The new year is just around the corner and the “old” year has just about completed its journey. For some, the past year was a difficult one with the forces of nature destroying homes and lives. This barn weathered nature for years but in the end, it lost the battle and will no longer be able to stand tall in the coming year and soon all its former existence will fade from the landscape.
The End
“Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.” This rhyme is an ancient rule of thumb for for weather forecasting, dating back over 2,000 years, based on the reddish glow of the morning or evening sky, caused by haze or clouds related to storms in the region. My grandmother would substitute the word fisherman instead of sailors and shepherds was one of the earliest phases used.
Well the red sunrise may not have brought a storm but it sure brought some frigid temperatures so the shepherd had better found shelter for his flock!
Red Sky Warning
I don’t think I will be taking a Sunday afternoon drive to the lake to sit on the log and dangle my feet in the water, not when it is below zero this morning with -30 wind chills and floating ice chunks on the lake now.
Warmer Day at the Lake
Red barns against the white snow can look pretty, even if I prefer green grass instead. But someone was brave enough to go out in the cold and add some holiday cheer to the barn. The green, red and white makes a pretty sight.
Green, Red and White
The sun is finally out since it is not snowing at the moment, but other than patches of blue sky, there isn’t much color to see besides white and even though the tiny Forget-me-not are often overlooked along little creeks as they are so small, they do add some blue, yellow and green to brighten the landscape.
Tiny Forget-Me-Nots
It seems like cows get blamed for a lot of things, like starting the Great Chicago Fire. And Mrs. Jelinek’s herd of cows took the blame for collapsing the 1894 wooden bridge in Bayfield, WI which connected “Swede Hill” with the city’s “Catholic Hill”. After the collapse of the wooden bridge, a 230 foot iron bridge was built over the ravine and was completed on December 26, 1912 although it wasn’t open for use until the following October.
The iron bridge survived the 1942 flood and was in use for vehicles until 1968 and until 1982 for foot traffic. A restoration project in 1988, re-opened the bridge back up to pedestrian use and from the bridge, one can see Chequamegon Bay and under the bridge, the Gil Larson Nature Trail winds along the little creek at the bottom of the big ravine.
Bayfield’s Iconic Iron Bridge
Merry Christmas Everyone!
It definitely is a very white Christmas this year and I wish everyone a very wonderful Christmas.
(And all those of you singing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” or “Let it Snow”, will you please be more specific where you want it to snow as I have to head out now again to shovel show and I haven’t sang either of those songs as there is enough snow at my place already!)
White Christmas
Christmas Star
On a winter Christmas night,
the trees were covered in white.
In the sky a star so bright,
that it gave off such great light.
Stunning and beautiful sight,
with its long tail like a kite.
SAE 12-24-13
Christmas Star
On a windy, snowy day, the sight of a butterfly floating carefree from one flower to another on a warm summer can only exist in the mind since winter has only begun.
Summertime Butterfly
The winter days at the pond have a different look and sounds than the summertime. No frogs croaking or ducks quacking but instead the rattle of ice is heard. And the wood duck has headed south and the house remains empty except for mice or squirrels trying to stay warm.
Different Pond Look
