Tom Gill Photography

Sandy Toad

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Sandy Toad

After dinner last night, we decided to drive out to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for a bit of fun until sunset. Week nights are not crowded at all - even at the popular beaches.

We came across several small toads under a log right at the waters edge. When the waves moved the log, they jumped out and into the high surf. Mike and Chris ran after one and finally caught up with it several hundred feed down the beach. It was getting pounded by the surf, so they basically rescued it.

Afterward, we found all the others basking in the sun covered with sand. The wind kept blowing tiny grains of sand onto their wet bodies; making it difficult for them to clear their eyes.

Heading onto the Lake

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Heading onto the Lake

Paddling into the lower lake on a warm summer evening. Earlier in the day, the winds were a bit too high to comfortably paddle the mile across the lake. After dinner, the winds died down and we were able to paddle to the upper lake and back.

The kids look forward to jumping out of the canoe a few hundred feet from shore and swimming back to the house. Of course John swims most of the length of the lake then back home.

Sailing to St. Joseph

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Sailing to St. Joseph

Following an afternoon of sailing on Lake Michigan, this boater heads up the St. Joseph River toward the marina. The St. Joseph, Michigan lighthouses clearly mark the entrance to the harbor.

Called "range lights", these two lights help boaters find the entrance to the harbor. Move your boat until the two lights line up vertically (line up the taller light with the shorter light) and head directly toward them to find the harbor in poor weather or darkness.

Thursday Night at the Green Mill

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Little Brown Jug

For the past twelve years, Alan Gresik and the Swing Shift Orchestra has performed to standing room only crowds at the Green Mill Jazz Club in Chicago's uptown neighborhood. Playing "true" vintage swing from the 1930's and 1940's, this 15 piece orchestra plays original scores of music from the Balaban and Katz Theater Orchestra collection of 26,000 songs. The show is conducted like a 1930's radio show, complete with announcers and live commercials.

Alan Gresik talks to his band between numbers

Christina Pawlowski signing at the Green Mill

Couple this with the historic venue of the Green Mill Jazz Club - a small lounge once part-owned by the infamous Al Capone, and you've got an evening straight out of the 1940's. You can't get more authentic that this. Get ready for a night of music, the show runs from 9 pm until 1am - and you're not going to leave early.

Al Capone's favorite Booth

Watching the Current

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Watching the Current

Mike was watching the fast rip current that developed between Fort DeSoto's North Beach and Shell Key (in the distance). The changing tides create very fast currents here that can be dangerous. If you look closely at the large version of the photo, right along shore is sand colored water that is moving way faster than I can run. It reminded me of rapids in a river.

We dropped some palm fronds into the water and watched as they floated toward the Gulf, got sucked under by two whirlpools, and surfaced about 30 seconds later several yards out in the Gulf of Mexico.

I think it was a good demonstration for the boys. Whenever we go to the beach in Florida or Lake Michigan, I look for rip tides and show them the signs and indicators so they will be aware of the dangers. I also quiz them every time - if they're caught in a rip current, the way to get out is to swim parallel to the beach until they're out of the current, then swim back to shore.

In this unusual case, they would have to swim toward the sand where Mike is standing until they were out in the Gulf, then they would need to swim parallel to the beach.

They all got it right!

Gulf Fritillary

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Gulf Fritillary

I found this bright orange butterfly on an early morning walk along the Gulf of Mexico in Treasure Island, Florida. The sun had just come up and was highlighting the flowers on a small Sea Oats-covered dune.

It's a Gulf Fritillary, and is pretty commonly seen from Argentina to the southern United State.

They are often seen migrating over the Gulf of Mexico - hence the name Gulf Fritillary.

The Heavens Shining Down

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The Heavens Shining Down

Just when you think the sunset is going to be obscured by clouds, and the evening will be boring, nature shows how interesting a cloudy evening can be. Some small storms cells moved over Lake Michigan on Sunday evening, creating a beautiful collection of sun beams in the western sky.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Porter County

Pier 60 at Sunset

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Pier 60 at Sunset

Danny was excited to go out onto "Big Pier 60" as it used to be called. Now it's just Pier 60, and loaded with vendors and street performers.

The sun was setting and a storm was approaching from the north, but it didn't discourage anyone from spending time along the Gulf of Mexico.

We managed to get back to our car before the storm came in. It got really windy, but after we drove the 14 miles to our hotel, it never rained on us.

Red Sunrise

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Red Sunrise

Each morning on vacation, I would get up about an hour before sunrise and walk along a different stretch of beach. It's great to see the world wake up, and it's also a great time for photos.

As I walked along the water, I looked east between some large homes and noticed this sunrise. Right then I figured I should have been walking along Boca Ciega Bay instead of the Gulf - I would have had a great opportunity to capture a sunrise over the water.

Red Sky at Night

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Red Sky at Night

Sunset on the first night of our recent Florida trip. After a full day and a half drive, it was great to unpack, and head into the pool, eat dinner, and head to the beach to enjoy the 88 degree Gulf of Mexico.

The Tampa Bay area experienced record high temperatures while we were there, and the hot weather was a welcome thing after the lack of summer weather back home.

Like the old sailor's saying, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight; Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning," the powerful red colors from this sunset indicated the weather would cooperate and storms were not in the immediate forecast. It held true as we didn't have any storms in Treasure Island on our entire visit.

Morning Dew

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Morning Dew

An early morning walk in what has become my second home - the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, (not the state park BTW) yielded some interesting sights. I'm not able to visit too often at 6:00 am, so the sights, sounds and smells were new to me. Dew covered every blade of Marram Grass and flower.

This small Spiderwort flower is approximately the size of a nickle. A drop of dew was clinging to the petals, just waiting for a small insect to drink it.

A view from the top of the St. Augustine Florida lighthouse. Its 100 degrees today.

Taking Hold

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Taking Hold

The Indiana Dunes are a marvelous example of biotic progression. This area has over 1100 species of plants - some not found anywhere else in the region. This is more than any other US National Park! Many plants such as the predacious Pitcher plant, Barberry, and Prickly Pear cactus thrive in the unique conditions of the dunes and bogs of this area.

Most of the stages of biotic progression are displayed here. From open sand beaches to Oak forests - and you can walk through them in a matter of minutes! Beginning at the lakeshore and heading inland, the open sand beaches turn into Marram Grass covered dunes, then further inland, other species of plants begin to take hold as decades of decaying grasses add nutrients to the sand. Pucoon, Spiderwart and Juniper begin to grow once the sand becomes a bit more nutrient rich. Cottonwood trees and woody shubs then take over. Further away, Pine forested dunes can be found, and then Oak forested dunes thrive in the richer soil created by thousands of years of plant decay. Oak savannas and prairies, bogs, swamps and wetlands are also part of the picture.

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore changes almost weekly! Lake Michigan pounds the shoreline, altering the dunes and beach, while winds and storms easily uproot the mature trees growing in the sandy soil farther inland.

From the Bridge Tender's Tower

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From the Bridge Tender's Tower

A view out the round window of the historic Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River. The tower is open to the public, and is home to a new museum called The McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. It costs $3 to get in and look around at exhibits about Chicago's water supply and water transportation. You can even see the gears that help lift the bridge.

bridgehousemuseum.org/home/

Chicago Harbor Entrance

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Chicago Harbor Entrance

This small light marks the entrance to the Chicago River. The river is two feet lower than Lake Michigan - this was achieved when the flow of the river was reversed to prevent sewage from entering Lake Michigan (Chicago's source for drinking water). The lock that controls the water level can be seen in the distance.

The Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower from the River

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The Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower from the River

Two famous Chicago landmarks, the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower are seen from the Chicago River, as the tour boat passes under the Michigan Avenue bridge.

Dew Drop

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Dew Drop

Sunday morning was spent dune hopping at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. We arrived pretty early to see everything in the early morning sun. As we walked from dune to dune and explored areas we've never seen, we also found areas that have probably been forgotten for decades, as there were no signs of humans at all. There were no footprints or trails to these places, and we had to do some serious climbing and bushwhacking, but it was well worth the effort to see these progressive dunes and woods that nobody normally explores.

As we walked through the clumps of Marram Grass, we noticed the grass was slightly wet. Upon close inspection, almost every 18 inch blade of grass had a drop on it. These drops help provide water for the tiny creatures that live on these dry sand dunes. Footprints of tiny creatures were everywhere in the sand.