Archive for year: 2017
Milwaukee Brewers Military Appreciation Day
Milwaukee Brewers Military Appreciation Day
On America’s Independence Day, I worked the Milwaukee Brewers game as a volunteer photographer for the USO of Wisconsin. The Brewers hosted Military Appreciation Day and invited hundreds of service members and veterans on the 4th of July. Plenty of red, white, and blue adorned these American patriots and their families!
Port Washington Pirate Festival 2017
Arrrrgh! Pirates Invade Port Washington!
After a several-year absence, the Pirate Festival returned to Port Washington, Wisconsin. This popular festival brings throngs of would-be pirates to town for a fun weekend. The festival includes vendor booths, bands, exhibits, sword fights, an 8k run, food, and even a tall ship!
The Floating Museum
A native Michigander, I’ve lived in Wisconsin for over thirty years now. My roots and family are still in Michigan. I’ve had the occasion several times to save myself the hassle of driving around the bottom of Lake Michigan while traveling by taking the S.S. Badger car ferry across the lake.
The S.S. Badger is truly a floating museum. The ship is a National Historic Landmark, and during my trips on her, I’ve taken many pictures to document my experiences. The galleries below share those photos.
2012 Voyages
In 2012, I completed two round trips on the Badger, one in May and another in October. My first trip was delayed a day due to the breakdown of one of the Badger’s two engines. Strong south winds in the Manitowoc vicinity pushed the ship hard up against the shore on the north side of the harbor. With only half-power available, the ship was unable to get back to its dock on the south side of the harbor under its own power. A tug was needed to push the Badger back to the dock. The passengers who boarded in Michigan, were delayed five hours before they could disembark in Wisconsin. After the passengers and vehicles were offloaded, the vehicle deck was pulled up in order for the repair crew to get down to the engine beneath that deck. Certain parts had to be fabricated in a machine shop locally and installed before the engine was operable again. This cancelled the return trip to Ludington that day, and I was unable to sail until the next day.
2013 Voyages
In 2013, I sailed on the S.S. Badger, returning to Michigan to attend a family reunion.
2017 Voyages
In 2017, I lost a cousin in Michigan and again sailed on the Badger to attend his funeral.
Spring Beauty
Nature Celebrates Spring
Today brought a brief photo outing with a couple of my friends. Nothing major, just a visit to a local park to photograph spring wildflowers, followed by lunch. This kind of thing is good for the soul. You may now go back to your phone.
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