Mary Bedy Photography

Lake Huron Colors 5  I live in Michigan 18 miles south of the southern end of Lake Huron. I’ve visited areas bordered by each of the Great Lakes many times since I have lived in Michigan all my life. I live along the Saint Clair River that runs south from Lake Huron to Lake Saint Clair, a smaller lake, which leads through the Detroit River to Lake Erie, then East to Lake Ontario.  Lake Huron Wave Stage 4 053120 I know people who don’t travel much or who have never seen one of the Great Lakes do not always appreciate how large they are. When I take a trip to the northern tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula right to the Mackinac Bridge, the drive mostly on freeways, takes five hours. That’s five hours to drive the length of Lake Huron. And let’s be clear, you cannot see across to the other side of any of these lakes unless you are right at either end. You might as well be looking at the ocean.   Here are some facts for you. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are actually considered one body of w

After the Thaw     Art is subjective, yes, but have you even looked around you and been mesmerized by the pattern of something mundane? The odd shadow shape, the cracks in the sidewalk that look like “something” that you can’t quite name, the worn paint on the parking lot pavement. No? You’ve never noticed these things? Might I suggest you take a closer look. 9th Street 2 When I was a kid - up to the age of about 12, I was attracted to art - paintings and sculpture of all kinds, but I didn’t really like or appreciate what would be considered abstract art. Art without a defined and recognizable subject didn’t do anything for me, then I discovered Paul Klee and Joan Miro and Piet Mondrian, and I started looking at abstract art differently. These painters spoke to me. With Piet Mondrian, not so much his later works for which he is most famous, but his earlier stuff whereby he took a tree or the shape of a pier and abstracted them until they were just shapes reminiscent of the actual thing

  San Xavier del Bac mission near Tucson, Arizona is a beautiful example of Spanish mission architecture and was built as a Jesuit mission in 1783-1797. It was named after Francis Xavier who was a co-founder of the Jesuit order in Europe. At one point in the church’s history, Charles III banned the Jesuits from the mission and turned it over to the Franciscans. This old mission has been called the Sistine Chapel of the West, although that “label” has been criticized by some as being “overblown”. It is the oldest European structure in Arizona, having been constructed after the original building was destroyed. The O’odam provided the labor for the building of the newer church, and it is still an active catholic church today.       Most of the interior and exterior is original, however some major renovations have had to be done over the years because of water damage. The interior painting had to be painstakingly restored in 1978 due to water seepage into the walls. Earlier on, repairs wer

Apparently, the study of the forest canopy is a still-developing science. There are may species of creatures that live in forest canopies that are never found on the forest floor. The canopy itself is the main gatherer of sunlight, obviously, but science has only recently gotten more sophisticated at studying canopy structures and biology due partly to the improvement and sophistication of climbing gear and other equipment. Previously, studies were done using hot air balloons and other more difficult means. Being able to place scientific measuring devices at the tops of trees in old-growth forests has gotten easier. Due to deforestation, many lichen species that are regularly found at the crowning level of trees are starting to go extinct which will cause further imbalance to an already fragile ecosystem.   For me, the forest canopy has always been a source of visual enjoyment. I love to look straight up in the local hiking trail and marvel at the structure and complexity of the tree b

I was looking at some of my “fog” images the other day and I had a random thought float through my head. I was thinking walking through life is kind of like waking through a fog bank. You just never know what you’re going to bump into. And when you turn on your bright headlights, all they do is reflect the fog back to you. Somehow, I kind of find that comforting. Obviously, there are surprises along the way, but usually the good surprises outweigh, or at least balance out the bad ones. Part of being OK with the unknown is being in the here and now and not worrying about past actions or future challenges. I like to think there are no monsters under the bed, no boogey man in the closet and that most people are well-meaning and kind. Maybe I’m naive, but that’s how I see it and I’m not going to change my mind, even in the face of my life experiences. I also like the silence of fog - the dense atmosphere buffering the clatter of life. It appears like a blanket of protection.            I f

In 2015, I was honored to have the photo at left chosen for the cover of Michigan History Magazine which featured an overview of the 300 year old Fort Michilimackinac. For a touch of history: Father Claude Dablon and Father Jacques Marquette, two Jesuit missionaries, established the first settlement along the straits of Mackinac in 1680, the area of the Great Lakes separating lower Michigan from the Upper Peninsula. They set up a mission on Mackinac Island named after Ignatius Loyola. Later, Marquette moved the mission to the north side of the straits in 1671 for better farming.   In order to protect the fur trade in the area, the French decided to fortify the outpost against the Iroquois, who were ready to threaten the territory and the fur trade business, so they built a small fort on the north side of the straits called Fort de Baude. When the fur trade generated a surplus, which became a problem for the French economy, King Louis XIV ordered it shut down, although it continued on

  In the Garden 2018   I have been to the lovely Dow Gardens in Midland Michigan twice and it is really a beautiful and serene place with lovely pathways, whimsical sculptures of Dr. Seuss characters and beautiful gardens. There is a conservatory, trails through the surrounding woodlands and various gardens including a children’s area. Dogwood Blossom Dow Gardens 2018   Beautiful bright red foot bridges span many of the ponds along with a concrete reflection bridge and a rough-hewn stone bridge. Dow Gardens Red Footbridge 062618 The gardens were developed by Herbert Dow of the Dow chemical company in 1899 as a gift to the city. The one home in the gardens proper is called “The Pines” and it is a national historic landmark. Dow Gardens Path 1 2018         The garden is an area of 110 acres located in the heart of Midland, Michigan. There are beautiful paving stones, ponds, lots of mature trees, benches, and shaded areas. If you are ever in that area of Michigan, I highly recommend a vis