Lake & Laughes

In August Brett came back to Michigan to visit friends and spend some time at the lake. What he didn't bank on was singing 100 verses of "If your happy and you know it ... Jump in the sky!" Ella was the life of the party and I have to thank everyone for being such good sports and great friends. The rest of the (prior) MDN photo staff visited too. It was kinda one last who-rah. Brett headed back to Kentucky, Kevin's last day was only a few weeks later and Taylor ended her internship and started grad school. The weather that weekend was the worst of the summer but I think everyone enjoyed the lake anyway. Maybe someday we will be able to get together again for a laugh or two. (I think Kevin, Brett and I took some of these pictures, we shared the camera and I don't even know who's is who's).

Yellowjacket Soccer Pups

Ella played soccer up in Coleman this summer. Well I'm not sure if 'played' is the right term or not. Let just say there was more standing then running, playing with the grass then playing with the ball and more listening to the kids play then listening to her coach. Either way, she didn't cry, she always entered the game when it was time and she always looked forward to playing on the slide after the game. We will see if she wants to play next year but it was a good experience for her to get out and be a part of a team.

Reunion season

Another July weekend we visited Aunt Lou and Uncle Tim's in Birch Run for the Ranck Reunion. The older and younger cousins all played games and enjoyed the pond, food and fun. Well, almost all of it was fun except Ella got stung by a bee. The whole reunion came to a halt with the sound of her shreek. Watch for tomorrow's post from our crazy summer!

So much sun, so little time.

It was a typical summer, every weekend jammed packed full of reunions, camping and visits to the lake. Other highlights included Ella's first year of playing soccer, my fishing trip to Canada and a family trip to the Midland County Fair. I had too much sun time and not enough computer time I guess. Sorry for the lack of posting this summer but I will make up for it this week. Here is the first post from our summer. Each day this week I will update with a different post.

In July Angie, Ella and I went camping with Kristy and a group of friends at Big Bend Campground on the Rifle River. It was Ella's first time sleeping in a tent and floating down a river in a tube. It was an experience for everyone.

Week in Pictures

Finally after weeks of shooting I feel like I have shot some pictures worth while. Some of these are better than others but they all have a unique story to tell.


"She's been here all day but she hasn't bought a thing," Roxana Baechle joked about the mannequin she was using to "bring people in" at her garage sale. "She's got that 'I'm all yard saled out look'."


After a seven run rally in the fifth inning, Bob Moyer hugs his son Jake after he batted in the tying and winning run for his Little League team in a state tournament game.


Brad Steere, top center, is preparing for the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Pro International in September.


"He's more of a companion, if he becomes a hunting dog it would be coincidence," Clay Engwis said of his six-month-old Golden Retriever, Bubba. The 1929 Model A Sports Coup has been in Engwis' family for 40 years.


"Usually when you are a full-time musician your a part-time everything else," Dan Vaillancourt explained of his multiple summer jobs including being a music teacher and house painter. Because of gas prices Vaillancourt is cutting back from his singer/songwriter passion and saving up for a fall album release and tour.

Rumbach's Visit

The girls enjoyed the beach and spraypark at Sanford Lake.


The annual Fourth of July parade at the Justin's mom's family reunion was titled "Rednecks Rock." I am not sure how I feel about that since Justin found some clothes to wear in our basement. Again it was quite a site to see.



After Ella declined, Hadley was really brave took a ride on Ice. She only had this quick second of resistance and realized that the horse wasn't so bad. Of coarse after Hadley had a good time and the horse didn't eat her alive, Ella decided to try it.

New York: Part Three

Sorry for the long drawn out New York posts. This Lady Liberty installment is the final post from our trip.

New York: Part Two

During our trip to New York we took an evening walk through Time Square. Angie and I made our way to the median in the middle of the lanes of traffic. As I made a few images of the lights and buildings I started to notice this crazy phenomenon I was a part of. Person after person come to the center of the road, some in the road, to take pictures of this well known area of the Big Apple. So instead of the buildings I turned my camera on the people. There were many more photos that I took this evening and I think we only spent maybe 15 minutes there.

New York: Part One

Tribute World Trade Center Visitor's Center. These walls hold pictures of those killed on 9-11


These details were photographed at the Ground Zero Museum Workshop. An exhibit of items from the World Trade Center after 9-11 and images from Gary Marlon Suson who was the official photographer at Ground Zero for the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. Top left, a clock found n the PATH train station that was stopped At 10:02 when the South Tower collapsed. Top right, items recovered from Ground Zero. Bottom left, the largest piece of glass recovered from the WTC. This piece is nearly 3 inches thick. The audio said the the majority of the glass from the WTC was either incinerated or returned to sand on impact. Only a few percent of the original glass was recovered. Bottom right,the last image is a keyboard found at Ground Zero.



The rain falls over Manhattan as we returned on the boat from Ellis Island.

Baseball buddies

Ella, Shane, Papa and I went to the Midwest League Home Run Derby Monday. These two characters got bored a few minutes into the contest. After stalling them with french fries and looking for the roaming mascots we went for a walk around the stadium. After they both turned their noses up at the idea of air brushing a picture on their face, they got these balloon hats. Funny you think, well not the for the guys who sat in front of us and kept getting knocked in the head with the balloon balls.

Wet Woods

Turtle Tides, the new spray park in Sanford was one of our stops with the girls on my birthday. They were reluctant at first but eventually got their feet wet. We had to talk Ella into riding on my shoulders to get into one of the big fountains.

Lord Rodney with Stanley

Crazy ol' Rodney sent me this photo in an email. I loved it so I asked him if I could pass it along to you all. I guess the Ilitches stopped by the Free Press the other day and brought along a little hardware their team picked up. In case some of you have been under a rock or scooping bat guano in some cave in Kentucky, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. I would have loved to have seen Rodney pick it up over his head and cart it around the newsroom giving it kisses. Photo by Mary Schroeder.

Boomer

We have been having quite a number of storms roll through lately (I guess most of you would know that). Anyway a week or so ago this cell moved through just north of us. Sorry about your luck Gladwin County. The moon and stars were out above our house and this storm kept it's distance to the north. It is weird but since Brett "Boomer" Marshall left the Daily News and moved away from Michigan we have been getting nailed. I wonder if God is angry with him.

Together time

Cat nap

Layla was in the middle of a dilemma ... either enjoy the new swing set or give in to the sleepy signals that were taking over her body. There is nothing more relaxing then a purring cat in your lap before your nap. (I'm a poet and I don't even know it.) She hung on long enough for lunch and headed off to her afternoon nap.

Itch to Scratch

Odd or Even

Has anyone ever grabbed a handful of your leg hairs wanting to play odd or even? Basically the point of the game would be if you say odd and an odd number of hairs get yanked from your leg then you win, kinda. I parked next to this car in the parking lot at work a week or so ago. It looks to me like this white Kia played odd or even with the rear end of a whitetail deer. Some how I think the deer lost.

Spring Training (pants)

Ella and I went to our first Great Lakes Loons game together last weekend. Papa Jim, Aunt Stacey and Henry came along too. In his first game with his father in attendance since high school, Preston Mattingly came through with the game winning hit. The Loons beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-2. On the way out of the stadium the kids held hands out to the car while tapping their bats on the ground. On the way home Stacey asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. Ella's was the french fries and Henry's favorite was the popcorn.