Mike Houge

Up North In July;

For those of you that have been following my blog, you know about my love of northern Minnesota and Lake Superior. My wife and I were able to get away for a few days not only for some much needed R & R but so I could also capture some images. I'm starting to get a little nervous, as I have a showing at the Witter Gallery at Storm Lake for the month of December and I had hoped I'd have a lot more material than I currently do. Well I have no one to blame but my lazy butt!

 

The first morning out was over cast and there was a mist in the air so I decided to visit Gooseberry Falls State Park. You'd think after all the years I've been photographing this spot I'd have all the angles captured but no, with the changing seasons and light comes ever more opportunities. I spent almost three hours there and really didn't have any people to worry about but that's the advantage of getting there at 5:45 A.M.

 

The next day we decided to go to a park I haven't visited for over twenty years, which is Amnicon Falls State Park, in Wisconsin. Now that so much of my free time is spent with photography, I know I'll be spending a lot more time at this state park. Our friend Dan Ruf just visited this area a couple of weeks ago so he gets full credit for getting me excited about this beautiful location. For some of his great images stop by his blog site at http://danielruf.typepad.com . The park isn't far from Superior and I heartily recommend it.

 

Our last day was a scouting mission in the Bayfield area looking for some rocky shorelines. For those of you not familiar with Lake Superior, the west side is very rocky and most of the shoreline is visible, where the east side is very sandy and hard to access. We stopped in a gallery in a small town and met a nice local photographer that was kind enough to share some ideas, so next time I'm up north I'll have a better idea where to go.

Well. I hope you enjoyed this weeks images and I thank you for stopping by. Have a great week.

Sunrise Visit:

It was one of those early summer mornings that we photographers love- calm,partly cloudy and a light dew. I was up before dawn so I could catch the best light and my timing was dead on for a change. Fort Defiance was quiet as usual- not a sole around and the daises had a nice dew on them and no breeze-nice!

 

After several minutes capturing flowers in the prairie, I headed down to the lower part of the park to see if there was water flowing in the creek. Wow, what a perfect morning- it was so quiet you could not only hear the gurgling of the creek down below but the forest was alive as everything was waking up with the sunrise.

 

I spent a couple hours walking through the park, not only taking pictures but also absorbing the peace and quiet that surrounded me. What a great way to forget the pressures and fast pace of the work week. I hope you find time to kick back and relax in your own way this weekend and find this weeks images peaceful. Thanks for stopping by.

The Arrowhead:

As many of you already know, the northeast part of Minnesota is one of my favorite spots in Minnesota. Possibly it's my Norwegian heritage or maybe I was a voyager in an other life but this region tugs at my soul. There's often a little voice in the back of my mind that tells me it's time to head back north.

 

Last week my wife and I couldn't resist any longer and we made plans to visit the arrowhead of Minnesota. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a cabin at Cascade lodge, which surprised us as it was the first true weekend of summer. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, highs in the upper 60's and lows at night in the 30's with clear skies and a light breeze. The folks at Cascade Lodge couldn't be nicer and the restaurant there serves the best bread pudding in the arrowhead.

Besides the rest and relaxation, I was able to shoot pictures twice a day minimum and see some of the best sites up north. On our way to Grand Marais one morning we were able to spot an Eagles nest along the lake shore with little heads bobbing up and down. We stopped and watched the action several time on our trips up and down HWY 61 and I have to say it was one of my highlights.

 

The only disappointing part of the trip was the lack of wildflowers. I think we were about three weeks to early for any color, although the Marsh Marigolds were thick along the highways and the parks where there was standing water.Cascade River, Bluebird Creek and Cadunce River offered me hours of picture taking, not to mention Artists Point at Grand Marais.

 

Once again, if you love the outdoors and haven't found the Arrowhead region of Minnesota, I encourage you to find a long weekend to get away and head north. There truly is something there for all outdoor lovers. Thanks for stopping by.

April flowers;

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh spring in Northwest Iowa. The aroma of wet earth, the awaking chorus of a dozen varieties of song birds, the chirping of crickets and the drum of marsh frogs- these are the sounds of spring one misses after seven months of dormancy. All you have to do now is look around and the signs ao spring are everywhere- the grass is getting greener- the buds on the trees are starting to sprout little leaves and the perennial flowers are starting to bloom.

Dan Ruf alerted me to the fact last week- that the Pasque flower was blooming- a first for me to observe. So I was up early last Sunday morning and drove to Freida Haffner prairie to hopefully photograph the hard to find prairie flower and sure enough they were waiting for me to discover them near the kettle hole. It was a little windy and quite chilly so the conditions weren't as I had hoped but the experience was good and I shall return for more images before they disappear for the season.

 

Fort Defiance is another good area to find early wildflowers and this year is no exception. The small round-lobed Hepatica is always a welcomed sight and you can often find it near the base of a tree struggling to send its tiny lavender or pink flower skyward. I can't help but be amazed at how many of these tiny flowers survive the harsh Iowa winters. Another hardy wildflower in Fort Defiance that is always one of the first to poke through the rich soil is the Dutchman's Breeches. What a unique looking flower- clusters of white/pink heart shaped flowers on a leafless stalk. I remember the first time I found this flower on a hike in Lost Island Huston Park, I couldn't wait to get home and grab my field guide to wildflowers so I could identify my find.

 

On the home front we also have a flower that is always the first to bloom and that would be the hardy Crocus. We have only the purple variety at our home but I hope to correct that situation this year and plant a variety of colors for next year. The world of flowers is still quite new to me so I hope you enjoy my journey this summer.

April catch-up time:

 

It's been a busy couple of weeks here in Northwest Iowa. My youngest daughter Ariana and her husband Dan had to make a sad and quick trip to Iowa from Texas two weekends ago due to a death in his family. We took this chance to run down to Cedar Falls and visit them for the first time since Thanksgiving. Even though it was a bitter sweet meeting it was still great to see them again.

They're back in Texas now but it sounds like Dan will have a job offer in Cedar Rapids and if it goes well our kids could finally end up back in Iowa to stay- YEA!! They will have been in Texas for a year in June and the short trip back reminded them of how much they missed Iowa and family.

 

Last weekend Dan Ruf and I spent Sunday in Dolliver State Park and the Brushy Creek area trying hard to capture some good photography. Although the calendar says it's spring- Mother Nature isn't so sure. Every where we looked all we found was dull water and brown-dead grass.

Brushy Creek Recreation area was created by damming the Brushy Creek and creating a 690 acre lake. It presented itself to be quite a challenge with all the dead trees sticking halfway out of the water. There are 45 miles of trails and two open shelters there with two campgrounds, a definite must see location.

Dolliver State Park is a 1925 state park perched on a hill looking over the Des Moines River. It's a pretty park with not only two shelters but also two family cabins nestled in the south end of the newly expanded campground. Prairie Creek feeds into the Des Moines River and has a nice trail following it. Although I didn't see them- there are several Indian mounds in the park of various shapes- not to mention miles of trails. Both parks are southeast of Fort Dodge and if you like the outdoors I think either parks would make a great location for a family camp out.

Signs Of Spring:

 

I had a six hour road trip today, so I had a lots of time to think. It seemed my eyes spent most of the trip searching for signs of spring. The first sign I look for each year are the returning birds. This year the DNR are draining a slough not far from my home and there are hundreds of fresh frozen fish scattered all over the dry lake bed. The bonus to this mess is that it has attracted the attention of dozens of eagles as they head north. I've lived in this area all my life and I have never seen so many eagles. Needless to say I've almost been late to work several days this last week.

Another obvious sign are the little green blades of grass that pop up right after the last snow bank melts. The maple trees buds are looking like they will burst open at any time now and the branches of the willow trees and dogwoods are getting more colorful by the day.

 

One scene that always makes me smile is the way the returning geese stake out their nests. I don't think there is a muskrat hut in nine counties that isn't spoken for. It's also nice to see the meadow larks come back along with the robins which have been back for weeks now. I always wonder what they find to eat this early because during the summer all I ever see them eat are worms and bugs - not many of them around yet.

 

We're expecting several inches of rain this week which will not only clean things up but green things up. If we get several inches of rain along with some wind it might even take the ice out of the local lakes. I for one can't wait for that to happen so I can dust of my kayak and take it for a spin. I hope spring comes quick for you and I'm going to get a jump start and share some of last years spring images. Have a great week!

Ledges State Park:

 

Dan & I decided we needed to keep our camera fingers active and head to Ledges State Park. Little did we know that we would be greeted to -1 degrees when the morning arrived. Being the dedicated photographers that we are - we almost turned around and went back - but no - off we headed.

 

The park is four miles south of Boone and I believe was created in 1924. Like many state parks in Iowa there are several buildings built by the CCC in the 30"s. A river runs thru the limestone lined bluffs and makes this a really fun park to visit. There are three sections in the park where water runs over the road and makes for a very fun spot for kids of all ages.

Dan & I had hoped for high water levels but we found it quite low for this time of year. Although the temperatures were cold, there was lots of activity in the park in the form of wildlife. The squirrels were everywhere and the Robins were in full force. We could hear Cardinals and Blue Jays in the background and we watched Cedar Wax Wings eating dried berries. I was also surprised to find fish swimming in the stream

   

Even though this park is affected by flooding every year, it truly is an Iowa gem. Hiking, fishing, camping, biking and picnicking are just a few things to experience while in the park. Keep in mind that although the road is closed during the winter for everyone's safety. you can still walk thru the park and enjoy its beauty.

SIGNS OF SPRING

 

Every year around this time, the topic of conversation centers around spring. Everyone is sick of winter and can't wait for spring to arrive. It doesn't help that we've been getting seed catalogs now for two months. It also seems the spring clothing catalogs have been arriving for almost the same amount of time, even the local stores have their spring clothing on the racks right beside the swimming suits. It's Iowa for heavens sake, everyone around here knows we can't have spring until the Des Moines tournaments are over- that's the rule.

 

If you haven't noticed- even Mother Nature has a mean streak. Last week we had almost 40 degrees one day, then two days later, 2 1/2 inches of snow with lows in the single digits. I mean- come on - we're ready for a break. We're all ready for flowers, mowing grass, camp outs, even the bugs.

To catch a sign of spring, I got up this morning (it was 3 degrees) and drove to Fort Defiance State Park. I had enough clothes on to smother a cow and I slide/walked to Spring Creek down in the valley. My friend Dan Ruf - who also sometimes has a mean streak - said there's some open water down there - it'll get you in the mood. Well - he was right - if you looked hard enough - there were some small openings in the ice where you could hear and see the running water. I have to admit it was a nice scene, although I'm not sure it was enough to make the cabin fever go away.

 

I'm afraid I didn't capture any spring images for you this week and I was tempted to pull some flower images from my files but instead I'll share this weeks images and hope if we all think spring, it'll show up quicker than the date on the calendar. Have a great week!

WATER:

 

I'm not sure why but my camera seems attracted to water. I go up North and I find water to capture- samething when I go West or South(haven't been East yet). So it shouldn't surprise anyone when the other day Dan Ruf and I went to Palisades State Park and the Linn Grove Dam and guess what my camera found - yep "water" - who knew.

 

For those of you familiar with the Sioux Falls, S.D. area, the Palisades are just Northeast of Sioux Falls maybe 15 miles, near the town of Garretson. Until Dan told me about it, I had no idea it existed. Come to find out it is the second most visited state park in S.D. Now keep in mind it was February when we visited, so not only were we the only idiots there but it wasn't showing it's best side. Still - we were able to catch its inner beauty and see what makes it a "must" visit park. Split Rock Creek has carved a deep ravine thru the red quartz and made a sight not expected in North East S.D.

The next stop for what we hoped would be images of eagles was Linn Grove, Ia. This is well known to be a favorite haunt for local eagles, so Dan and I arrived well before sunrise. The dam there keeps the water open so the birds can fish but unfortunately I think the eagles knew we were coming an all we captured were these dam photos (sorry).

 

It's been a long winter and as usual I've been struggling to get out and take winter images. So having some open water has been a nice respite. Spring "is" coming , I'm just hoping it's early this year because like so many people "I'm ready".

Winter Wonderland:

 

Winter in NW Iowa this year has been of the old fashioned kind-snowy. I think some of my favorite childhood memories are of making snow forts and sliding down hills. I can still remember the winter we received so much snow that the snow drifts went all the way over our garage. Wow-what a fort that made.

 

I've traded snow forts and sleds for snowshoes now, although my grand daughter has been able to get me to go down the hill at Lost Island once or twice(she can get me to do almost anything once). It always takes a few weeks to get acclimated but once our blood thickens it's not that bad. Friday after the 6" of snow we received, it was 8 degrees outside-with no wind- the sun was shining and it almost seemed balmy outside.

 

I'm surprised with all the parks and public areas aroundhere, more people don't get out and enjoy winter more. It's such a calming experience while snowshoeing thru the woods to just stop and listen to nature around you. The sounds of the forest in winter are so different than in the summer-so peaceful. If you haven't tried snowshoeing, I encourage you to give it a try. Here's to an old fashioned winter.