Fourth of July

Did you think I would miss taking fireworks photos this year?

Ah, yes, let's not get too ahead of ourselves.
We did stop by the parade...

For the last fifteen minutes.

Okay. 

Now the fireworks.

[I once saw a post, probably from Photography Blogger, which introduced me to one photographer's abstract technique shooting fireworks. And it was pretty awesome.

This year, I discovered it!]

I've always loved fountains. Pretty and relatively quiet (got over that factor soon enough, though).

And the light fireworks cast!

I tried. Someday I will get this.

This is so hard to light for me!

This is the real show for us, in our neighborhood.

We sit on the lawn and look straight up for a couple hours.

Finale

Afterparty

To finish out the night, our neighbors let go a paper lantern.

Up North

How many pictures can one shove into a single post?

We are about to find out.

Charley's first selfie. With the Zebra.

Bear Head Lake State Park

And he has arrived at that cabin: our guard dog.

I was trying to catch the shimmer on the lake, but geometry works too.

I call this one Crown of Thorns.

Indian Paintbrushes

The first waterfall we saw up north; figured it deserved a photo.

Sunset at the dock

Breakfast at the Ranch

(no we're not at a ranch)

He never left.

Grand Portage

High Falls

That green railing there? That belongs to Canada!

Rainbow!

That curving green shoreline, that's Canada.

The dark green one protruding from the left side,

that's the MN side we came from.

Rainbow!

Flow

That's a lot in one shot, just saying.

Last time. Right through the middle there is a sort of line of gray trees. Beyond that?

Canada.

There you have it, folks.

You now have the skill to determine Canadian trees from American ones, I hope.

The Final Crane Post and A Portaging Expedition

Here they are all strung up.

Now onto the portaging trip.

Yes, this was my first attempt at portaging. I thought, sweet, I like canoeing and hiking, let's smush 'em together!

Turns out, it's pretty tough stuff. Especially shouldering a kayak. 

It was great fun, nonetheless!