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Meijer’s Gardens
I wouldn’t have guessed that we’d be dazzled by cactus in Michigan, but it happens at Meijer’s Gardens in Grand Rapids. This place surprises us with interesting art, many diverse plants and animals, good walking, and even a giant horse. It’s the perfect place to meet after our family reunion luncheon. We can all stroll,…
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Bay City River Roar
We happen to be in Bay City during a major event, the River Roar. This is an outboard motorboat race, where boats that can accelerate from 0 to 100 mph in 3 seconds and top 130 mph circle a tight 1-mile course on the 700-ft wide Saginaw River. Mom has an invite to a dockside…
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Empty Building
While it might evoke mixed emotions from Bay City residents, I found this abandoned building on the Saginaw River rather beautiful. The missing window panes and complex internal structures are a feast of detail for the eye.
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Bay City River Walk
Mom gives us a little tour of the Saginaw River in Bay City on the local river walk trail. We pass the burned, sunken hulls of ships from the 19th-Century Davidson shipyard. A Great Heron catches fish in a marshy inlet. A freighter works its up the river, passing under the city’s four drawbridges. It’s…
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Flying to Michigan
It’s the first time Ann and I have traveled by airplane together. We find our likes and dislikes in airports to be similar, thankfully, as they are in most things. We like our friend Sean for dropping us off (saving parking or shuttle woes), prefer the much shorter security line at Denver International that requires…
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Movie: Bubble (2005)
A spare film that takes away nearly all the glitz we’re used to in movies. The actors were picked from Ohio valley locals, and they improvise much of the dialogue. The heart of the film is an effective human story, and that’s all it needs. I welcome this relief from overdone movies. Referred by Celluloid…
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Fish & Blocksma BBQ
Ann’s brother Randy (Fish) & his family (wife Amy and sons Jonathan and Nathaniel) are in town on their way to Redding, California. My cousin Dougie Blocksma and fianceé Liz are in town before leaving for their wedding in Michagan. Sean joins us to celebrate the convergence with grilled turkey dogs, sauerkraut, salad, and beer.
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Movie: Born Into Brothels (2002)
This film offers a glimpse into the lives of children in a Calcutta red-light district, and follows the filmmaker’s attempts to rescue some of them from it. The frustration she encountered when she attempted to film or photograph there led her to teach photography to some of the children, which provided a small doorway through…
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HDR Experiments
The sky is looking good for a sunset, so I grab my big tripod, climb up on the roof of the RV, and take a bunch of different exposures to play with. I’ve done a little more reading about High Dynamic Range imaging, and what I’m doing might not technically qualify as HDR, which in…
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Movie: The Return of The King (Extended Version)
On Father’s Day Dad and I kick back to finish off the trilogy. Once again, the extended version does nothing but enhance the film with more character development. The battles are still long, of course, but the interludes that keep you identified with the characters involved make them far more gripping. I still have gripes…