Shawn Malone over at Lake Superior Photo, always has amazing pictures in her portfolio, but today’s shots really go beyond amazing and are absolutely phenomenal. She used a method called Microscopic Objective. I looked up what that means and found the following explanation: “A microscope objective lens is a fundamental component of a microscope responsible for gathering and magnifying the image of a specimen. Positioned in close proximity to the specimen, it plays a crucial role in determining the quality and clarity of the final magnified image. The primary function of objective lenses in microscopy is to capture light emitted or reflected by the specimen. They then focus this light to form an enlarged image, which can be further magnified by the eyepiece lens. By adjusting the objective lens, users can achieve different levels of magnification, allowing for detailed examination of minute structures.” It sounds quite involved and Shawn says it is difficult and time consuming, but oh my, the results are incredible to say the least. My favorite is the first shot, but they’re all quite stunning. I wonder how you do this without the snowflake melting?

Visit Keweenaw shares a look at the Copper Dog 2026 that’s coming to the Keweenaw the end of this week, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Make plans to be there if you can! The lead-in says: “The CopperDog Race is an annual sled dog race held in Calumet on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula. Since 2009, CopperDog brings mushers and more than 400 sled dogs from across North America to race on one of the best-groomed trail systems in the Midwest. The weekend features four races over three days, including the 150-mile CopperDog 150, the CopperDog 80, the CopperDog 30 from Calumet to Eagle Harbor, and the CopperDog 15 in Eagle Harbor. Friday night’s start in downtown Calumet is electric, with thousands of spectators lining both sides of the snow-packed street as teams launch into the Keweenaw wilderness. Expect high energy, music, bonfires, fireworks, and an up-close look at sled dog teams before they hit the trail. The race routes move through remote forest sections maintained by the Keweenaw Trail Services crew before emerging into small Upper Peninsula communities known for their hospitality and volunteer spirit. CopperDog is more than a race. It is a community-driven winter tradition that showcases the rugged beauty, deep snow, and trail culture of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.”

These are so beautiful! I've never heard of this
but it sure is cool.

I'm with MRS Ron S. (aka.Deb:-). I too have never
heard of this before, it looks so symmetrical,
almost fake, but very interesting.

I'd like to be U.P. there for the Copper Dog 2026,
I've never seen the race before. I can just
imagine how the race crews and spectators are
staying warm, and it might involve a flask of hot
chocolate or something similar lol. Looks like
great fun and excitement and a boost for the local
economy, which is always a good thing. Be safe and
have a great time and don't make any wrong turns
out there in the woods!!