2022 – Michael Stephen Wills Photography

Gone Fish’in

Rory’s Third Birthday

May 7, 2023May 3, 2023 MichaelStephenWills11 Comments

Cake design and production by Grandma for Rory’s Third 3 Birthday. On the lead up to the special day, Grandmother phones Rory to interview him for his birthday cake wishes. Rice Krispy treats drizzled with melted colored chocolate to resemble a coral reef. Chocolate cupcakes with homemade buttercream icing.

This was three years ago at the start of Covid-19 pandemic. We drove up his long, snowy drive way……

Rory, Mom and brother Sam welcomed us.

Pam had Swedish fish and other fixings for Rory to put on the finishing touches.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Baseball Cake Birthday

Daryoush’s Eleventh Birrthday

January 4, 2023November 28, 2022 MichaelStephenWills9 Comments

Daryoush travels to Grandma and Grandpa’s to build his cake, assemble it at his house to celebrate with family. Theme: Baseball Diamond with players, spectators (Twix bars in Rice Krispy Treats), and scoreboard. Grass is buttercream frosting/vegetable dye. Ground is coconut sugar. Bases are “Licorice Allsorts.” Cake base is gluten free yellow sponge. Cupcakes are Grandma’s special chocolate cake recipe, gluten free.

Music credits: Emotional Underscores, Vol. 3, composer Yuri Sazonoff (SOCAN) “Don’t Panic,” “Dream Girl,” “Blessing.”

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Lighthouse Point 5

Sundry elements

December 30, 2022November 26, 2022 MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Uncategorized details from our Lighthouse Point adventures.

Seen from a resting place, a bench just off the trail and before the causeway.

A humble and fertile weed.

On a bright early November day Pam and I walked to Lighthouse Point. Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York

Before the parade of mast-like iron poles was this wooden one where it was apparent there could be no light on the white tower without power.

On top and under the surface

Look closely, children

A demon greeting

Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Lighthouse Point 4

The Views are the Reward

December 29, 2022November 25, 2022 MichaelStephenWills3 Comments

Here is the south end of Cayuga Lake on a bright November afternoon. Stewart Park is enjoyed by Ithacans year round.

Everyone is a fan of the Willows framing the lake views.

Can’t get enough of Stewart Park..

An unzoomed view, to give an idea of the distance across the water.

Pam and I have great memories of sailing this stretch from our years of membership in Cornell Family Sailing.

The east lake shore.

The West Lake Shore. This photograph captures the electric line that powers the Red Tower light. Seagulls enjoy that causeway…I’ve never seen humans walk it.

Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Lighthouse Point 3

At the White Tower

December 28, 2022November 25, 2022 MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

The quarter mile jaunt over the causeway yields the reward of this view up the White Tower…..

…and this vantage of the Red Tower, the west shore of Cayuga Lake leading down to Crowbar Point in the distance, colored by Autumn.

The shore is privately owned, some lake houses are visible. To the right are moorings of the Ithaca Yacht Club.

A closer view of the Red Tower.

White Tower graffitti.

My thoughts exactly…

Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Lighthouse Point 2

Causeway

December 27, 2022November 25, 2022 MichaelStephenWills12 Comments

Post 1 of Lighthouse Point provided an impression of our hike along the golf course, from there we turned onto this wooded path on the shores of Cayuga Inlet.

First view of the paired Lighthouses marking the Cayuga Inlet. The white tower is connected to shore by a causeway something less than a quarter mile in length. The red tower marks the other side. These navigation guides allow boats to safely enter the channel exiting the south end of Cayuga Lake. The Erie Canal connects to the north end, allowing access to the Great Lakes and, eventually, the Atlantic Ocean.

The 4-foot-high step up to the concrete causeway path is an insurmountable obstacle to some. I managed to clamber over.

Looking back to shore….

Rusted iron poles support the electric line for the white tower. They remind me of ship masts.

The straight shot back to shore.

Lighthouse Point 1

Tree Atlas

December 26, 2022November 25, 2022 MichaelStephenWills1 Comment

November 3rd, 2022, Blessed Us with an azure sky, an Indian Summer Day. During our walks on Cass Park Shorts we’d look across to see hikers emerging from the gold course to walk the Lighthouse causeway. After decades of longing, these Ithaca residents took upon themselves the adventure of finding the path and walking it. This series of posts documents the walk and some treasures discovered on the way.

Willow on Cayuga Inlet and Newman Golf Course

might be another Sycamore on the golf course

An uncultivated Sycamore sprouting from the causeway leading to the lighthouse

One of Three

Red, White and……Black

December 22, 2022November 23, 2022 MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

Up Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, about two miles from the entrance, we came to the parking area for Wild Bird Trail Head where I spent an hour or so admiring the sights. This Mangrove sprouting from brackish water is one of three known to grow here.

I’d say it is a Black Mangrove from the color of the bark. “Unlike other mangrove species, it does not grow on prop roots, but possesses pneumatophores that allow its roots to breathe even when submerged. It is a hardy species and expels absorbed salt mainly from its leathery leaves.”

The text in quotes is from the Black Mangrove wikipedia article.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Brevard County, Florida

On High

this heron stalks its prey

December 21, 2022November 23, 2022 MichaelStephenWills12 Comments

Up Blackpoint Wildlife Drive about two miles from the entrance we came to the parking area for Wild Bird Trail Head where I spent a hour or so admiring the sights.

This Tricolor Heron taking advantage of a perch provided by Black Mangrove growing from the brackish water. I assume it is resting as this heron stalks its prey in shallow or deeper water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, amphibians, crustaceans, gastropods, leeches, worms, spiders, reptiles, and insects.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Brevard County, Florida

Colorful Hall

Northernmost, glaciated section of the Allegheny Plateau

November 30, 2022November 16, 2022 MichaelStephenWills7 Comments

For my last autumn posting this last day of November 2022 this colorful hall of trees is on the long descent of Lacey Road from Cortland to Tioga Counties where it passes close the meeting point of three counties near the Robinson Hollow State Forest, the third being Tompkins County.

We are travelling south on a northernmost, glaciated section of the Allegheny Plateau. In the 19th Century a lawyer named Calvin J. Robinson was a prominent citizen of nearby Richford.