My wife and I were planning an RV trip to the Denver area to visit our daughter this spring. We decided to plan an extended vacation and visit some places we had visited almost 50-years ago. Our first major destination was the Badlands National Park. On our first trip, we camped in one of the park’s campgrounds in a backpacking tent amongst the “giant” RVs. This time, we stayed in our RV near the park, rented a car to explore the badlands, and visited Wall Drugs (again). Badlands National Park, South Dakota The badlands range from stark and barren to grass covered prairie to beautiful colors a ..read more

What does one do while waiting on the first winter storm of the season with a predicted snowfall of 5 inches to 3 feet do? Go photograph a frozen lake! I had completed all my preparation for the storm and decided to attempt to photograph a scene I had seen in the winter a few years ago. This area was the subject of one of my photos in the spring in 2020. This part of the lake is a cove that freezes early and had some interesting possibilities. However, I have never seen the scene I wanted to photograph since my first outing without a camera. This morning’s search was no different, but the road ..read more

I decided early one morning to check the colors at a location at Lake Monroe that I had photographed in the spring to see the scene with fall colors. Unfortunately, I was too earlier and there was very little color. I also decided that afternoon sun would provide better lighting. Given there are 103 miles of shore line, I decided to check some other locations. I found the most color on an island across from a boat ramp. Fortunately, there were not too many boats coming and going on this morning. I particularly liked this panorama of the trees (A Fall Morning at Lake Monroe IN) on an island aga ..read more

The big question this fall is when will the tree colors peak? Optimist said we would see peak color in southern Indiana by late October. A naturalist friend and I thought late in the first week of November. Now, it looks like maybe the second week of November. I have made multiple drives through parks and the country side to find little if any color. The leaves are green, brown, or the trees are bare in some places. Plus, we have had too many days of gray sky. Early morning light On one of my many trips to Brown County, Indiana, I found some hints of fall color. The image above (Morning fall c ..read more

A few weeks ago, I decided to visit a few places I had not seen for a couple of years. Sundance Lake is one of my favorite places. It is hidden off the beaten track in the Hoosier National Forest only noted by small sign with cryptic numbers. The drive to the location was circuitous due to road closures. Then, the roads turn to gravel and quickly narrow to a single track. As I drove to the lake, I started to feel I was lost as it seemed to take much longer than I expected. Two turns before arriving at the lake, I recognized landmarks and knew I was near. I was the only person at the lake this ..read more

You can read my introduction to historical trees in an earlier post. On many of my trips, I have had the opportunity to meet various individuals in cities and forests who have suggested unique trees to photograph. Such was the case when photographing some other trees in Johnson County. An individual recommended that I visit a very old and beautiful white oak at the Franklin Armory. Based on descriptions from a few people, I was expecting a tree beside the road surrounded by concrete with everything from sports cars to tanks in the background. I was wrong. White Oak Franklin Armory Franklin IN ..read more

Somedays are just made for photography. I had one of those days recently when the weather and my schedule came together. We have been dealing with problems from a failed sump pump for several weeks that have cut into my travel time. We were forced to speedup our schedule for purging items we no longer need. As a result, I gained some additional storage for my photography gear and organized my prints, materials, and equipment. I need to sell some gear I no longer use. Field of yellow Not long after leaving home, I found a field of yellow. Many of the farm fields are in bloom with a yellow plant ..read more

You can read my introduction to historical trees in an earlier post. When we think of the USS Constitution, or Old Ironsides as the U.S. Navy frigate is nicknamed, we are more likely to think of Boston where the ship is moored, than a forest in southern Indiana. Surprisingly, an Indiana forest plays a significant role in keeping the USS Constitution afloat. The Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane, the third largest naval base in the world, also houses the largest contiguous forest (50,000 acres) under single ownership in Indiana and is located 35 miles southwest of Bloomington. The forest inclu ..read more

You can read my introduction to historical trees in an earlier post. You may be familiar with the maple tree helicopters that fly from the branches of maple trees in the spring, or the troublesome gum ball from a sweetgum tree that litters the ground beneath the tree every fall. The seeds from trees typically fall nearby, but birds and other animals can carry a seed some distance. Consider a seed that traveled 1,150,321 miles with a smoke jumper (NASA, 2018)! The story behind this moon tree in Lincoln State Park in Indiana is intriguing. Apollo 14 Apollo 14 was launched on January 31, 1971, fo ..read more

This year’s gift guide is a little late, but just in time to select the gift you want when you return another gift! The limitations on travel this year due to COVID-19, have limited my testing of new gear. The list is short, but full of essential items. Drive Auto Products Car Cargo Trunk Organizer https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071F82CYJ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 For years, I have kept a plastic bin in my SUV filled with things I use on rare occasions, but when needed they are handy. I had everything from a photo vest, rain coat, extra pair of socks, knee pads, micro ..read more