Meet Riley

This is Riley, the much loved pet of my daughter, Maria. He leads quite a life. He is our little person, our "little man" and yes, "Grandma's Baby."  He wakes me up in the middle of the night while climbing on my dresser, because he knocks something off. Cats have the most innocent faces and know just the precise moment to look the most mushy and turn on the purr machine.

 Who could be mad at this face? 

Parker's Orchard

When my girls were in lower elementary, Parker's Orchard, Oak Road, Millington, MI, started having a Harvest Festival the first weekend in October. We went every year but the first year it was held. There were crafters, square dancers, a gas engine show, tractors, a car show, spinning & weaving demonstrations, a small petting zoo area, hay rides, and of course, cider donuts made fresh and wonderful apple cider. Theirs is the best cider I have ever had. The donuts melt in your mouth. Our favorite is maple glazed.

 Parker's Orchard
8355 Oak Road
Millington, MI 48746-9606
(989) 871-3031

You may find these and other photos on
http://flickr.com/photos/pichappy1
http://michigangirl.redbubble.com
Find me (Sharron Lewis Swantek) on Facebook and also my
michigangirl photography fan page on Facebook

Spending Time on a Saturday

At home with my baby on this Saturday...well, she's not technically a baby anymore, but she's MY baby always. My youngest daughter, Debbi, let me take pictures of her for awhile today. She is beautiful, inside and out. She has a wonderful voice and winning smile. She is a cheerleader, a nurturer, a leader, a friend to others.

Realtor Photos

This afternoon while taking photos for a team of Realtors and their assistants, I had just as much fun as they did. Melissa, Bob, Michelle and Stephanie enjoy each other's company and compliment each other nicely. They are funny and just plain fun people! I appreciated the chance to take photos of them. It helps me to learn and grow...and I have a ways to go!

Here are some of my favorite shots from today:

Melissa Hecht & Bob Smith, Realtors
Century 21 Signature Realty
http://FindTheDream.com

I am currently taking family portraits and senior portraits, so contact me if you are interested or refer your friends! 
To see more of their photos and other photos of mine, find me on facebook: search Sharron Lewis Swantek and please visit any of the following sites:

http://flickr.com/photos/pichappy1
http://myspace.com/michigangirlphotography
http://wallphotostore.com
http://michigangirl.redbubble.com

Sincerely,
Sharron Swantek
sharron.swantek@yahoo.com

Happy New Year 2010!

I spent the first days of 2010 in Northern Lower Michigan with my husband and extended family. It was a very simple few days. Cards and board games, good food, drink and conversation with family in the evenings, and day trips.

We picked up a county map in Rose City, MI on Friday and headed out, with the idea of ending up at Grayling. There was a most interesting logging road/trail that we took. Good thing we had the suburban with 4 wheel drive! It was a nice excursion through heavily wooded areas and areas of stacked pine. We saw a couple deer along the road. In a few spots, the driving was a little tricky. How would we ever direct anyone to us if we got stuck? There were no road names or trail numbers. These are the kind of adventures we really enjoy, seeing things we would not have seen if we'd stayed on more main roads.

Why Grayling? No special reason, I guess. We ate at Pizza Hut there, and then ended up driving through Houghton Lake with a stop off at Walmart and Home Depot. We are so exciting! Not!!
I did take some pics though. A couple on that logging trail, and then on M-72, between Mio and Grayling, we spotted Old Smith Bridge. The sun was hitting the red bridge just so, which is why it stood out to me. We had driven that stretch of road before on other drives, and never gave it any attention.

On Saturday, probably the coldest day of our weekend, we left the Lupton, MI area and drove Kokosing Road over to M-65 and took Slosser Rd East to River Road. Slosser Rd turns into another trail! We do like trails! Once we reached Oscoda, we took M-23 North. The shoreline drive is always beautiful, I'm sure, but this was the first time we had traveled this portion of it in winter.

At Sturgeon Point, with the Lighthouse being closed, I walked out onto the beach at Lake Huron. I wondered what the wind chill must be, but the view was so spectacular! Crisp, clear, and full of brilliant color! It sure was easy walking on the sand, as it was frozen! Looking north, I could see the top of the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse not far up the beach, so that's where I headed, taking pictures along the way. Finally, my face was numb enough that I decided I'd better head back to the suburban, where my husband waited, nice and toasty-warm. I told him, "Well! That was invigorating!" It really was, not just that the extreme cold invigorated me, but also that outstanding view was a real treasure and I just knew I had some great shots of it.

I hope Michiganders don't take Michigan's treasures for granted. I see many photos of Western Michigan, and not as many of the Sunrise Side, as it's called. I want to change that, and I hope others will want that, too.

I have all of my photos of January 1st and 2nd on my flickr page: http://flickr.com/photos/pichappy1
Check them out and comment!