Mad River Explorers strapped to the top of the old 4Runner, we're headed back up to our favorite spot in Michigan, Bellaire Lake.
It seems like I have spend an awfull lot of my life there, but in reality, it's just 1 week a year, and we've probably missed every other year lately. So here we are, Billy, Kummie, Suzy and me, and we're going to meet Dan and Teri (who are coming up Sunday from Wisconson Dells). 3 canoes, 1 kayak, a fishing boat, a pontoon boat and a big old Red Cottage right on the water. Canoe, Photograph and fish are my main objectives for the next 7 days. I left my big lens (120 to 400) at home, and I'm hoping I don't regret that, but I don't think I will. I've got a few other lenses and 3 fishing poles (ultra lite to work the rivers, medium, and a little larger for the lake. I also opted not to bring a 14 ft kayak I've been romancing, but I'll save that till I get back. Dans bringing his shorter sit on top kayak, so maybe I'll play with that. More on kayaks to come, for now I'll be soloing a Mad River Explorer (when Suzy's not in the front).

So for the time being, we're about 120 miles into Michigan, Billy's driving, and thanks to 3G on my iPad, I'm able to try to revive this old blog......let's see how that goes. If that really happens, this post will be buried below a few others in a couple of days...

Prepping for a trip to to New Orleans

Never been to New Orleans, so I just don't know what to expect. My first look was to see where the hotel was on the map. That's when I Kind of figured out where the French Quarter, the Super Dame and the Convention Center are, in relationship to Embassy Suites. I think we are in a part of town they call the Warehouse district, which looks like it's right next to the French Quarter. Things always look so much easier from a map or Google earth, I guess I'll find out in 4 days.

So I guess in the back of my mind, I knew we were going to take a trip this New Years, we knew the Bucks would make some kind of bowl game, but you just don't know till you know. When it looked like it was going to be the Sugar Bowl, Dan & Teri, our Pasadena traveling comrades from last year said they would probably go. And of course, Dan is the luckiest human being to ever walk the earth, so who better to travel to a bowl game with (he insured a victory last year) than Dan. I'm looking forward to his luck opening a lot of doors for me on this trip.

The luck started early this year, when we decided Teri should log into the OSU website a couple of Wednesdays ago and try to get tickets. That's when Bob told me his well connected Aunt Olive Rose had the secret Password to get into the "Presidents club" and get 4 club level seats (I think we have our own bar on that level). Going Great so far. Next, it seemed like all hotel rooms skyrocketed in cost over night for New Years through the 4th (day of the game), but we were lucky enough to find a travel agent that got us 5 nights at Embassy Suites for less than half of the going rate, so thanks to Debbie & Steve at Uniglobe Travel.

So that sets the stage for this trip. I hope to take some pictures and write on this blog (Daily would be nice). Lets see how it goes....We are driving, but not sure what route. I think we'll try to figure that out tonight. Memphis the first night for a BarBQ dinner? or Birmingham for the same.

I've got a stack of papers & notes of where people have told me to go, what I need to see and where I need to stop for a drink. Can't wait to get down there and see what's to see.

So, stay tuned in here for what I hope is a pictorial blog of our Sugar Bowl sight seeing trip to New Orleans.

Jocoby Road in March

Took a great canoe trip on the Little Miami last weekend, putting in at Jacoby Road just south of Yellow Springs (it's been a long long time since I've been up there). Wow, the river up there is pretty clogged up with all kinds of debris, a lot from winter, but it doesn't get maintained up there these days. There had to be 3 or 4 log jams we had to portage around, and a few that we struggled through. Billy actually tipped a gunnel in one of them when he got sideways, but the recovery was swift.

I took the Nikon D70 with a Tamaron 2.8 28-70mm lens I've had sitting around. I've never been real fond of that lens, it's kind of loose and I've never found it to be that sharp, but I'm dying to do more shallow depth of field pictures on the river this year. So I shot almost everything at 2.8. I think I can really enhance a few river pictures if I can blur out the background a little and isolate the subjects (check back later this year and see hows it's working).The D70 actually is a great camera. No it's not a D300 or better, but when your in a canoe with a lot of logjams and dead falls it's probably a better idea. On the subject of 2.8 lenses, I've decided a good 2.8 lens is essential on these trips. I think I need to learn to like this one, because #1, it actually took some good shots and #2, if you're not a professional you could buy a good used canoe for that kind of money. Did I ever say I have this dream of finding another Mad River Independence (Sand this time), just like Lee's. Hmm... Maybe a great deal on Craig's List?

We did a trip up the Stillwater 2 weeks before and Mike Munch actually came with us (whats up with that?) and sat in the front of Billy's Explorer and I didn't even shoot 1 picture. I will admit it's pretty gray at this time of year, but that's part of the challenge is to come up with something interesting in these circumstances. To see Mike Munch out on the river is like going back 10 or 15 years though. He brought his black lab, which is a great dog in a canoe. I wondered who trained it?

Dying to be on the water...

It's been since sometime in December that I've been in a canoe. Ouch! These January and February days of winter can be pretty tough when you just want to be on the water with beer in hand. Plus it's been a pretty cold snowy winter. I have no complaints though (it's actually been a pretty cool winter as far as winters go), it would just be sweet to be in a boat.

I'm looking forward to a mid winter trip we have coming up to hocking hills. Cousin Mike is in charge, so I don't have to know much...just be there. I don't even know what we are doing. I heard we might try to paddle, but thats in a couple of weeks and there are still major winter storm warnings out for the rest of the week. Maybe we'll do some hiking down old mans cave way. Well in that case, lets hope there is still a bunch of snow.

And then in April, hopefully, we'll be doing the Clarion River again. Staying in the Bear's Den Lodge (A fancy name for a cool cabin). That's a pretty great river, and it's always cool to go back to a river for a second and third time. You get to see things you missed the first time. On the first trip to a new river (and the Clarion is fairly large), you're so committed to doing the river, keeping your bearing straight (as well as keeping yourself dry), that I think you miss a lot. Especially when you're trying to photograph the river. Now, I think I know a few shots I'd like work on a little harder. I don't think I'll think any farther ahead than that. There are going to be a fair amount of trips after that, but for the time being, I'll just think about them. In the meantime, here's to all the snow.

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New Years in California & the Rose Bowl

I've never been to LA before, and I've never seen any of the pacific coast for that matter. So the chance to go to Pasadena and see the Rose Bowl (+ a little extra time) was an opportunity I jumped at. It turned out to be the best bowl game of the year and was a great break from the Ohio snow and cold.

The trip was great, and when we found out that our friends Dan & Teri were going (actually on the same flight & hotel) it was just all the better. So we landed wednesday in LA at around 1:30 and headed straight to Pasadena to watch the floats being built. That was OK, but little down time would have been great also. Pasadena was cool, and then on to Hollywood and Beverly Hills. At least I've been there now, but not overly impressed.

The fun started on Thursday (New Years Eve) as the weather was getting more beautiful by the minute, we headed to Glendale Community College to watch the OSU Marching Band Practice. That was a treat most people don't get to see, so I soaked it on up.

From there it was on to Santa Monica pier for the Buckeye Bash with about 30,000 of our friends in Scarlet & Gray. They pulled out Archie Griffin, Gordon Gee and even Joe Germain (last Rose Bowl quarterback for the Bucks). After that, the OSUMB along with Brutus rocked the house till we all broke up to a beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

While I was taking the photo to the left, a photographer from the Columbus Dispatch came over took almost the same picture of Joe & 3 other band members (he actually had one of their band buddies taking their picture, so there were 5 of them in his) that made the front page of the Columbus Dispatch on New Years day...That was Big!

On back to Marina Del ray, were it turned out to be a very passive New Years eve. We ate at a little Mexican restaurant, had a few beers and that was it. Now its fair to say we had to get up at 5:00 to head to the parade.

The next day was even more beautiful, sunshine and in the 70's for the parade and the game. The parade was something to see, floats like I've never seen, plus a million tortilla shells in the street??? Don't ask me.

The bus ride to the game was also something else. Our driver, Rachel (with the roll

of the tongue) I think drove NASCAR on the side. Flying through the side streets of Pasadena, we DID make it to the game with time to buy some $9.00 beers (the cups were collectibles).

The game was unbelievable, I think there were more Bucks than Ducks there, but after the 4th quarter (under the most unbelievable red sunset I've ever seen) it was evident they were not going to win, so they quacked away. 95,000 people and I think 3/4 of them were rooting for the Bucks. What a day, especially when your son is marching Script Ohio in front of the world.

The next day was a relaxing but scenic drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Ventura and back, with lunch in a hoity toity Malibu beach restaurant, see the freak show at Venice Beach and on to Dan's sisters, who had a little dinner party for us in her Topanga Canyon house (Note: Wally from Leave it to Beaver lives across the street from her). Great corned beef dinner Lynn!

I'd do it all again in a heartbeat, but if by any chance the bucks can make it to the National Championship...Tempe here we come. If not, there will surly be some bowl that we'll have to travel to.

Check out all the photos at Green Boat

A Rarely traveled section of the Stillwater

I was driving out on Shiloh Springs Road the other day, over the Stillwater River (Just east of Riverside Drive) and thought back to the only (Recent) known trip we have made on that part of the Stillwater. It was June 1, 2009, and I can remember that date because it was Billy's birthday. I don't know why we have not done that section more often, cause it was a real nice run. We put in just below the Englewood Reserve dam and went all the way down to island park, where the Still water hooks up with the Great Miami.
At this point (being half way through November, I almost have to look at the photos to remember the trip. By the way. These photos were taken with a Nikon P-50, a small point & Shoot that I was playing with. I like it because it has a pretty wide angle (28mm) and still has a pretty decent zoom. It takes OK pictures, but you got to be careful. As soon as you think their OK, it will disappoint you (especially if you are spoiled by a good DSLR).



The put in was well done (By the 5 Rivers Metroparks), probably one of the nicest around. And for a while, it was very cool, following the section that runs along Fredrick Pike, passing through some wilderness areas, in and out of some river homes and setlements. Billy had his new boat out, the onionskin thin Bell, which by the way is a very cool boat. I saw a tree that is eventually going to end up on a house or in the river.









Happy birthday Billy (6 months late), although I think I said the same on 6/1. What a great trip, skipped out of work, sipped a little bourbon and enjoyed a great day. All I can do now in mid November is dream about hitting that section of river again next year.