Journal

Monochromatic Chaos

 

This abstract black and white digital imagery has been added to my gallery at Pixels. Created using Adobe Photoshop exclusively, it’s available on many different products in the following categories:

  • wall art
  • home decor
  • lifestyle
  • beach
  • greeting cards
  • stationary
  • phone cases
  • apparel
  • coffee mugs

Make yourself comfortable and stay a while!

Disc Golf Stories, No. 9

 

I was competing in a PDGA sanctioned disc golf tournament on a warm day with mild winds during the summer of 1999. The event was held at Cold Brook Park, located in Climax, Michigan, between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

At that time, organizers commonly added six alternate baskets to the 18-hole layout, in order to accommodate a larger field of players. The first new basket in this expanded 24-hole format followed the 16th hole, and was a short birdie opportunity along the edge of Portage Lake.

Everything seemed fine as our group approached the tee pad. The wind was calm and there weren’t any trees as obstacles, only a water hazard to avoid along the right edge of the fairway.

And then, it happened.

From out of nowhere, a small gaggle of geese flew closely overhead at a high rate of speed! They couldn’t have been more than 10-feet above the ground, riding the leading edge of a weather system. We all ducked, rising again only to be immediately greeted by headwinds of approx. 30 miles per hour, sustained for the remainder of the tournament.

So much for an easy shot – now, the water loomed large.

Laurel-Snow Trail To Buzzard Point

 

Earlier Post: Laurel-Snow Trail To Laurel Falls

This was my second visit to the park, and I’ll definitely be returning – there’s simply so much to see! My intent was to visit Snow Falls, a ten mile hike. However, soon after I began – at the first wooden bridge with a small creek – I opted to ascend the boulder-strewn mountainside, where to my delight I encountered a series of scenic waterfalls, as well as an old mine opening towards the top. This was difficult terrain but well worth the effort, though it added 2 hours to my hike…

Beyond an aluminum bridge at the 1.5 mile split, I headed left in accordance with the Snow Falls marker. Following another turnoff (stay right, as left leads to a campsite), I came upon a second creek crossing – an older metal bridge consisting of 3 fifty-foot connecting sections. Then, further along the trail, there’s an area which was poorly marked: rather than continue on the white blaze, hikers should make a short detour, following instead the orange ribbons posted on trees. This sidestep reconnects with the trail, which is clearly marked thereafter.

Missing this turn may cause hikers to spend the next twenty minutes scrambling up a steep mountain covered with slippery leaves. D’oh!

Thankfully, I found the trail again and continued on towards Buzzard Point…

While enjoying a great view to the east from Buzzard Point, I spotted several of these ugly birds effortlessly floating on thermal updrafts – 2 of which dive bombed me. Heads up!

After a brief rest to enjoy a peanut butter sandwich, I backtracked along the ridge on an old logging road which, at its terminus (a cable delineating property lines), has an unmarked trail into the forest at left. Thereafter, coming upon a fork in the path, I stayed left towards Morgan Creek (right leads to another campsite). To get to Snow Falls, one must cross the creek in order to rejoin the trail. However, the water was high, swift and cold…I waded in halfway to my knees, though could see I’d need to commit to crossing a depth over-knee deep (along a slippery, mostly flat rock surface under water), and bailed. Another time!

In summary, this was a very enjoyable hike of approximately 12 miles, though a rather long day. On the trail beginning at 9:45 a.m., I returned to my vehicle at 6:00 p.m., exhausted. Along the way, I shot a few more photographs of Richland Creek…

Prints

Checkout my gallery at Pixels for a variety of fine prints. Perfect for your home or office, select between framed, canvas, art, metal, wood & acrylic. Other items are available, also.

Thanks for stopping by!

Green And Gold iPhone Case

 

Enjoy this one-of-a-kind three dimensional abstract digital imagery, featuring reflective shapes in hues of green and gold. Select an iPhone case to match your model.

Zazzle ► Slim profile and lightweight. Impact resistant, durable hard plastic. Case will not interfere with wireless charging. Lay-flat bezel to protect your screen from directly contacting surfaces. Access to all ports, controls & sensors. Glossy finish. Printed in USA.

Spectral Reflections iPhone Case

 

Available for many different models, this iPhone case comes in soft, snap and tough styles.

The soft case – featured above – is a durable, flexible case that grips around the edges of your phone. It’s shock absorbent with an anti-fingerprint finish. Colors are ink printed on the frosted shell surface. Compatible with Qi-standard wireless charging. Lastly, it weighs 26 grams and has a 1.6mm thickness.

Protect your investment in style!