Friday, 25 January 2013

  • Winter Photo Walk


    In the 20 years we've lived in southwest Michigan, I have never once gone down to the pier in winter to see the lighthouse encased in ice. Until yesterday. I finally womanned up, pulled on my big girl longjohns and went out into the cold to see this annual phenomenon. It was very cold, but the sun was shining and the wind wasn't blowing, so it didn't feel too bad - except for my feet, but once they lost all feeling it was all good.

    Here is my photo walk from the parking lot to the pier. It was a short walk, but very scenic.



    Snow Covered Dunes




    Winter Beach




    The Lake Shore




    View Down the South Pier
    (The North Pier - or Lighthouse Pier - is across the river.)




    Crazy Kayaker
    (I thought I was crazy to be on the pier, then I saw this guy.)




    Black Ice
    (My feet kept slipping in the loose snow. I finally checked under the snow and found about a half-inch of glassy smooth, solid ice. This is what black ice looks like; invisible. I walked on hard packed snow as much as possible after realizing how much ice was on the pier.)




    Icy Railings
    (This gives you an idea how slippery the pier was under the snow.)




    Past the Railings
    (I didn't go past the safety railings. I watched in horror as a couple with a young daughter walked to the end of the icy pier. They walked ahead of her, backs facing her the entire time I watched. It was a recipe for tragedy, but I didn't stick around long enough to see if they all made it back.)




    The North Pier
    (There were plenty of crazy people who had walked to the end of the lighthouse pier, but at least they were all adults and responsible only for their own foolishness.)




    The Outer Light
    (Looks kind of like a fairy tale tower, doesn't it?)


    The ice-covered lighthouse was beautiful and dramatic, but the quiet peace of the snow covered dunes and the deserted winter beach seemed more beautiful to me. I almost always opt for peace over drama, in photography, in blogging and in life.



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