Bike around Boot

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Michaela recently took a bike ride around the lake and took a few pictures of the sunset and wild flowers. There are some rolling hills along the ride that are beautiful, especially when the sun dips below the horizon and the fog starts to rise. The orange flowers below are Indian Paintbrush, which grow wild in many of the fields in the area. The taller flowers are Lupin, which are in the flower garden at the end of our driveway. They are stunning right now and have had an exceptionally good bloom this year.

Lupin Flowers in Sunset at Half Moon Trail Resort

Lupin flowers at Half Moon Trail Resort in Park Rapids, MN

Bee on Indian Paintbrush wildflower

Indian Paintbrush Wild Flowers around Boot Lake

Field of Indian Paintbrush Wildflowers at Dusk

 

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Northern Lights

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Michaela captured some great photos of the northern lights over the beach this past week. We don’t see them like this too often, but when we do it’s a real treat!

We have been busy with the fall routine this past week and a half, even though it hasn’t really felt like fall. It has been unusually warm for this time of year, so we are taking full advantage of the nice weather to get things ready for winter. It’s much easier working with the pressure washer when it’s 75 degrees, versus just above freezing outside.  The boats are out of the water and cleaned, most of the cabins are shut down for the winter, and the Adirondack chairs are all pressure washed and ready for another coat of finish.

Although fall is a little slower paced, there is still some adrenaline pumping to get everything prepped for winter and get a head start on maintenance items for next spring. None-the-less, it’s a beautiful time of year at the resort so we will definitly be taking some time to “smell the roses”;).

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Gardens

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Our gardeners hard at work…;) We are very thankful for these ladies and all they do for the gardens. The gardens are in there prime this time of summer and look amazing! Special thanks to mom for all the hard work that she has done over the years in designing and building the gardens. We are working on learning how to keep up the gardens, but are thankful that mom is still heavily involved until we can grow our own green thumb!

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Photo credit to: Justin @ Bees-Knees Photo

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Amazing Night Photography

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Every year George Pfoertner spends part of his vacation shooting Boot Lake at night.  Obviously, with so little light, he must use a tripod and very long shutter speeds.  One of his tricks that I find fascinating is when he “paints” in the foreground subjects with light; using a flash or sometimes just a flashlight.  On the other hand, except for the stars in the sky, photos taken with a substantial full moon can look a lot like a daytime photo.  I think my favorite is the vertical photo (above) of a single boat at the dock.  The line of white and colored light on the lake is from a boat that passed while the shot was being exposed. But what I really like is the way all the stars are circling around the North Star in the center.  I don’t remember how long he exposed this, but it must have been awhile to get the long lines of light from the moving stars!  Note: for more information on George, including his web site, see the side bar at right.

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Carpetball

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This unusual perspective of the carpetball table was taken by Melanie Mahonen, a graphic designer living in Minneapolis (melaniemahonen.com).  She recently sent us a couple of her favorite shots from her family vacation in June.  The subject of this photo, carpetball, is one of our most popular activities.  The object of the game is simply to roll the white ball down the long, 19 foot table and knock the opponents balls into the bin.  Simple fun.

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George Pfoertner Photography

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George is here this week, looking for those great opportunities to add to his portfolio.  Today I have included several photos from Monday night.  He stayed up all night to shoot these impressive images.

 

 

This last image was taken at 3:05 AM.  The first light of dawn is illuminating the left dock, while the moon is illuminating the dock on the right.

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Sarah Neighbors: Resort Photos.

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Yesterday Jeff and Sarah Neighbors, and their son Eli(4), checked in for the week.  Sarah is one of two professional photographers that trade a Half Moon Trail vacation for resort photos.  We feel like “a kid at Christmas” when we see what she has been shooting.  In today’s album I have included four of our favorites from last year.  (George Pfoertner is an equally gifted photographer and he will be here next week.)  Stay tuned for some interesting pictures!

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Activities Video.

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Today I have the opportunity to introduce our videographer, J.Morgan Legreid.  This talented young man created our first resort videos while still in high school.  Dave has produced a couple of simple videos, but most of our projects have been created by J.Morgan.  Check out his profile and enjoy this creative production.

 

 

 

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Introducing our photographers.

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I woke up this morning to a robin singing outside our window.  This spring is shaping up to be the earliest I can remember.  The kids and the neighbors are taking their best guess at when the ice will go out.  I have already been proven wrong; the neighbor says “3 more days”.  Our first post featured a photo by George Pfoertner and today we include a photo by Sarah Neighbors.  Both special guests, who also happen to be professional photographers.  Thanks George and Sarah for the many great shots over the last couple years; we look forward to many more great vacations!  Check out their profiles to learn more.

 

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