Honey Creek – Photography by Rodney Martin

Some Winter Scenes

Published on February 2, 2026 by rdmegr

It has been a good old-fashioned winter in Michigan this year. For those of us who like winter, it’s been great, with snowfall running significantly ahead of our average. The downside is that we have seen relatively little sunshine. And, oh, has it been cold.

Over the weekend, we had a rare few days of clear skies and sunshine. I braved the cold and visited Honey Creek and Lake Michigan to make some photos.

Late afternoon on Honey Creek, the shadows were long and deep. The creek is open in just a few spots as snow blankets the many trees that have fallen across the creek in the last couple of years.

On Sunday, I headed to Lake Michigan before dawn. The thermometer on my car read -4 degrees as I set out and rose to a balmy zero degrees by the time I arrived at the pier at Grand Haven State Park. There was no wind, but, in the bitter cold, my fingers hurt so much that it was difficult to operate the camera. Working quickly, I did my best and then headed off to a coffee shop to warm up.

If you know of someone who is missing a slipper, they can find this one on the beach at Grand Haven.

After warming up, I drove north of Muskegon to get a view of Lake Michigan. The lakeshore is a frozen desert reaching far out into the lake.

A Visit to the Woods before the Snow Falls

Published on November 9, 2025 by rdmegr

The weather forecast for this weekend called for the first snow of the season. Indeed, it happened today, though there was no accumulation (yet) to speak of. But, looking at the forecast on Saturday morning, I decided that I needed to get out and photograph some of the last vestiges of fall. I drove to Seidman Park and walked along Honey Creek. Most of the leaves had fallen, so I decided to photograph in black and white.

I have been visiting Seidman Park long enough to remember when this tree was still standing.

Though it lives no longer, the tree continues to capture my attention as it goes through the stages of decomposition.

Along the banks of the creek, I found some plants with vibrant red leaves that stood out from the brown leaf litter below.

I haven’t been able to identify the fungi in this next photo. In the drab setting, their white coloring is an attention getter.

Honey Creek on the Coldest Day of the Year So Far

Published on January 20, 2025 by rdmegr

Grand Rapids is under the influence of an artic blast. Today’s high temperature was in the single digits and the windchill was around negative 10 degrees. A perfect day to visit Seidman Park and Honey Creek. Here are some photos from a chilly afternoon of photography.

Ice Jewels in Honey Creek

Published on January 9, 2022 by rdmegr

It seems that “real winter” has arrived at last. We received over a foot of snow in West Michigan this week and have seen the windchill dip to around zero. I headed to Honey Creek and used a long lens to get in close to the ice forming in the stream.

More shots from Seidman Park

Published on May 25, 2020 by rdmegr

I figure I spent close to two hours this weekend (2 separate visits) standing in the middle of a stream that feeds into Honey Creek. What a great way to start the day, listening to the burbling of the stream as it passes over the rocks on its way to the larger creek. On this morning’s visit I was rewarded with mayapple flowers, which are hidden beneath a canopy of leaves. Mayapples grow in colonies from a single root system. Their leaves obscure the beautiful flower that blossoms in late April or May.

A Spring Morning along Honey Creek

Published on May 16, 2020May 16, 2020 by rdmegr

After our 6:00 a.m. commando visit to the grocery store (complete with face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer), I escaped our new Covid-19 reality and went out to Seidman Park with my camera to see what Spring looks like. (Click images to see them full size.)