Did you know that George Washington kept a diary? Well, he did, and it was full of scintillating entries like “planted four new cherry trees” and “sharpened hatchet” and “spent entire allowance on coin-toss game.” George didn’t have a camera, but I do. The photos I take—4,969 of them so far this year—are a diary of sorts. They crouch in tidy folders waiting to spill all the household secrets. But not tonight.
Last year about this time Scott Thomas over at Views Infinitum made a year-long assignment: “Show four distinctive seasons from the SAME location.” He didn’t mention which four, so I improvised. He didn’t define “location” either, so you will see the seasons turn from my perch atop those infernal stairs, and, for variety, from the driveway at the bottom of the infernal stairs. I love an assignment with a little wiggle room built in.
Torch Lake Views 
Sybil
December 22, 2011
Gerry, you live in the most idyllic location ! Makes me miss snow … sorta.
Gerry
December 22, 2011
You might not think it’s so idyllic if I’d elected to include Mud Season in there, or if I’d started with this photo from December 12, 2010:
P.j. grath
December 22, 2011
I recognize that place! It was fun to see it in the different seasons, Gerry. Fall and winter look quite beautiful.
Gerry
December 22, 2011
Thank you, PJ. Good choice, then, leaving out Mud Season. I thought so.
isathreadsoflife
December 22, 2011
I love your version of Scott’s assignment, Gerry. I mean, the “location” could be as far as your eyes would look from the top of those “infernal stairs” (in Winter ?) or on the idyllic view around your house. You practically live in the middle of a forest, this is beautiful !
Gerry
December 22, 2011
I’m glad you liked it, Isa. There are a lot of trees. Not quite a forest, maybe, but definitely the woods. That is why it was so difficult to get any kind of internet here until recently.
Dawn
December 22, 2011
What a great place you live! BEAUTIFUL in any season. Loved your take on the assignment, love your place too.
Gerry
December 22, 2011
Why thank you, Dawn. I confess I chose photos that show it to best advantage. I was surprised, as I went through a year’s worth of images, how many cloudy days we’d had. Or maybe I just got up to more things on sunny days and didn’t take pictures. Either way, it is a great place to live. Also to visit. Keep that in mind for the next time Katie wants to go for a really long ride.
Dawn
December 23, 2011
Cool idea! She’s sleeping now, and as they say let sleeping dogs…well you know…
Gerry
December 23, 2011
Katie would never.
Joss
December 23, 2011
Oh my god, those infernal stairs look diabolical! My sister lives somewhere with stairs like that (which I’ll try to send you a photo of) so I know the costs of residing somewhere ‘charming’. After she had carried all her belongings up the infernal stairs to move it, she got bursitis in her elbows and was laid up for a week. Also her doctor has advised her to move, for the sake of her knees. I hope you have strong joints all over. Looks like you need them, for shovelling snow too.
Gerry
December 23, 2011
Imagine how much fun it is to cart firewood up those stairs in the winter. Fortunately, we get mostly fluffy snow, and I just sweep it off, although when there’s a lot of it, even fluffy snow is a trial to move around. When we get wet snow I cave in and call Young Tom, who comes over and clears my steps in a twinkling. Someday my joints will tell me That’s It, Kiddo, Time To Move–but until then, the view is worth it, even on a cloudy day.
Karma
December 24, 2011
Lovely views, Gerry. Nicely done. I’m suprised that Miss Sadie or the Cowboy didn’t make an appearance in any of the shots – it was difficult for me to even get out to my chosen location for this assignment without at least one of my duo in tow.
Gerry
December 24, 2011
Miss Sadie and the Cowboy think “photo opportunity” means “a chance to take off while she’s distracted.” That’s why there are so many indoor shots of them–often shots of them looking wistfully out the window.
truels
December 29, 2011
This is a great series of photos of the seasons around your home. And it also tells a story about the wonderful place you live surrounded by nature: this must be good for both body and mind…
Gerry
December 30, 2011
Thank you Truels. It probably is a good thing, as you say, although a brief inspection of both mind and body this morning tells me that I have some work to do on both . . .