Hawk Island Park, Lansing, Michigan

8 October 2021Darrell Leave a comment

Located within the City of Lansing, Hawk Island County Park is a lovely gem of a park that offers year-round recreational activities. These photos are early fall photos, though, so you get to see flowers and greenery and such.

I took my new camera (a Canon Rebel SL3) out for a spin on September 7. I wanted to see what I would get from my 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses, and Hawk Island Park seemed like a good place to do it.

A photograph of the lake and trees and boardwalk at Hawk Island Park in Lansing, Michigan. — I wish the sky had been a little less cloudy. I’ll go back sometime and photograph this area on a sunny day.

One can climb to the top of the tubing hill and get a nice view of the lake and the landscape.

Throughout the park, there are all sorts of flower and wildflower gardens.

Hawk Meadow Park, Delta Charter Township, Michigan

6 September 2021Darrell Leave a comment

I went on a walk with a friend in Hawk Meadow Park. We mostly walked and talked, but we did take a few photos. I was fairly happy with these two, taken near the north edge of the park.

The water was so still and perfect and set up a beautiful mirror image.

This little birdhouse fits the area just perfectly.

What I See When I Run: Anniston/Oxford

20 July 2018Darrell Leave a comment

While on vacation in May, I did lots of running. Here are some of the best things I saw in Anniston and Oxford, Alabama.

This is such a beautiful, historic building.

Ty Cobb spent some time in Anniston. I’m sure some folks will dispute the “greatest baseball player of all time” designation, but he was definitely very good.

The dogs hanging out at Piper’s Playhouse were very happy to say hello when I ran by. And when I stopped. And probably any other time.

There are so many ducklings here!

I lived in Calhoun County for many years, but I had never before seen this creek, or drain, or whatever it is.

What I See When I Run: Foggy Frances Park

5 July 2018Darrell Leave a comment

Before Michigan became a complete sauna, morning runs occasionally offered different encounters. I found this patch of fog during an early morning run that included a chunk of the path in Frances Park.

What I See When I Run: Bloomington, Indiana

4 July 2018Darrell Leave a comment

When I was in Bloomington the morning before the Indy Mini, I got in my standard day-before-the-race, 3-mile run. Bloomington’s B Line Trail is a beautiful, vibrant portion of the community. There are both residences and businesses that face the trail. I snapped a couple of photos along the way.

It’s my favorite number!

The Month in Cats: April 2018

3 July 2018Darrell Leave a comment

This update is late, but whatever.

Gobo loves shoes and feet and smelly things. He’s so weird.

Gobo also loves the heat vent. Maybe he’s not so weird.

Apparently, Wembley decided to hang out by the bathroom door while I showered. When I opened the door, this scene greeted me.

Wembley is overly dramatic.

Wembley also likes to see if his dramatic reactions have any effect.

Wembley is round, y’all. He’s been on a diet, and it’s had some positive effects, but it’s still a work in progress.

Sleepy kitty.

Look at all those toes!

Cats don’t need two eyes to be awesome cats.

The eye of the Ursula is upon you.

She’s a little round.

Old Photographs: Mostly Cats, Plus Some Other Things

16 April 2018Darrell Leave a comment

I’m continuing to work my way through photos from the last few years, rediscovering some fun moments, attractive scenes, and my cats. Enjoy!

I would say that Wembley was surveying his domain, but he’s not really brave enough to hold territory.

Spice Girls lyrics always make me happy. Don’t judge.

Ursula works hard to keep up her appearance.

Gobo always has such a serious look about him.

When we lived in Marshall, Wembley loved that spot on the stairs.

Running in Lansing often offers wonderful views.

Road Trip: Cleveland, 2017

15 April 2018Darrell Leave a comment

My wife and I make what seems like an annual pilgrimage to Cleveland to run a 10k hosted by the A Christmas Story House and Museum. It’s a great cause — the proceeds from the race all go into the museum’s charitable work to help improve the surrounding neighborhood — and it’s a lot of fun. We had time to do a little bit of sightseeing, some of which included the house.

It’s a major award!

This is a great scene of “life” in the house. Also, the Look magazine reminded me of a rare stamp from the 1950s that was issued on a special paper and used on mail from Look.

The “Old Man” drove a 1938 Oldsmobile.

Not everything I photographed was in the house, though. I found a little bit of neon, and a couple of other things along the way. I found a few fun pieces of neon artwork, and we toured Great Lakes Brewing. I don’t drink beer, but touring the brewery was a very fun experience.

The Corner Alley has a great neon sign.

So does Mabel’s BBQ.

So does the West Side Market. Also, what a beautiful December day it was!

The remnants of the old Schlather brewery now reside at Great Lakes Brewing.

We enjoy our adventures in Cleveland, and we’ll definitely be back.

Road Trip: Stephen Kellogg in Spring Lake, 2017

6 April 20186 April 2018Darrell Leave a comment

In October, my wife and I made a quick trek across the state to Spring Lake to see Stephen Kellogg in concert at Seven Steps Up, an amazing little music hall right downtown.

This is a lovely bit of neon; I regret not catching a photo after the sun went down.

There’s nothing better than walking up to a music hall and seeing Stephen Kellogg’s name on the sign.

The venue is a nifty site with amazing acoustics. The wood floors add to the ambience, and the staff who work there are amazing. As always, Stephen Kellogg put on a great show. Our seats weren’t conducive to getting great shots of the main show, but we did get to catch up with Stephen before the show during a meet-and-greet event. Here are a couple of photos of Stephen doing what he does best.

Look at that smile!

Seriously, Stephen Kellogg puts on a great show. It doesn’t matter if he has an opening act. It doesn’t matter if he has a band or plays by himself. He’s just great at what he does, and he sure enjoys doing it. Everyone should be so lucky.