September | Lake Charlevoix | Red Fox Regatta

Equation - Bill Alcott's Andrews 68 - Racing on Lake Charlevoix

 

If it’s September and it’s Labor Day Weekend, the only place to be is sailing/racing is on one of the finest “Inland Lake” Regatta/Venues in the Great Lakes and that is Lake Charlevoix!  

 

And there I was… on the tender for Equation, Bill Alcott’s Andrews 68.  Why, you ask, does she need  a tender? It’s very simple. The first leg of the race is from Charlevoix to the eastern end of the lake, to Boyne City, approximately 17 miles away.  All the racings boats spend the night in Boyne City (BBQ and Beer/Rum Tent is part of the fun). They can all get into the Marina, Equation can’t! With a 14′ draft, she must anchor out AND the crew must get in, someway!

That’s where Debi Schoenherr’s inflatable becomes very handy AND with the “photoboat” driving skills of Terry Farquharson make it an ideal combination for me. 

Here’s how it works, we (Terry & I) towed the tender down to Charlevoix on that Friday afternoon…in exchange Terry, I and  quite a few others enjoyed a wonderful sunset cruise on “E”. On Saturday morning, we followed Equation and the fleet all the way to Boyne City. “I” got to take photographs the entire way….(please visit flickr.com/photos/gretchdorian and see “the rest of the story”).

Of course, Equation, was first to finish. She moved over to the front of the Boyne City Marina, dropped anchor and the crew enjoyed a late lunch watching the rest of the fleet sailing across the finish line. With lunch over and the fleet in, the shoreside festivities begin. That’s where the “T/T Equation”  comes in…to move everyone ashore to enjoy the summerlike evening.

Come Sunday morning, everyone returns to Boyne City, and the crew is ferried back to Equation, on the tender, and the 2nd leg starts back to Charlevoix!

It was fun, the weather was simply incredible. I was able to catch up with  many friends that came up from “down south” (the  Detroit area)  for the weekend. There are many photos to enjoy, please jump over to flickr.com/photos/gretchdorian to enjoy.

August | Backyard of the Ranch…

Park County, Montana - Crazy Mountains - August 2009 - Snow

Look what the storm left behind…

I have had the wonderful opportunity to head west a few times this year,

both winter and summer, spending time working on a ranch in Montana.

This is my backyard, as I head into work.

A storm has just passed, leaving “Summer Snow” up in the mountains.

July in Northern Michigan

July found me home and between gigs in Montana….that said, I head for the water, big water. It’s gotta be Lake Huron or Lake Michigan. With the help of some great friends, providing me with a powerboat, a driver and lunch, I was able to photograph the Great Lakes 70s Championship.

This year it was hosted by the Little Traverse Yacht Club, Harbor Springs with racing held out on Little Traverse Bay, on Lake Michigan. The first day was rainy, cold and blustery. My greatest fear is getting water in my cameras, whether it be from spray off waves or rain…we had both.

Waterbabies

Life is Grand

From a wonderful road-trip to Illinois, to attend an Adobe Software Seminar. Which led me up to Lake Geneva, down to Chicago, visiting the entire time with my niece, Tamara Taylor Bassin and re-uniting me with her children, Maya, Coby and Lily…..this is Lily, the great-niece I only just met, the waterbaby.

Peter Norton – Media Guru

Peter Norton of RumJungle.com

Peter Norton

Eastern Phoebe – Emmet County, MI

Eastern Phoebe, originally uploaded by gretchdorian.
The Phoebe’s have returned!

Oldies but Goodies….

Hessel Antique Boat Show

One of a set of my favorite boat photos. Taken up in Hessel, MI, Les Cheneaux Islands, Lake Huron (Upper Peninsula). Many thanks to my brothers, Chris & Jon with spouses, Veronica and Karen, for making this possible. I recommend the trip AND I recommend you visit “BY FERRY”! Costs a little more, but what a day you will have!

Here’s how you do it!
First call Arnold Straits Transit (Arnold Ferry) in Mackinac City and reserve tickets from “Mackinac Island to Hessel to Mackinac Island”, for the Hessel Antique Wooden Boat Show. This is a special ferry that only operates this day, for this event. The Antique Wooden Boat Show is usually the first Saturday in August. It is a (1) one day event. Next plan to be at the Arnold Ferry /MACKINAC CITY for the FIRST ferry to the island, usually at 7 or 7:30 AM. When you arrive on Mackinac Island head for breakfast. You can dine at the Chippewa Hotel Dining Room, overlooking the Harbor, enjoy Eggs Benedict and maybe a Mimosa or Bloody Mary, or do what we do. Turn left off the ferry, on Main St. and head down to the “Pancake House”.

You have time to relax and do a little exploring as the “Hessel Ferry” departs at 10 AM, but check your tickets to be sure. About this time the “Wheelmen” convention will be assembling in the Park, under the Fort. A great photo op, as they are all on antique bicycles and in period costume….very fun!  Now, it’s time to head back to the “Arnold Dock” and catch your “special/charter” Ferry to Hessel.

Your Hessel ticket, includes the entrance fee into the Boat Show. In fact, you arrive right, smack, dab in the middle of it, tying off  on the outside dock! Enjoy the show, walk all the docks, visit the art show ond exhibits on the shore. Then, we head across the street and enjoy grilled burgers and beers, at the corner bar with an outdoor patio.
YOUR ticket also includes “a cruise” , usually around 1:00 PM for about an hour or so (water depth permitting) up the channel of the Les Cheneaux Islands. So head back into the show, out to the dock and get on board for the “Island Cruise”. You get back to the show,and  soon there after, your Ferry will depart (around 4:00 PM), and return you to Mackinac Island (around 5:00 PM)

Now, if you can indulge, I would stay on Mackinac Island for the night. But if you can’t, I recommend staying on the Island for dinner, we do and it’s alot of fun.
You just have to remember that THE LAST “ARNOLD” probably departs around 9:00 PM.

That’s it! Sounds like alot of eating…perhaps, but it sure  is a lot of fun!

Tree Study

Here’s the “first blush” , a spring pun, on my progess with “My Tree” Study

Flickers arrive “Up North”

Flicker

Searchin’ the Wetlands of Northern Lower Michigan

Most of the ice is gone, shells have surfaced

I am on a mission. There is a juried photography exhibition that I always like to enter and for this coming year they have announced a “theme”. All photographs to be submitted must be taken on wetlands that are part of “Tip of the Mitt”, Grand Traverse or Leelaneau Wetlands. I choose Tip of the Mitt, as most of their wetlands are in Emmet County. The deadline for framed entries is in January. For me, that means I must know what I want to submit by October, print and frame in November, glide trough Christmas then drop at New Year’s week. That’s the plan. Here’s what I found on Friday, it was a Good Friday at Lake Munro.