PortLand Malt Shoppe ~ Picnic Table Graffiti
If you haven’t been to the PortLand Malt Shoppe in its little historic section of Duluth, MN on E. Superior Street you are missing out. While you are spoiling yourself with the best malt in town you can carve a little graffiti into the picnic table leaving behind a little trace of yourself in history.

This is my first Milky Way in a long while and I was fortunate enough to even capture it. Despite the chaos it was another small adventure, quiet time under the stars, and a new moment in time captured to savor into the future.
Shores of beautiful ice at Brighton Beach, Duluth MNThis being one of my first Lensball shots, I waited and waited for the sun to come to the tip of the ice shard, then realizing it had already set beneath the tip since the view in the ball is inverted via refraction.

Thanks to the Minnesota Wild Youth Hockey Spotlight along with US Bank, last night’s Bantam B game is the talk of the town today in both Proctor and Hermantown, MN. What a class act this event was, and the element of surprise for these kids… simply brilliant. It was heartwarming to see my nephew, the smallest player for Proctor, with the biggest smile as he roused the crowd in the third period and again at the end of the game engaging the fans in this celebration of youth hockey.
Truly… the ultimate goal of this event was in the net from the start. Read more about it through the NHL HERE.
Watch the game on You Tube HERE.

Minnesota
Subzero
House of Chaos
Backyard ice rink
Father v. daughter
Game on…
…he doesn’t stand a chance.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~Henry David Thoreau
Watched these two for awhile fishing Rice’s Point yesterday as the sun was setting…
A quick shot of the masses traversing the Minnesota Slip Bridge during the Tall Ships 2016 Festival in Duluth, MN… I assured her she made the shot.

Ms. Lizzy came over for an evening of art and a movie in the studio with me. It was completely delightful. I remember at her age taking art lessons at the Duluth Art Institute. My mother, from a very artful family herself, encouraged me to develop a love and appreciation for art early. It’s wonderful seeing my sister do the same with her kids.
Urban Art Series [1]
The Duluth region has a rich creative spirit which emanates from its shores, forests and surrounding communities into local studios, shops, restaurants, and galleries. The area urban gallery often displays some pretty impactful art in many forms, too. Aside from unfortunate episodes of vandalistic displays, I find it fascinating.
Never, never, never give up. ~Winston Churchill
I had to make the most of Sunday’s weather with this alternative shot to a sunrise. Snow over the hill turned to raindrops at the canal. It has been months since I’ve made a point to get up for a sunrise shot.
Caught my son Josh for this shot a few weeks back preparing for last Friday night’s “Plys With Purpose” event presented by Prøve Gallery and the Gary New Duluth Community Center and Recreation Area. At the event, 30 constructed skateboard decks by local, national, and international artists were exhibited and auctioned off with proceeds to benefit the Gary New Duluth Skatepark Fund. The Prøve Gallery also premiered two skateboard films that night, including “ISM” by local filmmakers, Mike Rapaich & Stephen Pestalozzi in which Josh is also featured as one of the skaters. The filming and editing are fantastic… proof, once again, that Duluth, MN is really a hot spot for the arts in all forms.
Superior Entry Lighthouse. Superior, WI.
Such and awesome summer we’ve had up here in the Northland.
Waterfront Plaza Marina. Duluth, MN
An evening shot from the kayak after entering the marina from under the Minnesota Slip Bridge.
The John A. Blatnik Bridge is a bridge over the Saint Louis Bay, a tributary of Lake Superior, between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. This is the view to the south from my parents’ on the bay side of Park Point. It has been a gorgeous weather week here in Duluth and this was a beautiful evening enjoyed outside on their deck.
Cityscape of Duluth, MN from Park Point.
Friday night I spent the night with my parents on Park Point. They have a beautiful view of the Duluth mainland and harbor from their apartment. I usually come with all my camera gear, tripod and computer and get in a little night shooting after all have gone to bed.
The Mesabi Miner at the CN docks on a sultry evening in Two Harbors on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The temp was still in the 80’s late at night.
Sweet youth, indeed.Sitting in a little cafe having a local brew and fantastic dish of pesto penne with chicken while I post this shot I took from last night. Caught this scene as I kayaked near the breakwall in Two Harbors on the North Shore of Lake Superior as the sun was setting on Sweet Youth.
I was looking through my photo library and found a really dark shot with a row of curves. Normally, I would just delete, but when I brightened it to see what it was, I discovered a shot of CN rail cars from the rail yard in Proctor that I took on a beautiful sunset day in April. A little color boost is all it needed. The star burst is not the sun, but a light from the rail yard.
The Aerial Lift Bridge… USA style.
One more shot from the 4th. I think it’s the coolest thing that they came up with lighting the bridge different colors for various events. Someone had their clever hat on…
South Pier, Canal Park. Duluth, MN
Each year I gain just a little bit more with my attempts at capturing the 4th of July fireworks. My habit of surfing the web in a panic for settings 5 min before the fireworks go off has never yielded the results I desire, but certainly fits with my “In a Marcie Minute” lifestyle. This year I came across some tips the day before… and voilà!!
So many brides getting ready for their weddings this summer ~
Made me think of this portrait of my lovely niece Anna getting ready on her wedding day.
Paddling the kayaks along Park Point an spotted this little foxy bandit and siblings.
My first time out to capture the northern lights last night and had nice visit with these three graduates after I captured them overlooking the city. Off to 3 different colleges in the fall with their whole lives ahead of them. I bet they will always stay connected. Sweet.
Park Point Sunset after kayaking to the remote graffiti destination.
Kayaked a few miles to find this graffiti in an old abandoned boat house next to an old abandoned light house.
What a week. Crazy busy at both work and life. This morning I changed tops and bottoms a few times trying to pull myself together a look… and once I got to work discovered I had parts of two different outfits on. It’s the new me.
Worked way too late and just missed the sun setting over this industrial area in Cloquet where I spotted the river reflection and made a quick stop on the way to Sammy’s Pizza as I was too “cooked” to cook.
A gorgeous sunrise… a “new dawn”. It turned out to be a beautiful day on the shores Lake Superior and a beautiful day to celebrate the birth of my first born.
I suppose I could have worked on some unfinished business as planned, but it didn’t take much to change my mind and follow the sunset. This little fella hung out with me this evening.
If only my day job didn’t get in the way of my adventures. Surfers in action off the mouth of the Lester River into Lake Superior. Looking forward to this upcoming Memorial Day weekend to remember and honor our vets, enjoy family and friends, and of course, go exploring.
It sure was a beautiful night to couple up on the shores of Lake Superior. Canal Park, Duluth, MN. 
“Repotting a plant gives it space to grow. Repotting ourselves means taking leave of our everyday environments and walking into unfamiliar territory—of the heart, of the mind and of the spirit. It isn’t easy. The older we get, the more likely we are to have remained in the same place for some time. We stay because it’s secure. We know the boundaries and, inside of them, we feel safe. Our roots cling to the walls we have long known. But remaining inside can keep us from thriving. Indeed, without new experiences or ideas, we slowly grow more and more tightly bound, eventually turning into less vibrant versions of who we might have been. Repotting means accepting that the way is forward, not back. It means realizing that we won’t again fit into our old shells. But that’s not failure. That’s living.” ~Heather Cochran, The Return of Jonah Gray
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~Henry David Thoreau
Walking along the boardwalk and saw a group of tourists… young men, all walking together. This one let the group get ahead of him.
Chasing the sunset today through the west side of town ending up at the Oliver Bridge which crosses the St. Louis River between Gary New Duluth and Oliver, Wisconsin. I love this bridge. I had to cross it 4 times before I could stop because of the unusually heavy traffic.
Spirit Mountain, Duluth, MN. This shot ended up with deeper dreamsicle colors with the skylight filter.
This shot taken yesterday from Rice Point, Duluth, MN USA. I decided to bring in the New Year by getting out for some shots again and it felt good. Something about having a camera in hand… Well wishes to you all for a happy and healthy 2015.
Walking on frozen Lake Superior along the North Pier of the canal. Duluth, MN
This is a Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35 camera made in Germany. On the front of the camera when closed, which you can’t see in the shot, was a small diamond stud that unfortunately had been stolen. The camera has its original leather case and Zeiss Ikon Ikoblitz 5 flash without a bulb that you see attached ). I had fun playing with this camera for the day.
We must all work to make this world worthy of its children. ~Pablo Casals
Savoring every last bit of the season. Tourists and locals alike. Canal Park, Duluth, MN.
After a very dark sky and hard rain, the clouds parted, the sun “pier-ed” through and the people came knowing the season is near an end… and savoring every last bit they could. ~Canal Park, Duluth, MN.
My nephew Matt- already getting first class service after his hockey game from his teammate Tanner…. I see celebrity life in his future…