In a Marcie Minute
by Marcie Crain
Table Graffiti
PortLand Malt Shoppe ~ Picnic Table Graffiti
If you haven’t been to the PortLand Malt Shoppe in its little historic section of Duluth, MN on E. Superior Street you are missing out. While you are spoiling yourself with the best malt in town you can carve a little graffiti into the picnic table leaving behind a little trace of yourself in history.
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After Midnight
This is my first Milky Way in a long while and I was fortunate enough to even capture it. Despite the chaos it was another small adventure, quiet time under the stars, and a new moment in time captured to savor into the future.
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Ornamental Ice
Shores of beautiful ice at Brighton Beach, Duluth MN
This being one of my first Lensball shots, I waited and waited for the sun to come to the tip of the ice shard, then realizing it had already set beneath the tip since the view in the ball is inverted via refraction.
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Youth Hockey Spotlight
Crowd Rouser
Thanks to the Minnesota Wild Youth Hockey Spotlight along with US Bank, last night’s Bantam B game is the talk of the town today in both Proctor and Hermantown, MN. What a class act this event was, and the element of surprise for these kids… simply brilliant. It was heartwarming to see my nephew, the smallest player for Proctor, with the biggest smile as he roused the crowd in the third period and again at the end of the game engaging the fans in this celebration of youth hockey.
Truly… the ultimate goal of this event was in the net from the start. Read more about it through the NHL HERE.
Watch the game on You Tube HERE.
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Game On
Minnesota
Subzero
House of Chaos
Backyard ice rink
Father v. daughter
Game on…
…he doesn’t stand a chance.
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When I Was Young
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~Henry David Thoreau
Watched these two for awhile fishing Rice’s Point yesterday as the sun was setting…
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Tall Ships 2016
You Can’t Hide From The Wide…
A quick shot of the masses traversing the Minnesota Slip Bridge during the Tall Ships 2016 Festival in Duluth, MN… I assured her she made the shot.
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Youth
Adventure or Mischief?
All the same… they are doing it outdoors.
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Budding Artist
“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” – Henry David Thoreau
Ms. Lizzy came over for an evening of art and a movie in the studio with me. It was completely delightful. I remember at her age taking art lessons at the Duluth Art Institute. My mother, from a very artful family herself, encouraged me to develop a love and appreciation for art early. It’s wonderful seeing my sister do the same with her kids.
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The Outdoor Gallery
Urban Art Series [1]
The Duluth region has a rich creative spirit which emanates from its shores, forests and surrounding communities into local studios, shops, restaurants, and galleries. The area urban gallery often displays some pretty impactful art in many forms, too. Aside from unfortunate episodes of vandalistic displays, I find it fascinating.
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Under Surveillance
Never, never, never give up. ~Winston Churchill
I had to make the most of Sunday’s weather with this alternative shot to a sunrise. Snow over the hill turned to raindrops at the canal. It has been months since I’ve made a point to get up for a sunrise shot.
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Plys With Purpose 2015
The Arts…. Supporting The Arts
Caught my son Josh for this shot a few weeks back preparing for last Friday night’s “Plys With Purpose” event presented by Prøve Gallery and the Gary New Duluth Community Center and Recreation Area. At the event, 30 constructed skateboard decks by local, national, and international artists were exhibited and auctioned off with proceeds to benefit the Gary New Duluth Skatepark Fund. The Prøve Gallery also premiered two skateboard films that night, including “ISM” by local filmmakers, Mike Rapaich & Stephen Pestalozzi in which Josh is also featured as one of the skaters. The filming and editing are fantastic… proof, once again, that Duluth, MN is really a hot spot for the arts in all forms.
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The Gathering
There is something about the gathering of family and friends that rekindles the soul.
My cousin Sara and her husband Dean host a fabulous pig roast this weekend every fall along with the most delectable dishes from their Birch Point Gardens produce. These two are amazing, and this is one of my favorite events of the year. It is rather fitting that the term harvest is the “gathering” in of crops.
Thank you, Dean and Sara!
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Fitger’s by Light
View from Fitger’s. Duluth, MN
The extended deck at Fitger’s (standing on for this shot) is one of my favorite spots as it is lovely to sit at the tables for this view of the Fitger’s courtyard, Lake Superior with the Aerial Lift Bridge and the Lakewalk. I had just grabbed a café at a little Italian restaurant a few doors down. This shot was taken about midnight so the activity was minimal and the outdoor cocktail bar was just closing… a quiet glass of wine would have been perfect with this view. The outdoor staff were taking peeks at what I was shooting and were kind enough to show me how to turn on the string of outdoor lights if I ever needed to.
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House of Light
Superior Entry Lighthouse. Superior, WI.
Such and awesome summer we’ve had up here in the Northland.
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Marina Blue
Waterfront Plaza Marina. Duluth, MN
An evening shot from the kayak after entering the marina from under the Minnesota Slip Bridge.
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Blatnik
John A. Blatnik Bridge
The John A. Blatnik Bridge is a bridge over the Saint Louis Bay, a tributary of Lake Superior, between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. This is the view to the south from my parents’ on the bay side of Park Point. It has been a gorgeous weather week here in Duluth and this was a beautiful evening enjoyed outside on their deck.
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My Town
Cityscape of Duluth, MN from Park Point.
Friday night I spent the night with my parents on Park Point. They have a beautiful view of the Duluth mainland and harbor from their apartment. I usually come with all my camera gear, tripod and computer and get in a little night shooting after all have gone to bed.
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Sultry Lights
The Mesabi Miner at the CN docks on a sultry evening in Two Harbors on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The temp was still in the 80’s late at night.
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Hot, Hot Night
Hot, hot, hot late at night… and oh, so humid.
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Sweet Youth
Sweet youth, indeed.
Sitting in a little cafe having a local brew and fantastic dish of pesto penne with chicken while I post this shot I took from last night. Caught this scene as I kayaked near the breakwall in Two Harbors on the North Shore of Lake Superior as the sun was setting on Sweet Youth.
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Rail Cars
CN Rail Cars, Proctor, MN
I was looking through my photo library and found a really dark shot with a row of curves. Normally, I would just delete, but when I brightened it to see what it was, I discovered a shot of CN rail cars from the rail yard in Proctor that I took on a beautiful sunset day in April. A little color boost is all it needed. The star burst is not the sun, but a light from the rail yard.
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Red, White & Blue
The Aerial Lift Bridge… USA style.
One more shot from the 4th. I think it’s the coolest thing that they came up with lighting the bridge different colors for various events. Someone had their clever hat on…
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Happy USA!
South Pier, Canal Park. Duluth, MN
Each year I gain just a little bit more with my attempts at capturing the 4th of July fireworks. My habit of surfing the web in a panic for settings 5 min before the fireworks go off has never yielded the results I desire, but certainly fits with my “In a Marcie Minute” lifestyle. This year I came across some tips the day before… and voilà!!
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Harbor Lights
The Duluth Harbor Cityscape
Feeling artsy.
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Getting Ready
So many brides getting ready for their weddings this summer ~
Made me think of this portrait of my lovely niece Anna getting ready on her wedding day.
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Foxy Bandit
Paddling the kayaks along Park Point an spotted this little foxy bandit and siblings.
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Aurora!
My first time out to capture the northern lights last night and had nice visit with these three graduates after I captured them overlooking the city. Off to 3 different colleges in the fall with their whole lives ahead of them. I bet they will always stay connected. Sweet.
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Sunset after Paddle
Park Point Sunset after kayaking to the remote graffiti destination.
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It’s Clear…
Love is all you need.
Kayaked a few miles to find this graffiti in an old abandoned boat house next to an old abandoned light house.
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Awesomeness
Awesomeness all around us. Experience it.
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Sailboat
What a week. Crazy busy at both work and life. This morning I changed tops and bottoms a few times trying to pull myself together a look… and once I got to work discovered I had parts of two different outfits on. It’s the new me.
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The Color of Industry
Worked way too late and just missed the sun setting over this industrial area in Cloquet where I spotted the river reflection and made a quick stop on the way to Sammy’s Pizza as I was too “cooked” to cook.
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Red Light District
Gorgeous skies over our port city tonight. It was a long day at work as it has been for many months and evenings like this are refreshing. I think this shot looks a little “painted” which seems to work.
It was a yin and yang day at work as one patient asked me if I was retiring soon and another told me I didn’t look old enough to have kids.
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Wave Catcher
Had a chance to catch Lake Superior Waves in action. Two Harbors, MN.
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New Dawn
A gorgeous sunrise… a “new dawn”. It turned out to be a beautiful day on the shores Lake Superior and a beautiful day to celebrate the birth of my first born.
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Watching
I suppose I could have worked on some unfinished business as planned, but it didn’t take much to change my mind and follow the sunset. This little fella hung out with me this evening.
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Helping Hand
Grand Marais sure has beauty. Exploring new places.
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The Closing
Sunset on Big Grand Lake. Twig, MN.
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Surf’s Up
If only my day job didn’t get in the way of my adventures. Surfers in action off the mouth of the Lester River into Lake Superior. Looking forward to this upcoming Memorial Day weekend to remember and honor our vets, enjoy family and friends, and of course, go exploring.
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Down by the Boardwalk
It sure was a beautiful night to couple up on the shores of Lake Superior. Canal Park, Duluth, MN. 
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Seven Bridges Sunset
This depicts a perfect ending to a day that was a bit rough around the edges. Enjoying the sunset along Seven Bridges Road and Amity Creek in Northern Minnesota.
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Propagating Peace
“Repotting a plant gives it space to grow. Repotting ourselves means taking leave of our everyday environments and walking into unfamiliar territory—of the heart, of the mind and of the spirit. It isn’t easy. The older we get, the more likely we are to have remained in the same place for some time. We stay because it’s secure. We know the boundaries and, inside of them, we feel safe. Our roots cling to the walls we have long known. But remaining inside can keep us from thriving. Indeed, without new experiences or ideas, we slowly grow more and more tightly bound, eventually turning into less vibrant versions of who we might have been. Repotting means accepting that the way is forward, not back. It means realizing that we won’t again fit into our old shells. But that’s not failure. That’s living.” ~Heather Cochran, The Return of Jonah Gray
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What Lives Within Us
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~Henry David Thoreau
Walking along the boardwalk and saw a group of tourists… young men, all walking together. This one let the group get ahead of him.
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Hazy Daze
Rarely do I get to drive home through the late afternoon sunset haze over the bustle of downtown. I love sunset haze…there is just something old and romantic about it, even in the bitter cold as it is on this day.
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Oliver Bridge
Chasing the sunset today through the west side of town ending up at the Oliver Bridge which crosses the St. Louis River between Gary New Duluth and Oliver, Wisconsin. I love this bridge. I had to cross it 4 times before I could stop because of the unusually heavy traffic.
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Dreamsicle
Spirit Mountain, Duluth, MN. This shot ended up with deeper dreamsicle colors with the skylight filter.
Rice Point of View
This shot taken yesterday from Rice Point, Duluth, MN USA. I decided to bring in the New Year by getting out for some shots again and it felt good. Something about having a camera in hand… Well wishes to you all for a happy and healthy 2015.
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Frozen Over
Walking on frozen Lake Superior along the North Pier of the canal. Duluth, MN
In a Marcie Minute 