Photography, Poetry

A Whimsical Isle

8 Comments

Superior_2014

 

A whimsical isle offshore

Evergreens crowd the center

Struggling to maintain hold

Among the worn rocks

The trees are dwarfed

With inadequacy of food

Time and time again

The ravages of Lake Superior

Overwhelm the tiny island

After each bout of ferocity

The little trees still stand

A testament of strength

To withstand the brutality

Of the unforgiving waters

 

With a lowering sun

The water is calm

A rare moment it is

The trees stand bold

In the evening solitude

White clouds flirting

Across the blue sky

Reflecting upon the water

The horizon turning pink

From the sun’s glow

 

The shadows are creeping

Over the reposing land

Darkness has now descended

The isle mere silhouette

Upon the placid waters

The sky is clearing

The stars luminous in the night sky

The moon casts a silver glow

Over the diminutive isle

There is a sense

Of quietude and peace

Along the rugged shoreline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography, Poetry

Granada

2 Comments

_MG_0384

 

Been riding on the Chicken buses all day
Arrived in Granada hot and dry
Took to the streets
Looking for a hotel
Charming colonial colored buildings
Boldly painted in splashes
Of red, green and yellow
Line the narrow streets
The red tiled roofs
Overhang the streets
There is an air
Of excitement and energy
The chaotic open air market
Bustles with activity

_MG_0392

 

A carved wooden door beckons
An attractive young lady
Greets and invites me in
Tis the Hotel Casa Del Consulado
Of old world charm and warmth
With a room secured
A refreshing shower
The afternoon wearing on
It is time to hit the street
I make my way
To the Granada Central Park

_MG_0323

 

Strolling along the bustling street
With one way traffic
An overhanging balcony beckons
As I stood there gazing
I pictured a beautiful young woman
Dressed in her finery
Hair glistening in the evening light
A sparkle of a tear
As a young man below
Serenades with his guitar
Expressing his true love
The blast of a car’s horn
Disturbs my thoughts
I continued along cobblestone streets

_MG_0330

The Parque Central materializes
The shady benches and green grass
Beckons a weary traveler
By night a haven for cuddling lovers
Vendors line the streets
Selling their wares and food
Carriages line Parque Central

A cafe beckons to the right
Tables on the terrace
Provide welcome shade
From the mid afternoon sun
Seated at a table
With a cup of cafe
Observing the busy street life
Going on before me

_MG_0331

The luminous Cathedral of Granada
Looms to the east
A bright yellow church
Of neoclassical design
Three red roofed domes
Rise to the sky
As I sipped my café
Admiring the beautiful architecture
Of the Granada Cathedral
The sun is descending
The air is cooling

With the evening in full swing
It is time to enjoy
The nightlife of Calle La Calzada
A crowded cobbled street
Lined on both sides
With bars and restaurants

Sitting down to dinner
With the stars overhead
It is a joy to watch
The musicians and dancers
The street vendors hawking
Their various wares table side
A waiter approaches smiling
To offer me a menu
I order Gallopinto with fried plantains
To quench my thirst
While waiting for the meal
I ordered a Toña lager

As I sipped my beer
The sounds of the street
Flowed and ebbed around me
The meal soon arrived
Along with a young vendor
His wares on display
I inquired about a shark tooth necklace
To my delight he produced.
Haggling over the price
We both came to an agreement
I became a proud owner
Of a shark tooth necklace
To wear on my neck

The hour was getting late
It is time to retire
Making my way through
The less crowded streets
I slipped through the entrance
Of Hotel Casa Del Consulado_MG_0395

 

 

 

Photography, Poetry

El Chile, A Poem

6 Comments

_MG_9904

 

Off in the distant

The mountains stand tall

In the converging mist

The morning air cool

The sun not yet appeared

Dark shadows cover the highlands

It is the season to be dry

 

The Rio Trentino meanders

Through the lower valley

Arching boughs over the water

Of a near dry river bed

Mist rises from the river

To mingle with the smoke

Of the breakfast fires

From the brick and mud chozas

 

The sky becomes enlightened

The mountains and highlands

Ghostly in the moving mist

Open fields cover the hillsides

In shades of green and brown

Ganado appear on the exposed hills

Flights of Garza wing overhead

Gleaming snow white in the mist

To land among the Ganado

Feeding on stirred up insects

As the Ganado graze

 

The air is alive

With flights of parrots

Flocking to the soybean fields

For their morning feed

The air is warming

The sun rays filtering

Through the shadowy mist

To enlighten the highlands

With bands of light

 

Black Vultures take to the skies

To catch the air thermos

Warming in the morning air

Gliding high above the land

Searching for carrion

The throaty haunting cries

Of the Congo monkeys

Echoes upon the mountains

As they feed upon fruit and leaves

High in the tree branches

Along the Rio Trentino River

 

The mist is thinning

A sun lit El Chile emerges

From the swirling mist

Regal and graceful behind

The rolling sunlit hills

Billowing white clouds appear

A golden glow enshrines

The rugged mountain scene

A momentary spectacle

That is soon lost

The wind is increasing

Blowing from the north

A haze now appears

With the mist frittering away

Leaving a hazy scene

As the morning advances

Photography, Poetry

In Slumber

10 Comments

_MG_9971

 

I lay down to slumber

Soon fast asleep

I drift off in dreams

Of an ancient forest

Nestled among rolling hills

The sunlit glades beckon

In the near distance

The sound of running water

Gurgling and bubbling

Of a small stream

Following its winding path

Through the old growth forest

Stepping stones allow passage

Through the shallow waters

Pools form at the stream bends

White lilies nod gracefully

In the quiet pools

The forest floor abounds

In splashes of color

Of the blooming wildflowers

A swallow tail butterfly

Alights on a flower

Moving on to another

The gentle beauty of lush ferns

Among the stately maples

Add a royal touch

Song birds flirt and dash

Among the changing shadows

The stirring of the leaves

By the gentle breeze

Brings a refreshing feeling

As the dream ends

Having awaken from slumber

Photography

Hills And Mountains

4 Comments

_MG_9728

I have the opportunity to Photograph mountain scenes in Nicaragua. We are completely surrounded by these mountains. I captured this scene above by using the clouds and the slope of the mountain. The individual trees emphasize the tremendous distance and size of these mountain slopes.

I do not have much time to get into any great deal  as I am sitting in an internet cafe. So until next time happy trails from Nicaragua.

Photography

el Chile

5 Comments

nIc

I am visiting friends in the mountains of Nicaragua. The days are hot with cool nights here. This part of the country at the moment is very windy. I am near San Ramon. After a month of waiting everything fell into place yesterday and I captured the above scene. Reminds me of the Old Masters paintings of years ago The mountain in background is known as el Chile. All around me there is tremendous depth. As you look at this photo it has a high degree of mood, depth and lighting. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

An Illusion

11 Comments

Superior_1683

 

Last August I spent an evening at the Agawa Pictographs photographing. It was one of those evenings that were a bit on the dark side with heavy cloud cover. Off on the horizon sunlight filtered through the clouds. There was heavy fog rolling in that appeared as a land mass. The fog gave the appearance of rolling hills coming down to the shoreline. Thus I created the above composition to create the illusion you see. The colors are very sombre to give it a truly eerie effect.

That is it for now. So until next time happy trails

Photography

Old Women’s Bay

4 Comments

_MG_6892_1209

 

 

Old Women’s Bay was made famous by Bill Mason. It was his jump off point for many of his canoe trips on Lake Superior. My wife Maureen and I have made many stops here to enjoy the scenery. If you look closely you can make out the old women’s face. There is a nice evening glow on the rocks. You drive down a fairly steep hill towards the bay coming from the north. I set up on the side of the highway for this particular composition.

In order to make this work, I elected to use the evergreens cascading down the hill on either side of the road as my frame. By keeping them dark to enhance the brighter tones of the rocks. At the same time eliminating some of the water.

I am in Nicaragua at the moment enjoying the warm weather. So until next time happy trails.

Photography

A Red Glow

8 Comments

Batchawana_2906

 

I wrote about this particular scene a few posts back. There is an ancient lava flow here that has been preserved over time. The location is Mica Bay, Lake Superior. I had climbed up unto an outcropping of rock and photographed the location. The sun was on the horizon to my left. It was rapidly sinking below the horizon. As I sat there, the rocks took on a reddish hue that was really fascinating.  The red hue was very powerful on the rocks. Withing a couple minutes it was gone. Another episode of what nature can produce before your eyes. The camera and tripod were already set up, thus it was only a matter of setting the exposure and click away. The clouds had a reddish tinge to them. The rocks in foreground stayed dark due to an outcropping of rocks to my left. That was good as it provided good contrast with the rest of the scene.

Well that is it for now. Until next time happy trails

 

 

Photography, Poetry

Tranquility

5 Comments

GeorgeLakeFall2014

 

A quiet peaceful morning

An overcast sky above

Calm waters prevail

In the quiet nooks

A touch of mist

Floating on the water

A dampness in the air

A place to retreat

To discover nature’s simplicity

The maples orange and red

The angled rock lines

Flowing into the water

The mark of glaciers

Scouring the shoreline rocks

A touch of color

On the time worn rocks

The morning sunlight

Edging the pine needles

A dreamy quieting morning

A soothing restful place