Agate Close Ups

I was supposed to go hiking yesterday, but plans changed so I didn't get a chance to get out. So today I'll include some agate pictures.

The first photos were emailed to me by Paul Bledsoe from South Dakota. He is finding these Fairburn agates by extracting them from limestone matrix.

Here are a few shots taken by the photographer for my new agate book, Tom Shearer.  By the way, if any of you rockhounds need to hire Tom to take pictures of your favorite agates or rocks, send me an email at karen@agatelady.com and I'll facilitate the connection with Tom.

This first picture is not labelled, but I think it is a Lake Superior agate.

This next photo is a Black River agate from Argentina.

This is a shot of a Condor agate from Argentina.

Sunset, Driftwood, and Miscellaneous Nature Photos

I still have not made time to go down to the beach to catch a sunset, but here is another view of the after-glow from my house.

More evidence of spring....

From a distance this growth on the end of a tree overhanging Sable River looked like a face...

These shelf fungi were the biggest I have ever seen.  The middle one was almost 8 inches in width.

These little mushrooms were only 2 1/2 inches across.

While I was walking along the bay the other night, I used me camera's zoom to catch the fishing action on the breakwater.

One of the home owners along the bay used a piece of driftwood for decoration.

Pictured Rocks Chapel Loop Hike -- Post 2

Here are the second group of pictures from the Pictured Rocks hike.

From Chapel Beach we walked out and around Grand Portal Point.

We had intended on having lunch at Grand Portal Point, but it was too windy. We continued walking west and finally found an upper level beach that was out of the wind.

The red arrow shows our lunch spot.

The seagulls were every where.

The rocky cliffs are forever breaking away and eroding.

Mosquito Beach....

Mosquito Falls....

Pictured Rocks Chapel Looop Hike -- Post 1

Yesterday three friends and I hiked the 9.8 mile Chapel Loop in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Temperatures were in the high 30s to start with 15-25 mph winds, but it was sunny.  Helen from Marquette, Wendy from Grand Marais, and my friend, Clare, who is visiting from Colorado joined me for the glorious hike.

We headed north out of the Chapel Area Parking Lot toward Chapel Falls.

Flowers along Chapel River. I think these are Marsh Marigolds.

From the falls we continued north to Chapel Rock. It is amazing to me with all the incredible storms that we have had as of late that the tree is still standing. What a survivor with its main roots free-spanning it over to the "mainland."

Here are shots of all four of us on Chapel Beach.  First me, nicknamed Kaibab Cairn.

Then Clare, also nicknamed the "Colorado Connection," or CC for short.

Then Wendy, nicknamed Gwen Canyon.

Then Helen, nicknamed Kanyon Kelly, or KK for short.

The waves were just pounding the rocks....

We left Chapel Beach and started heading west around Grand Portal Point.  From a distance my friends could see Spray Falls.  I was not able to see the falls with the unaided eye, but with the telephoto on my camera.....

Here is a shot of "Battleship Row" lining the east side of the trail on the way to Grand Portal Point.

Spring Hike With Surprises -- Second Posting

Here are the rest of the photos from the hike the other day. Spring was evident everywhere. The forest floor was covered with at least a half dozen different wild flowers. Trees were leafing out even more. It was a beautiful day in Grand Marais.

First a grandfather white birch...

The spring growth on the pine trees was very evident...

A few shots taken near the Lake Superior shoreline bluff....

After walking across the foot bridge near Sable Falls and heading back the trail to Sable Visitors Center, I came upon the most beautiful patch of trilliums I have ever seen. 

The day ended with a nice sunset.