Picture of the Day for March 5, 2014

On the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Facebook page, they made this comment about the ice caves. “As the weather warms up, the walk to the ice caves will be more pleasant – but that also means that icicles will start melting and falling and there will be more slush on the ice – make sure not to stand under ice formations and wear waterproof boots – with ice cleats!”

And standing under or near one of the icicles could be very hazardous to one’s health, as some like this one, are an average of three and half to four feet in diameter and even larger at the base. Even this one has a section which is close to six feet across so it would have a bit of an impact if it hit you. It appears it make a bit of an impact on the ice surface and created a crack in the ice.

Fallen ‘Little’ Icicle

Picture of the Day for March 4, 2014

March 4, 2014

This barn looks as sad as I feel when the weatherman mentioned more snow. I don’t think this barn can handle anymore snow and I’m not sure other buildings can either. I know I can’t throw the snow up over the piles anymore so waiting for spring to arrive and as the one weatherman said, spring will arrive sometime in 2014.

More Sad

Picture of the Day for March 3, 2014

March 3, 2014

Although I have another shot without people in my landscape picture, I did decide to use this one so one could get the scale of rocks, cliffs and caves. On the far left there are two people walking aside the cliffs, one wearing red and the other in black.

It was this cave opening which I wanted to get back to when the sun was going down to catch the golden glow. For the picture I posted on February 13, I was inside looking out towards the direction where I was standing to take this picture looking into it earlier in the afternoon. And since there was so many caves and ice formations to see, I had to hustle back to this spot when the sun was setting. But by staying at the cave until the sun went down, it meant a mile and half hike across the frozen Lake Superior in sub-zero temps in quickly fading twilight but it was worth it.

The Photographer’s Cave

Picture of the Day for March 2, 2014

March 2, 2014

I try, when I can, find information on the subjects I photograph and the first thing I found about this church once I knew its name was that the church had a 1928 Hinners Organ. St. Katherine Evangelical Lutheran Church, near Rusk, Wisconsin, was organized on February 9, 1878 and the church was completed in August of that year. Its original name was The Evangelical Lutheran St. Katherine Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

But the more interesting story is the company that made the organ. The Hinners Organ was dedicated to the manufacture of pipe organs for smaller churches and enjoyed much success from its conception in May 1879. It depended entirely on a catalog as the company employed no salesmen, and therefore it was able to sell its organs at a very reasonable price.

The Great Depression played a big part in the company’s demise, but with the lack of salesmen, the company lost contact with its market developments and the need of larger organs for city churches and theaters. Disagreements among the owners about building bigger organs spelled doom for the Hinners Company and the company dissolved in October 1942.

St. Katherine Church

Picture of the Day for March 1, 2014

March 1, 2014

Since yesterday I referenced the opening which I walked through, I figured I post the tunnel which cut through to the other side of the rock cliff.

Through the Ice Tunnel

Picture of the Day for February 28, 2014

February 28, 2014

I love the golden glow which appears when the sun begins to set but the golden moment doesn’t last long and I’m not always in the spot I want to be when that moment arrives. And when I shoot landscape photos, I try not to have man-made objects in them or people, but photographs don’t always give you the scale without a reference or more views. This cave went very deep which isn’t seen in this view and with a very high ceiling. The little, icy opening on the left side was big enough for me to walk through so it would have been a long drop if I fell off the top when I hiked on the ridge of the caves in the summer. But then I didn’t know I wasn’t walking on solid ground so not sure I will feel so safe to walk on top again since I saw recent slabs that have fallen from the ceiling and sides.

Golden Cave

Picture of the Day for February 27, 2014

February 27, 2014

This cute little barn is starting to feel its age which a few boards weathering away and the windows looking a little sad. It probably heard the cold forecast as the arctic air is making me sad too.

A Little Sad

Picture of the Day for February 26, 2014

February 26, 2014

Today is another cold, crispy day with some snow blowing across the fields and the snow can really blow across the surface of Lake Superior with very few things to slow the snow down. When I was inside this ice cave, my glasses and camera fogged up since it was warmer near the ice than being in the open air so you know it was cold outside.

I enjoyed the view from here and took several pictures, but I was really delaying getting down out of the cave since I was trying to figure out how to gracefully get down on my butt and slide out. At least the snow pants were slippery and so I slide out easy, but maybe too easy and too quickly!

Mouth of an Ice Cave

Picture of the Day for February 25, 2014

February 25, 2014