Muskegon Michigan Highlights

Last month we visited relatives in Michigan.  Here are some highlights of Muskegon, near Lake Michigan.  The depot was an old train station, now used by the tourist bureau.  It featured a small train museum.  An interesting piece of trivia was that Buster Keaton, the talented comedian from old films was originally from Muskegon.  The old brick building had an interesting façade with lots of angles.

 

We drove to the local waste water management property to view the birds.  There were many birds, but they were difficult to photography.  It was rather exciting driving through a whole flock of birds though.  Later, I photographed this duck family in a stream that was much more accessible for photographers.

 

I took a tour of the Hackley Hume Historic site.  The Hackley house, originally owned by Charles Hackley a wealthyMuskegon lumber baron.  It was decorated in the Victorian era, so it was very elegant and full of beautiful wood carvings (of course!).  This photo was taken of the City barn, where the horses and carriages resided, looking out from the carriage entryway of the Hackley house. Pretty fancy barn! The Hume house next door was owned by Hackley’s business partner Thomas Hume and was less fancy in its 1920’s style.

 

 

Going to the Races, the Boat Races that is

We attended the Third Annual Offshore Grand Prix Boat Race on Solomon's Island recently. We almost missed it, because it was in September instead of October. Some of the biggest boats were particularly exciting with their powerful jet engines, very loud and rumbling. The local favorite was Tug It, (from Maryland, I believe) which won unexpectedly when another boat missed a buoy. I am sharing a photo that portrays a little of the excitement of this race for the National 2012 title. There is usually a helicopter or two around for fast rescues.

Exotic Water Lilies

I recently photographed some gorgeous water lilies. It was a little too early in the day, but I liked them anyway, even with strong shadows.
I have photographed water lilies 3 or 4 times in recent years. I find that I usually need a long lens to get good "closeup" photos of these lovely flowers, rather than a macro lens. I used a 70-300 zoom for these images. The flowers never seem to be near the edge of the pond!
If you know the names of these beautiful lilies, please comment. 😊

Woodlawn Farm Romantic Jazz Concert August 10th

We attended another fantastic concert at Woodlawn Farm in Ridge, MD starring the Sara Jones Trio.  It was a windy evening, so the temperature was lovely for August.  Paul Langosch (pictured) accompanied on double bass with Shawn Purcell on electric guitar.  To see Jim's article on the Bay Net and my other photo, see Waterside at Woodlawn Presents Sultry Nights in Brazil

Concerts at Woodlawn Farm Aug 3, 10,17

Don't miss some of the folks from the Chesapeake Orchestra at Woodlawn Farm in Ridge MD.  They are doing three concerts in August.  To see the BayNet article Jim and I wrote click on the link.

http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/28921

Last River Concert of the 2012 Season Supported Local Talent

Former jazz ensemble director Rick Humphrey performed a wonderful solo on sax at the River Concert last week at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. 

To see more of our local talented musicians and read about last week’s River Concert, please read my review at the Bay Net  I reviewed the last five concerts.  You’ll have to wait till next June to see more River Concerts on the green, but the Chesapeake Orchestra will continue performances in other locations.  What a great season!

River Concert Review on the BayNet

Here's the link to the July 20th River Concert story on the BayNet and a bonus photo. 

Next week is the last River Concert this year, complete with jazz and folk music!  Don't miss it!