I’m glad the predicted sleet and freezing rain missed my area since I don’t like ice unless it is used to cool a drink on a hot summer day like a snow cone or when ice is creating unique formations in ice caves. There is beauty in the ice caves but not when ice is coating the roads or my sidewalk.
Narrow Icy Cave
Well today is the first day of spring and two years ago, this pretty little flower was blooming before the official start of spring. If it tried blooming this year, the Glory of the Snow would have to bloom under a snow bank even if it is spring.
Glory of the Snow
But when I look from my porch, I couldn’t see any spring flowers this year so I decided to rectify that problem and ‘plant’ some flowers which I could view from my porch!
When I looked out the windows this morning, it didn’t look like the last day of winter, but more like the first day of winter. Old man winter is not letting go this year – not with five new inches of snow.
End of Winter?
After shoveling snow this morning and more snow predicted for tonight, it is time for the snow to stop since spring starts on Thursday or at least astronomical spring starts. Meteorological spring supposedly started on March 1 and even the rodent said spring should be here by now but I’m not seeing any sign of spring yet so I’m declaring an emergency!
Winter Emergency
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and when I think of Ireland, I think of green, rocky hills.
Green Rocks
Like many holidays, the actual holiday event has changed over the years and St. Patrick’s Day has little to do with the Catholic Saint and is more about partying and green beer. And it is snowing so the leprechauns would freeze and need to dress a little warmer like a bear.
I had been posting churches on Sunday and they have been winter scenes and I wondered if winter is hanging on because it thought I liked winter church scenes so I am posting a summer church scene instead as I am ready for spring.
In the unincorporated village of Calamine in southwestern Wisconsin, St. Michael’s Catholic Church sits beautifully on a hillside and was built in 1916.
St. Michael’s Catholic Church
I imagine there will be a large number of visitors at the Lake Superior ice caves this weekend since it is the last weekend they will be open this year as the ice is thinning and the ice formations are beginning to fall. Soon these big ice chunks will melt and will become part of Lake Superior waves that will etch out more sea caves.
Icy Falls
The snow is shrinking down and melting a little with the recent few days above freezing but the landscape is still mostly white. And while some rivers and streams may continue to flow all winter, some are flowing under a layer of ice and you may only hear the small waterfalls until they poke out in the spring again.
Icy River
All good things must come to an end. The Lake Superior ice caves will close after Sunday or sooner if the ice condition deteriorate rapidly this week. Nature provided a spectacular show this cold winter and it may not return in the upcoming years since it was five years since the last time the ice was stable to walk on to see. But while the ice caves will return to sea caves as the ice melts, nature will create another glorious show as wildflowers will add color to the landscape once all the snow is melted.
The End of Nature’s Ice Show
After several days finally above freezing, winter seems determined to hang on as it will stay below freezing today. Even though spring is approaching, winter is gripping on tight.
Winter Hanging On
