Total Eclipse of My Heart...er...Moon

A couple of nights ago we were treated to a total eclipse of the moon here in the Kalamazoo area. It was quite the sight, and somewhat erie I must add, to see the moon slowly get taken over by the shadow of the earth.

This frame of the lunar eclipse was taken from Kalamazoo about 9:57p.m., just before the eclipse became total. It was shot by Gazette staff photographer Mark Bugnaski with a Canon EOS 20D camera using a Canon 300mm f2.8 lens. The shutter speed was 1/10 of a second, lens f stop was set at f4 and the ISO was set at 800. The camera was hand held. This photo was from the Kalamazoo Gazette website.

Hoosier Country???

Hoosiers, originally uploaded by coonjamm.

Last night was a rainy, foggy winter night. The weather was warmer and all the snow was melting and it had created a very surreal sort of fog. I happened upon this barn on my way driving home. It felt like it was just out of the movie Hoosiers. I know it's not Indiana, but Southwest Michigan has much of the same charm.

It snowed last night

It snowed last night, originally uploaded by zotttgeek.

The past few weeks here in Kalamazoo have been filled with lots of snow which makes the winter much more bearable. There are many places for outdoor snow activities in the Kalamazoo area from Bittersweet Ski Resort, Timber Ridge Ski, Echo Valley.

Don't forget the ice skating at Millenium Park in Portage. Thanks to zotttgeek for this great pic of the piles of snow!

Fall Has Faded

Leaves Through Glass IMG_2281pp, originally uploaded by lovyprincess.

This picture reminds us that fall has officially faded and the winter Michigan snow is here to stay.

Gene the Pumpkin Man

, originally uploaded by absolutman.

The Kalamazoo area is beautiful in the fall colors. The air is crisp and Michigan is playing Michigan St. in football this afternoon. It couldn't get much better than this.

Don't forget to take a trip out to Gene the Pumpkin Man's place on M-43 at some point each fall. There are pumpkins of course as well as other fall gourds and vegetables. If you get talking to him he will tell you story after story. It's a must for each year.

Gilmore Car Museum

MGA, originally uploaded by absolutman.

The Gilmore Car Museum is located about 20 minutes from Kalamazoo. It features a 1930's gas station, a 1940's diner, a carriage house, and barns full of old cars. You can check out more at http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/.

Red Barn in the Rain

Red Barn in the Rain.JPG, originally uploaded by coonjamm.

It has been raining for the past week it seems like in the Kalamazoo area. I have been wanting to take a picture of this barn for a while, but just never stopped when I was driving by. I couldn't resist as the rain created a cool hazy view around it. There are few rain spots in the picture, but I think it still turned out nice. The barn is located in Van Kal road off of CR 354.

Michigan's Trademark

Cherry Bowl, originally uploaded by coonjamm.

The other day I was sitting on the porch eating a bowl of cherries and I decided to take a picture of the great fruit that Michigan is well known for. I would say that cherries are one of the highlights of Kalamazoo. I have enjoyed many days of sitting and spitting cherry seeds. It's the simple things in life...

Downtown Radisson

IMG_0655, originally uploaded by kzooblue.

I haven't been able to blog recently with the business of the summer, but it is good to get back into the swing of things.

The Radisson Hotel is one of the landmarks of downtown Kalamazoo. The other day I was hanging out downtown with some friends and remembered what a good time Kalamazoo can be.

My wife and I particularly enjoy eating at Zazio's in the Radisson. It's pretty pricey, but it's work the extra money. Get the porterhouse steak.

Thanks to kzooblue for the great creative shot of the Radisson and it's parking deck.

Rural Country

barn, originally uploaded by coonjamm.

There is nothing better than the rural areas around Kalamazoo. This photo was taken at a farm on V Ave southwest of the city. The tree, the barn, and the horses together made a great "trifecta" in this photo.