george_loepfe

<p>Shore Ice #2</p><div></div>

<p>John - wonderful spring flowers. Not so much around here. Lake Michigan shore ice.</p>

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<p>The sled dog race I posted about last week was started from a gravel pit. There were snow covered piles of gravel that the kids took advantage of. They were probably 40 feet tall with 45 degree slopes. No ambulances were called as far as I know.</p><div></div>

<p>This event is a real family affair. Everyone we talked to was very happy to answer questions. There were kids as young as 10 or 11 racing. I overheard a conversation from a volunteer spotter who was saying that one of the kids had tipped over, and he was about to go help, when the little girl got everything upright by herself and was back in the race. He said, “Her mom should be proud of her… I was proud of her.” </p><div></div>

<p>There were six and eight dog teams, sportsmen (run what you bring I think) and juniors. The longest event was something under 40 miles distance completed in two days. I took hundreds of photos. This one had a certain calendar photo quality to it. There are many mixed breed teams. One was made up of rescue dogs. </p><div></div>

<p>The Apostle Island Sled Dog Race was February 2 and 3 near Bayfield, WI. Temperatures were zero to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. We were outside about five hours each day, and my K-20D, batteries, and 60-250 DA* worked without any problems. I have the battery grip, and I’m sure that had a lot to do with the batteries not fading all weekend. This was good thing because Mr. Photographer forgot to pack the battery charger.<br>

The dogs are incredibly excited before the race, barking and howling. I’m certain one dog was saying “Run… Run… Run….!” Teams are lead to the starting chute by volunteers. One volunteer catches a snow hook on a cable across the starting line. When they take off, the volunteer hands it to the musher </p><div></div>

<p>The Center's golden eagle.</p><div></div>

<p>The fluffy feathers on the top of the head are from an injury.</p><div></div>

<p>Wabasha, MN is the home of the National Eagle Center. It's located near where the Chippewa river in Wisconsin flows into the Mississippi. The turbulence keeps the water open year round and hundreds of eagles gather there to feed. The Center is home to four bald eagles and a golden eagle. All the eagles have been injured and can't return to the wild. All taken with the 55-300 at ISO 800 hand held. This was our first visit and we hope to return soon. A really nice facility and great staff.</p><div></div>

<p>I have this image framed and hung on the wall of our condo, so I see it every day. The drought here last summer really limited the butterfly and wild flower photo opportunities, and I felt lucky to have captured this one. Today I'm watching the freezing rain ice over my deck, so maybe I'm also longing for warmer weather!</p><div></div>

<p>My second frame is brand new fern just out of the ground. I was flat on my belly with the tripod legs spread as far as the would go.</p><div></div>

<p>John Muir County Park in central Wisconsin memorializes the boyhood home of John Muir. The park is a modest loop trail around a spring feed lake. The trail wanders through prairie, bog, and hardwood forest in a short distance. We have a seasonal campsite nearby, and come back every couple weeks. It’s different every time we visit.</p><div></div>

<p>The Sheboygan River from the trail.</p><div></div>

<p>It was a wonderful day for a hike, 70 degrees and sunny. Nothing has started to green up yet though. This is from the Plank Road Trail, a twenty mile path between Sheboygan and Plymouth Wisconsin. All with a K20D and a Tamron 70-300.</p><div></div>

<p>Second frame.</p><div></div>

<p>Not a good weekend to be photographing outdoors here, so we ran out to the grocery store for flowers. The first frame is available light in front of patio doors on a tripod. The second frame is hand held with a Pentax AF-540 flash and a Westcot Micro Apollo as described in the Naturescapes article on macro flash photography. </p><div></div>

<p>A plank walkway through the sand dunes.</p><div></div>

<p>These photos are taken at Kohler Andre State Park on Lake Michigan. Usually we snowshoe here in February, but not this winter. All are done with a Pentax 16-45.</p><div></div>

<p>More lens testing with the 400mm F5.6 smc-m at Manitowoc, Wisconsin's Lincoln Park Zoo. All photos were taken though black chain link fence that thankfully disappeared for the most part. The photo of the wolf was the first frame taken that day. He never looked directly at me again.</p><div></div>

<p>Second image was on a tripod. It made a nice print...</p><div></div>

<p>I am the new owner of a Pentax 400 f5.6 smc-m. My first chance to test it was at the local duck pond. There must have been a thousand geese in the open water, and they were getting really loud when we got close! Camera was a K20D.</p><div></div>