Reel Deal Bass Tournament on White Lake

 Registration for The Reel Deal Bass Tournament began at 5:30 A.M. Sunday, May 27 at the Montague Municipal Boat Launch on White  Lake.

Fishermen returned to the launch site at 3:00 P.M. for official weigh-in.  Many of the participants returned with a daily limit of  5 Bass with the largest fish weighing in at more than 3 pounds.  Most fish caught in the tournament were returned to the lake alive immediately after they were weighed and recorded.

I didn't stay until the final contestants weighed-in so there may have been even larger fish registered.

To learn more about the Reel Deal Tournaments visit:  http://www.rdtournaments.com/

Lake Michigan - May 23, 2012

Lake Michigan so calm people were casually paddle boarding well out from the channel at White Lake.

Brief, Powerful Storm

Blue sky was evident all around this ominous storm cloud that included much lightening and thunder.  A sudden, cold, fierce, wind brought a rain squall that quickly dissipated into a night long sprinkle.

The white condos stood out in stark contrast to the frightening clouds.

Footprints in the Sand

Lake Michigan was its typical self this morning.  Cold, dreary, desolate.  The damp air fueled by a frigid breeze off the lake penetrated to the bones.  Not even the Seagulls showed their beaks.  Footprints were the only evidence of a recent visitor.

On a warm summer day this beach will be jam-packed with single moms, single dads and grandparents who have found the next best thing to TV for an afternoon of entertaining their wild, screaming children.  Not that I don't like wild, screaming children - we bring our grandkids here too.  But on a May morning when viciously brutal glacial winds are raging in from off-shore you might think people come here only to commit suicide or otherwise sadistically torment themselves.

Yes - I could have stayed in the Rio Grande Valley another couple weeks.

May 4, 2012

Fishing from the Whitehall side of White Lake early spring, 2012.  They had lots of bites, but landed only one small Rock Bass.  Still, a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.

Up on Pear Street

This was an idea that took more effort than it was worth, I think.  My thought was to show a contrast between the homes on Pear Street, where I live in the winter, to the multi-million dollar, beachfront condos on South Padre Island.

The motor homes in the park, along with the park models and mobile homes are now mostly closed for the summer.  Meanwhile, down on the beach, the condos seem to be closed most of the year.  Oh, to have so much money that I could own an expensive home to be used only a couple weeks a year.  I think I would find other ways to spend it.   Probably whiskey and wild women.  Well, at least I would know what to do with the whiskey.

I'm still not altogether sure about the illustration idea.  Perhaps I should have just eaten the pear - yeah, it was very tasty.

The New Pioneers

Joyce, Bill and their little dog too.

This photo is about three weeks old - so much for my "new photo every day" plan. 

Bill and Joyce had been preparing for their departure  from Sleepy Valley for about two weeks.  On the morning of this shot they were almost ready to leave south Texas.

They are part-time RVers who maintain a home in northwest Arkansas, but in the winter they travel south to places where temperatures are warmer.

This image reminds me of Grant Wood's painting "American Gothic," which has been described as a depiction of  "steadfast American pioneer spirit."

To me the photo depicts a newer, less austere, pioneer - retirees with their home on wheels ready to move wherever the spirit takes them.

Next winter they tentatively plan to take their motor home to Arizona or southern California.

Wild Egg Shells

These egg shells were lying in the street some distance from each other.  It is impossible to tell whether they were stolen from the nest and the eggs eaten by a predator or the chicks hatched and the shells were kicked out of the nest.

In either case, there are bazillions of doves in the park that begin their "coo, coo, ka, coo" well before sun-up every morning.  It makes me wish for the "boom, boom, ba, boom" of 20 gauge shotguns.  There are Mourning Doves, White Tip Doves, Inca Doves and pigeons everywhere you look.  A blind man could put dinner on the table with only a couple shots and then sleep well the following morning.

Blossoms After the Storm

Ginger blossoms on the boulevard at Sleepy Valley RV Resort after yesterday's storm.


The sudden storm came and went in about a half hour.  20-30 m.p.h. winds, marble-sized hail and torrents of rain blasted through the area in a manner that made me sure the end was near.


After it was over, there were sirens screaming from every direction, but so far as I could tell, there was no damage to speak of.  All is well and the spring blossoms continue to flourish.

Bentsen Rio Grande State Park

Mating Dragonflies

Unidentified Lizard

There wasn't much wildlife out and about during our  recent visit to the park.  According to the park ranger, this is breeding time; the birds are in hiding and protecting their nests.

In addition to the dragonflies and lizard, I got photos of a couple butterflies, Retama blossoms, Turks Cap and a few other shots, but I've already posted similar images either here in the blog or on the web site.

This is part of a recent initiative to post something new everyday.  It's not easy getting motivated to find interesting shots every single day.  Already I'm cheating by posting photos taken a couple weeks ago.

Looking forward to the next couple weeks, I will be on the highway driving back to Michigan for the summer, beginning next Wednesday, so there will be a few days when I probably won't have access to the Internet.

In the meantime, stay tuned.  Also, if you are a photographer, blogs such as this are free, easy to set up and maintain.  Establish your own account with Google and begin posting your own images for all the world to admire.