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Great photos and nice job with them as always Bookworm as you took some very nice shots on your visit to Alpena. I especially like the one of the covered bridge and the Thunder Bay River photo, I really enjoy the clouds in that photo. The one of the butterfly is beautiful and nicely done as you captured a perfect photo. Perhaps you may want to think about sending some of your best photos to certain magazines and even newspapers as they might be interested in them. Sometimes they even have contests and awards for best photos. I’ve tried sending some of mine to Interlake but, they were never used in any publications or calendars which is a shame! I’ve taken digitals now since 2006 and only once have I had my photos in Know Your Ships but I don’t send them to Roger much. Keep on shooting those great photos and posting them so we can all see them. Thanks Bookworm and Great Job again on them!

This afternoon I was finally going to go on the Alpena Shipwreck Tour/Thunder Bay National Shipwreck Sanctuary glass-bottom boat, so stopped at the museum for a ticket, when I arrived in town. The morning cruise had gotten underway but, shortly after, rising winds resulted in a Small Craft Advisory being issued and the boat returned. Needless to say, it was disappointing for the passengers, but they got refunds. I was so relieved to have learned early-on that the day's cruises were cancelled, and looked elsewhere to make the best of the time and otherwise good weather.

On a beautiful -- and much cooler day -- it didn't take long for me to find two good reasons to run away from home for a few hours!

04:45...clear, starry sky with full moon overhead...from 2 miles inland, I'm startled to hear a fog horn sounding at appropriate intervals... checking AIS, I see its Dorothy Ann, heading back up the lake to Calcite!

Lee A was expected at Stoneport mid afternoon, so I headed up to catch her coming in. When I turned onto US #23, fog became my constant companion until Alpena. From there to Stoneport I enjoyed fair skies. However, a blanket of fog hovered above the lake at Stoneport, then quickly moved in to cover the facility and loading dock. A deep fog horn blasted out in the shipping lane, and Lee A's horn sounded at intervals, as she approached. Skies were blue overhead, but the surface fog was thick and despite peering intently into it I never made out a single one of her features so I listened to her engines, thruster, and other sounds associated with docking. All the while I could hear the down-bound ship (Munson from Calcite?) sounding her fog horn until she was out of range. At one point a military jet, invisible in the fog, screamed overhead and sounded so close I had to wonder if it was crashing. I waited maybe an hour and just as I was about to get into my car and start for home, I noticed something breaking through the fog and snapped the last two pictures – which I think are really pretty cool!

The call of the St. Clair River with plenty of ship traffic showing on AIS, had me packing my bags for a 2-day stay. There were a few disappointments due to low light when the ships passed -- in particular Algoma Sault, a new sighting for me who passed in pre-dawn light, and the one I had a mental plan to capture coming under the Bluewater Bridges with a gorgeous pre-sunset sky, but which arrived on scene well after dark. Still, I have some splendid captures to remember the adventure.

On a nearly perfect afternoon, John J. Boland was down-bound (between Greenbush and Oscoda) to Bay City, with a cargo of stone.

Finally loaded at Stoneport, Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder was down-bound on Lake Huron between Harrisville and Greenbush this evening, close enough to capture these shots.

Update to my previous post: Lee A Tregurtha didn't stop at Stoneport for long and is currently (06/07/2018 20:15) up-bound in the St. Mary's River.

A busy, "Take a number, you're next in line" day at Stoneport (formerly Presque Isle).

Earlier in the week, I spotted a tall ship at the Tawas Marina, and this afternoon watched Herbert C. Jackson up-bound to Stoneport.

Today I took my own advice and embarked on a 1-day vacation, from home to Cheboygan and back . A bit cool to start, but it turned out to be a lovely day in every way. I've been having computer issues and totally forgot to charge the camera battery. After the first 5 (and there were a total of 25) it warned me the battery needed to be changed and sometimes even shut down temporarily, but always responded after a minute or so. However, it would not, under any circumstances allow me to use the zoom for the last two shots. Sorry!

Tug Madison R and barge at the East Tawas (MI) Marina this rainy morning.

Bookworm wrote:Another day, another adventure! The sun was shining brightly, winds were calm, and the temperature was 29°(F) when I left home this morning and headed to Stoneport. Can't recall ever seeing three ships there at one time so it was too good an opportunity pass up.
Kaye E. Barker was at the dock, while fleet-mate Herbert C. Jackson and the new Algoma Innovator waited their turns in the anchorage. When I got home five hours later (I extended my adventure to back country roads), the temperature was already in the low 60°s, but winds were on the rise. Although there was no ice at Stoneport, and low-lying areas were flooded with standing water, Long Lake still wore a blanket of deteriorating ice.

The day ended with H. Lee White down-bound from Calcite to Bay City -- and visible from shore!

Another day, another adventure! The sun was shining brightly, winds were calm, and the temperature was 29°(F) when I left home this morning and headed to Stoneport. Can't recall ever seeing three ships there at one time so it was too good an opportunity pass up.
Kaye E. Barker was at the dock, while fleet-mate Herbert C. Jackson and the new Algoma Innovator waited their turns in the anchorage. When I got home five hours later (I extended my adventure to back country roads), the temperature was already in the low 60°s, but winds were on the rise. Although there was no ice at Stoneport, and low-lying areas were flooded with standing water, Long Lake still wore a blanket of deteriorating ice.

A full moon reflecting on the water and wood smoke in the air made it a perfect night for watching the lighted form of John J. Boland, down-bound from Green Bay to Bay City. It was my first sighting from shore since the 2018-19 shipping season began.

The past two days were incredible for me! I've not been back to the St. Clair River since before lay-up, mostly because every time I planned to go, inclement weather got in the way.
Quite early Wednesday morning, the forecast looked good enough that I packed clothes for every conceivable season, a small cooler and backpack, and headed south. Skies were cloudy when I left but within 20 minutes there was light snow which changed to rain, and then all precipitation ceased before I got to Saginaw. Soon after my arrival at Port Huron, skies cleared. The entire time I was there it rained in the night or early morning and then cleared. Yesterday, it got up to 70°. Today I left P.H. with a temperature in the high 40°s and as I traveled north, it dropped into the 30°s. I left clear skies behind, and at Alabaster got into rain, snow, thunder snow, sleet, and who knows what else!
Anyway, it was so relaxing to sit by Lake Huron (I can't explain it but Lake Huron down there and Lake Huron up here are not anything alike. Maybe it has to do with no ships being within decent camera range!) There were several ships in the anchorage--tankers waiting their turn at the Sarnia Fuel Dock(s) but the highlight of my trip was the virtual parade of ships I photographed.

The wind, rain, and gloom passed. At first light, big moon was skimming toward the western horizon and gulls were circling near the shoreline as I snapped the beauty of this Easter Morning pre-sunrise.

This is the last sunny day (with temps in the 40°s) before predicted rain moves in overnight, so took a short trip to the Tawas Point Lighthouse. No activity around the East Tawas Marina.

Nice pics , nasty weather comes and goes. THANK YOU! for sharing. Like to get to Vantage Point this year. We lost a lot folks I'd would have like to have met. need 2 go ! August I hope this time.