The sunshine and a temperature at the freezing mark should have felt good today after the prior cold days but the wind was whipping the snow around making it feel arctic. The recent cold days still wasn’t enough to form a stable ice layer to see the caves near Meyer Beach as in past years.
Ice Walk to the Caves
With a very cold start of the day, these birds should have had snuggling close together instead of standing off from one another.
Pair of Birds
The critters might want their woolly or furry coat on as the temperatures drop to -14 tonight. Maybe this guy can butt the cold winter out and let spring in.
Winter Woolly
There was a thicker layer of snow this morning than what I thought there would be. The landscape had a new white sparkling coating but I rather have seen white daisies against some green grass instead by the time I got done shoveling snow.
Summertime White
The range of color in autumn seems to last for only a short time period compared to the white of winter, especially after a new light coating of snow this evening.
Range of Autumn Colors
The higher than average snowfall around Lake Superior this year makes great a snowshoeing season. But instead of snowshoeing for fun, it was a major method of travel in the winter for Father Frederic Baraga, who spent nearly 40 years traveling throughout Wisconsin and Michigan beginning in 1830 and became known as the Snowshoe Priest. In summer, his travel was often by canoe and in 1846 after learning of an epidemic afflicting the Ojibwe village in Grand Portage, he set out from Madeline Island. An unexpected storm pushed his canoe more than 100 miles off course and landed at the mouth of what is now the Cross River, a name bestowed in honor of the small wooden cross Father Baraga and his guide erected shortly after their safe landing. This granite cross replaced the original tree branch cross.
The Snowshoe Priest
There was a big change in temperature from yesterday’s -20 temperature to today reaching just above freezing. And even though there was several cold days, January was warmer than normal so there hasn’t been a solid ice layer on Lake Superior near the sea caves. The lack of stable thick ice has prevented access to visit the ice caves this year so far, but I prefer the warmer temperatures even if that means no icy formation sightseeing.
Escaping from the Ice Monster
With the very cold start of this Valentine’s day, it may have been smarter to send chocolates to their sweethearts than flowers as the blossoms won’t take long to freeze if outside for a few minutes. And it was doubtful that there was very many romantic strolls or outdoor activities, so no swans swimming on ponds around here in February.
Sweetheart Swim
The teeth of the cold arctic air had a strong bite today with the temperatures remaining below zero and a wind chill down to -35 early this morning.
Winter Frigid Bite
A cloudy autumn day might feel chilly but still warmer and more colorful than today’s cloudy and snowy day.
Autumn at Hunter’s Point
