Where’s your favorite Sunrise spot?

My first post to GMG had me wondering what on earth I could possibly contribute to an already amazingly talented group of contributors. My daughter Abbey made it pretty simple for me by saying just start with what you know…photography! I picked up a camera about 7 years ago after my kids went to college thinking it would be something to pass the time and an outlet for my creativity, but as it turns out, the camera is evil! It makes you do evil things! It makes you learn stuff about what you are photographing. Like when the sun rises and sets (seriously…I had no idea that the best part of sunrise was actually before the sun rose!) So since this is a new beginning for me, and spring is in the air I thought I’d start this day off with a sunrise! You can visit lots of areas and see many sunrises, but I honestly can say that Cape Ann has THE MOST spectacular sunrises and sunsets. No…I’m not a morning person, in fact, I love sleep, but remember I told you the camera is evil? It makes you do evil things??   Well it makes you get up early too! So here you go….pick a day….get up early… bring your camera or just bring a blanket and a cup of coffee and treat yourself with the peacefulness and beauty of the early morning! My favorite place to go is Good Harbor Beach and on any given day there are a half dozen cars parked there and a handful of people on the beach walking and waiting.  This morning’s sunrise was hindered by the clouds, so I’m sharing one of my favorites from GHB.   I’d love to hear where everyone’s favorite places for sunrises are (on or off Cape Ann)!

(Nikon D610, 1/15 sec, F8, ISO 200 – shot in Raw with Lightroom edits) 

GHB Sunrise http://shutterbythesea.artstorefronts.com/

Winter Surfing Coming to an End

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Keith from Twin Lights Glassing Company

FEBRUARY SNOW MOON

Snow Moon February Niles Pond Birch Tree kimsmithdesigns.com 2016

Niles Pond Birch Tree in the Rising Snow Moon
Snow Moon February Good Harbor Beach kimsmithdesigns.com 2016

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

They danced by the light of the moon. – Edward Lear

Snow Moon February Niles Pond Birch Tree kimsmithdesigns.com 2016 -4

See more Moon Glow photos here Continue reading “FEBRUARY SNOW MOON”

Not Exactly a Beach Day

While freezing, it was too pretty to not stop at Good Harbor Beach last night to snap this photo.  There was something about the juxtaposition of the snow and the sand at sunset that made us sit for a longer while than planned.

I’d rather it be July, but pretty nonetheless.

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Phil from DPW checks on Good Harbor Footbridge during high tides

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Phil checks on the Good Harbor Beach Footbridge that he re-built back in 2013. See photos below of today and Phil inspecting his work back in 2013.

 

 

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MORE BACK SHORE GOOD HARBOR JONAS PHOTOS

Another batch of photos from yesterday’s mesmerizing after storm wave-watching.

Good Harbor Beach Atlantic Ocean Waves Jonas ©www.kimsmithdesigns.comGood Harbor Incoming Tide

Thacher island Twin Lights Atlantic Ocean Waves Jonas -2 ©www.kimsmithdesigns.com

Thacher Island from the Back Shore High Tide

Eastern point Atlantic Ocean Waves Jonas ©www.kimsmithdesigns.com

Eastern Point

GOOD HARBOR BEACH AND BACKSHORE AFTER JONAS

Towering waves and beautiful spindrifts all along the back shore today.

Good Harbor beach Blizzard Jonas ©www.kimsmithdesigns.com

Twin Lights -2 Blizzard Jonas ©www.kimsmithdesigns.com Back Shore -2 Blizzard Jonas ©www.kimsmithdesigns.com

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE Continue reading “GOOD HARBOR BEACH AND BACKSHORE AFTER JONAS”

YET ANOTHER GLOUCESTER SNOWY OWL SIGHTING! And Lemmings

Another Snowy Owl sighting, this submitted by Kim Bertolino in East Gloucester. Thanks so much to Kim for sharing her beautiful photo!

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We were talking about Snowy Owls and lemmings in Sunday’s podcast when questions about where lemmings live and what do they look like came up. Lemmings are a small rodent that comprise the bulk of the Snowy Owl’s diet in their northern breeding grounds, the Arctic tundra. They are about 3 to 6 inches long with silky fur and short tales, and are closely related to voles and muskrats. The Snowy eats between three to five lemmings per day in the tundra! Read more about lemmings here.

Although we can’t offer the Snowies a diet of lemmings, we do have lots of mice and rats readily available to hunt during the winter months. Cape Ann’s open shoreline, of beaches, dunes, and rocky outcroppings, are a somewhat similar terrain to that of the tree-less tundra. Snowies are diurnal; they have evolved to hunt during the day and night because in the tundra during their breeding season the hours of daylight are continuous. A Snowy couldn’t survive in the Arctic if it could only hunt during night time like most other species of owls.

The following BBC article about lemmings is super interesting and well worth reading: The Truth About Norwegian Lemmings

E464P8 Norway lemming (Lemmus lemmus) calling on spring snow, Vauldalen, Norway, May
Norway Lemming (Lemmus lemmus)

Photo Credit: Nature Picture Library / Alamy

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Adult male Snowy Owl delivering a lemming to a female on the nest. The female is feeding a chick. Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada. JuneGerrit Vyn Photography

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(ONE MORE) SNOWY OWL SIGHTING!

This photo was sent to us by friends at Good Harbor Beach.

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If any of our readers spots a Snowy hanging around, and you have a spare moment, please, please email me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. I would really love to get a good Snowy Owl capture for a current film project. Thank you!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Grateful to have my darling daughter Liv home early to help with Christmas-making. Her photos are my post tonight 🙂

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