Categories
Photograph

A walk in the park

A friend was visiting Burlington from out of town, so three of us decided to take a walk in Ethan Allen Park.  For those that haven’t been there, Ethan Allen Park is in the North End of Burlington, very close to Leddy Park.  A bike path comes in from the Burlington Intervale and climbs up a hill, branching in multiple directions; some paved and some dirt. When I lived in Burlington, I had a loop that would start by the Winooski River and come through the park, riding as many trail segments as possible. I would inevitably stop at the tower to take in the view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondaks — it’s one of my favorite views in Burlington. When we arrived, the tower was locked. I later found out that Burlington Parks & Recreation unlocks the tower on Mother’s day.

Even with no access to the tower, we took some photos on the trails and enjoyed the views from both the tower and pinnacle lookouts.

Sunset in Ethan Allen Park

Someone had a sense of humor and painted “So Close to the Edge” on a piece of metal sticking out of the rocks behind a safety fence.  Just beyond is a drop high enough that I wouldn’t want to experience the fall.

Metal rebar stuck in stone with the words "So Close to the Edge"

Macro photograph of a ladybug on rocks

Person taking an iphone photo next to a stone wall

Most of the shots above were goofing around, but I like the shot below.

I’d imagine it was a nice night for bouldering in Vermont. The temperature was comfortable on our casual stroll, so it might have even been warm while working out on the rocks.

Matt asked what I was going to do with this photo.  I still don’t know, but I kinda like it.

The random glasses we found at the Pinnacle.

It’s hard to argue with a sunset like this.

Sunset over Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks

I would have loved to stay longer and watch it hit the water, but we were hungry and it was time to find some food.

Categories
Music

Jer Coons at Higher Ground

Jer Coons played to a nearly sold out Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, in Burlington, VT, with Taylor Carson opening up the show.. We’re lucky to have a lot of big acts come through the area (Jakob Dylan played with Neko Case just this weekend) but I tend to prefer the local musicians, or at least the ones with local connections. Jer’s about as local as they get growing up in Middlebury. Below is a slideshow with a few of my favorites from the evening. The full gallery is available if you’d like to see more or buy a print.


Artist: Jer Coons
Album: Speak
Song: Speak

You can buy the album straight from Jer or via iTunes.

Categories
Family

Painting a new house

Tawny & I just returned home from a long, but satisfying afternoon painting Kate & Micah’s new house in the North End of Burlington, VT. They’ll tell the whole story at some point, but let’s just say a few weeks ago the house smelled of smoke so badly that it was the only thing you could think about inside. After washing, stripping, refinishing, priming, painting or removing every surface in the house, it’s almost ready to be lived in!

Music played all day - a mix of 60's, 70's, and 80's, mostly.

Cleanup time!
Cleanup time!

Categories
Event Photography

Run Vermont Unplugged Half Marathon on the Burlington Waterfront

The Race Vermont Unplugged Half Marathon starts in Colchester, VT and mostly follows the Burlington Bike Path south to Oakledge Park.  Ending in the South End, runners are treated with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks across the lake in New York. This year, 550 runners arrived at the start only to be greeted with flakes of snow in the air.  No problem, though; the event website clearly states that severe weather is defined as “more than 5 inches of snow, lightening…” and the race will go on.

Here are a few selected race photographs. The rest are available on SkiPix.com for purchase!

Runners and hand cyclists take off at the start of the Race Vermont Unplugged Half Marathon in Burlington, Vermont
Runners and hand cyclists take off at the start of the Race Vermont Unplugged Half Marathon in Burlington, Vermont
The first hand cyclist approaches Starr Farm Road long ahead of the other competitors
The first hand cyclist approaches Starr Farm Road long ahead of the other competitors
The first runners show up, some smiling, others focused.
The first runners show up, some smiling, others focused.
Some of the Unplugged runners are pranksters or romantics, hamming it up for the photographers along the way.
Some of the Unplugged runners are pranksters or romantics, hamming it up for the photographers along the way.
The marathon continues south along the Burlington Bike Path. With Lake Champlain to their right, runners approach Oakledge Park for a final loop before heading for the finish line.
The marathon continues south along the Burlington Bike Path. With Lake Champlain to their right, runners approach Oakledge Park for a final loop before heading for the finish line.
Some runners are still in groups, but at this point, most folks are just running their own race and show up solo.
Some runners are still in groups, but at this point, most folks are just running their own race and show up solo.
A runner on the Burlington Bike Path, alongside Lake Champlain, during the Race Vermont Unplugged Half Marathon.
A runner on the Burlington Bike Path, alongside Lake Champlain, during the Race Vermont Unplugged Half Marathon.
Some runners come with their own photographer!
Some runners come with their own photographer!
Miles later, our romantics are still in love.
Miles later, our romantics are still in love.
When the sun comes out, you almost forget that Spring mornings in Vermont can start with snow.
When the sun comes out, you almost forget that Spring mornings in Vermont can start with snow.
Categories
Photograph

Beautiful Burlington Sunset

Some days, it’s nice to break free from your patterns. Monday and Tuesday night, as I was commuting home from Burlington to Essex, I had amazing views of snow-capped Mt. Mansfield and Camel’s Hump. In my rearview mirror, the sun was setting behinds Whiteface, Marcy, and a slew of other peaks in the Adirondak mountains of which I do not know the names. Every day, I’ve had my camera with me and tried to stop to take a quick shot. This is a common occurrence, and more often than not I’m let down with the results.

Today, instead of going home, I was staying in the city to meet some friends. I had a couple of minutes to kill between finishing things up at my desk and heading to their house for dinner, so I stopped by Perkin’s Pier. The sun had mostly set by the time I arrived, but it didn’t matter. Sunsets over Lake Champlain rarely disappoint.

I don’t always post one-off shots to my blog, so you may want to check out my Flickr stream, my Facebook page, or my Twitter stream if you’re interested in seeing more of the individual shots.