Lake Superior Winter

Revisiting 2009, (not that I really want to) I think most of us have already bid 2009 a hearty adieu. We held our own in 2009 and are very grateful for that. And,we thank you for checking in with us every once and awhile on this sporadic, at best, blog. As I look out my window today and am greeted to a very cold Lake Superior that overnight, started to ice ball and ice-mountain up, and this will continue all day with temps not budging much above 5F. I think back to that gale a few days ago that I ventured out and watched the big surf roll in for hours- here's a pic where I was fortunate enough to spot another brave soul out with me across the cove-

Christmas Eve walk in the woods

Went for a hike in the almost knee deep snow Christmas Eve. Almost time for snowshoes. Snow was extra fluffy, no footprints except mine, little wind, and the snow stopped just long enough to allow me some pictures. Here's Lake Superior sillouetted by big white pines and an old post and beam fence,with the winter light fading fast.

almost black and white

Not much color on this day, but it is a color pic.
Nothing like a little freezing drizzle to make snow cling to everything.

Lake Superior steaming

lake superior cooling down

Woke up, -10 F this morning the lake was steaming. We've already had some very cold days to bring down the lake temps and ice is starting to form on the shoreline. We have lots of snow. Everywhere. Winter has taken hold in earnest.

Have you ever seen an icy wave this color?

Lake Superior, with slush ice waves at the icy shoreline.

Right now,the icy slush is washing up on the ice mountains of Lake Superior and as the waves roll in, they become this baby light blue color. If you haven't noticed yet, I really get a kick out of watching how different weather makes Lake Superior change it's color like a chameleon, pretty much daily.

Yooper... Daily....?

Well, wondered how long it would be before my daily turned into a weekly. I've come to the realization that it's gonna be real tough to post daily once the art show season hits in earnest.
We just got back from a show and I don't know, all of the daily media pounding on the recession has me a bit skeptical. We just had our best sales totals of any year we've been doing this last show and I have to ask, recession? What recession?
I know people are hurting, in some regions of the country very dearly, and people are cutting back. We are cutting back on some things. People are loosing their jobs. But to get our country moving again, the media has to do a better job of reporting fairly what is going on out there when there is good news too. It's easy to begin to believe that, yes, the media is in the bag with Obama and will make it sound as bad as possible to get this upcoming "pork stimulus" bill passed. Personally, I think a little "good news" reporting on the economy would do wonders for getting people to spend again. If you watch a lot of the media reporting on the economy lately, you've already hidden your life savings in ball jars in the back yard for the next five years and the only items you buy are bread and water for survival. I mean, come on, give it a break, media! and I'll give politics a break, that's the last thing I wanted to include in this blog.
Well, tonight is the full moon, and it was spectacular last night. We're clouded over tonight, but if you are in a clear sky location, enjoy! Winter is an especially cool time to experience moonlight, with the reflection of the trees contrasting against the snowy white.Lake Superior, and moonset in the winter

Marquette Lighthouse

I have a million photos of Marquette Lighthouse. So, what's one more added to the pile? Just couldn't help myself. The setting sun was giving the sky that winter pastel look and when I got to the lighthouse with the lighthouse reflecting off the ice, there was a few minutes of sunlight left, providing just enough illumination. There were some crazy fishbone designs going on in the clouds above, too. Winter can be so long, but so interesting as well.