Rodney Curtis

Snow ladder photo by Rodney CurtisWhen Pal Farina and I decided to head up north, we didn’t plan on it being the snowiest night of the year so far. Granted, “snowiest” is a bit of a misnomer since we’ve seen about as much of the white stuff this year as has Florida. The mountains in the Sunshine State may have even seen more.

It took us forever, driving to Oscoda and his in-law’s place on the lake. But a man’s weekend awaited us. It turns out real men alone in the wilderness spend their time making and eating Rice Krispie treats and napping a lot.

But they also go out for a tramp in the winter wonderland. We found a tramp, but he didn’t want his picture taken. Still, Farina and I being photo editors by training, had fun snapping stills in the snow.

The snowmobilers whizzing by us probably felt the same way we did; with all of three or four inches, we should probably make hay while the sun shines. It’s crazy; by this time there’s normally a few feet. Those that deny Global Warming should take a look outside today on this, Michigan’s 175th birthday. Or they could explain the houseflies showing up in January, but I digress.

Snowfall on cedar by Rodney CurtisMostly our trip — and this blog entry — was about photography. And although our images weren’t earth shaking, they were fun to make. Art is as much about the process as the final product. Too often we forget the joy of making the picture as we rush to get them posted or published. I was fortunate enough on this journey to sit back and play. I used a point-and-shoot, an iPhone and my regular professional Nikon. It was a blast.

Frozen beach by Rodney CurtisThere’s something about the bracing cold and the crispness of the day that brings out colors, textures, tones and definitely snot. I hope to see more snow before winter ends, even though we like to complain about it when it shows up. It seems unnatural without it. Pictures of dead grass, dry leaves and your neighbor’s trash on your lawn just aren’t as pretty without a nice white covering.

Oh, and before I forget; Happy Birthday Michigan. What do you get for a state that has everything?

Sun setting on Huron photo by Rodney Curtis