Storyboard - Benton Harbor, Michigan - 7/23/2011

Every time that I leave the state, I'm convinced at some point that next time I absolutely MUST plan something.  Invariably, we leap into the car and surge forth into the unknown asking at the first turn... "OK, Left or Right?" and from there the die is cast.  A semi-random selection of turns later and we have arrived at our destination of.... who the fuck knows.  We have yet to have to sleep in the car and have yet to be bored.  It is approximately at this point that I say, let's just leave our vacations as they are.  Random assortments of who the hell knows what are, after all, what Tiggers do best... or something.


So, Benton Harbor, in no particular order.  And, not necessarily really having much to do with Benton Harbor anyway.

It's a very beachy sort of place.  It struck me walking through that it's a different sort of beach than one is normally used to.  In California or Florida, it's hot and beachy all year long.  Sun, sun, sun and maybe, on their worst day, a bit of rain.  But Michigan is a WHOLE other kettle of kippers.  This place is gloriously sun-baked one part of the year and a hell-hole of ice and snow and wind the other part.  So when the summer hits Michigan, I can't help but imagine that the denizens of that fine state appreciate it in a manner vastly unparalleled by any of their more southern cohorts.  Anyway, I digress, this is supposed to be about pictures.


We start with an image that doesn't have a ton to say for itself except that I love the layout.  This kid looks like he feels REALLY fast.



This is your standard cliche ocean pic, notable only because I'm not really sure about the purpose of the fence. It seems like all beaches have this. Perhaps it's just to keep people off the vegetation that's trying hard to keep the beach together.



It was, as I recall, a bit of an overcast day. I like how vegetable, mineral, sky and sea all live together in this shot with all having something to say.



Yeah, I know, cliche lighthouse pic. I can't help think of the lonely lighthouse keeper when I see such things but I'm fairly certain those days are long gone. The keeper has gone home to nurse his family of 57 cats while a computer keeps the light on.



In case you can't tell from the album contents, I was just FASCINATED by this bit of clover. In the midst of this quarter-mile long slab of concrete, this fluff of clover gave the proverbial middle-finger to all that man-made schlock and made its home right in the middle of a thousand tons of rock. If this doesn't say nature can kick your ass for you, I'm not sure what does.



Yeah, too many things to say about this picture. Make up your own commentary.



Laura: "It looks like that guy's sitting there naked."
Sorry, no such luck... maybe if you ask nicely...



So, as we walked past this on our way back to the car, we heard several women talking nervously about this fountain as if it were about to erupt into a torrent of magma. As it turned out, it did erupt, but not into magma so much as a soul-scraping deluge of water.