If the seagulls where standing around my pond this morning, their feet would be frozen in ice and any sandy beach area would be snow covered. Eventually spring will come and the birds can run up and down the beach ahead of the waves.
Seagulls with Wet Feet
Although the temperature is supposed to get above freezing today, it won’t be warm enough to thaw all the snow and ice on the lakes, unless the lake hadn’t frozen over like parts of Lake Superior this year. This arch is called the Grand Portal located in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior.
The Grand Portal
The last cold spell has allowed some ice to form by the Lake Superior ice caves but there large cracks and places where the ice is only two inches thick so still not safe for sightseers to walk under ice monsters and to explore the caves.
Approaching the Ice Monster
The wind is blowing and swirling the snow around causing a blanket of white at times. And shoveling the snow in sub-zero temperatures has me wishing for summer and watching waves crashing on the rocks creating a different kind of white blanket.
Wave Meeting Rock
These seagulls braved the waves and high winds while on the shore of Lake Superior during a nor’easter but at least they weren’t out in the blizzard yesterday with blowing snow.
Seagulls Braving Nor’easter
I heard on the news last night that they didn’t expect the ice caves near Cornucopia would open this year since the ice isn’t forming very solid due to the warmer temperatures caused by the strong El Niño. So it was a good thing we braved the cold two years ago to see the caves.
Enjoying the Ice Caves
On January 20, 1887, the United States Senate allowed the Navy to exclusive right to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base. The weather is warmer at Pearl Harbor than where these rocks are found on the shore of Lake Superior. These formations are called Battleship Row or Battleship Rocks, as they resemble a row of battleships lined up as if they were ready to head out to sea.
Battleship Row
On a very cold morning, the newly painted Marquette Harbor Light would stand out against the white snow. But with temperatures near -20 and -40 wind chills, I don’t venture out to the lighthouses in the winter time for a picture.
This lighthouse was constructed in 1866, after replacing the original light built in 1853, and a second story added in 1909. Until the opening of the major Minnesota mines in the 1890s, Marquette, Michigan, was the premier shipping port for iron ore on the Great Lakes and the lighthouse in the harbor was critical for the safe navigation.
Marquette Harbor Light
Winter greeted me with another cold morning and although I don’t like the cold weather, I suppose some people are happy who enjoy the winter sports. And the cold weather will allow the ice to start forming so maybe people can visit the ice caves again but there is still open water so it won’t be accessible for a while yet.
Entering the Ice Cave
Even after shoveling this morning, my driveway is covered with snow and no gravel is showing anymore (and probably won’t reappear until spring). I sure wouldn’t mind seeing some pretty rocks on a beach and watching some waves roll in right now instead of watching the temperature fall to the sub-zero range and listening to the snow squeak under my feet.
Wishing for a Warm Day at the Beach
