Early morning at Mt. Baldy. Shadows cover much of the area between the dunes and the lake until the sun rises high enough in the sky.
Much of the dune is roped off in an attempt to preserve the dune from erosion. Let's hope it works and the ropes can be removed in a year or two. This dune is moving a few feet a year inland. At that rate, the parking lot will be covered in a few years!
Each year, our holiday season begins with a trip to Holland, Michigan for the annual Holiday Open House. Downtown stores stay open late and offer visitors free refreshments, snacks and gift wrapping. It's a great time to visit shops we normally wouldn't even notice, and find some merchandise we can't live without.
Carolers, Santa Claus, luminaries and roasting chestnuts can all be found on Holland's 8th Street sidewalks.
It's generally pretty crowded - especially at the corner drug store where they serve beautifully made Christmas cookies.
A crisp, November morning along the Lake Michigan shore. Kintzele Ditch meanders through recently eroded dunes creating an interesting path to the lake.
Finding a narrow portion of the stream, the family hops across the water to continue their walk on Central Beach.
The waves have really eroded the dunes this year.
The boys were following an old trail on the edge of a dune when Chris slipped backwards and fell about five feet down onto the next layer of sand. He then continued to slide backwards and down the next layer to the beach.
No one was harmed in the capturing of this image.
Just before sunset, we headed out for a walk along the rural roads near the house. The golden hour provided the perfect, warm light for photographing the Fall colors of this open field.
A 10:00 pm view of Chicago from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Over 40 miles away, Chicago illuminates the sky over Lake Michigan.
The air was relatively calm, so the clouds did not smear across the sky as I had hoped.
A late night, long exposure over the lake. The earth's movement can be seen in the elongated stars and the blur of the hazy moon. Looks like an airplane was flying very far away- seen at the top right of the image.
What interested me was the depth created by the artificial lights on shore. It's rather unusual in landscape photography to see light between objects.
Strong light from the rising sun bathes the shifting sands of Central Beach on this windy morning. The grass seen in the foreground was five to six feet tall prior to the wind and waves; it's now buried deep under the sand.
Dan was very excited to pick apples this year. He walked around the orchard to find the largest apples possible - as well as the smallest - just for fun.
A warm, windy morning in mid October was the perfect day for dozens of kitesurfing enthusiasts to hit the waves along Michigan City's Washington Park Beach.
Gaining speed, the kitesurfers were able to jump over 20 feet above the waves.
The beach was lined with surfers waiting their turns, as well as spectators gazing in amazement.
Arriving at the beach rather early for a Saturday, gave us the opportunity to explore some other areas of the National Lakeshore.
We pass by this marsh every time we head to the beach, but only stop now and then. In the summer, it's almost impossible to tolerate the biting flies, so it's best to hold off until Fall to explore this area.
Along the trails, lots of wildlife can be detected, along with some remnants of humans - an occasional brick or concrete lump. Must have been part of someone's property years ago. Now it's being reclaimed by nature.
Thousands of beetles grouped together on Indiana's Central Beach during a windy morning. My best guess is they were clinging to anything that would keep them dry and in place.
At first glance, the beetles appeared to be debris on the sand, but closer inspection proved it wrong.
A sunny and warm Fall day, perfect for a ride in the country. Rural LaPorte County, Indiana.
Remnants of mining can be found in a relatively new park in Lockport, Illinois. Called Dellwood Park West, it borders the Illinois and Michigan Canal.
Early morning view of the cemetery at St. James at Sag Bridge Catholic Church. It's the oldest Cathloic church in the Chicago Archdioceses, and incorrectly called "Monk's Castle" by high school kids who tell tales of mean monks.
No monks have ever lived here, and they certainly don't make trespassers kneel in salt or on broom sticks.
My nephew Tom and I set out early Sunday morning to capture some shadows for his photography class. His work is all black and white, but I took advantage of the golden hour to catch some fall color.
A climb to the top of the tallest butte in Dellwood Park West gave us this view of the surrounding land.
Portions of the park were once used for mining and slag disposal from a nearby steel mill, while other parts were used for agriculture. It's an interesting place to visit.
Lock 2 of the Illinois and Michigan Canal on an early October Morning. The warm sunshine has given us one of the most colorful fall seasons in memory.
