Woke to snow on the first day of Week 44, and many mornings this week actually. Not too much on any one day, but enough to brighten up things a little bit, especially since we’re so lacking in sunshine! Some days it ‘warmed’ up just enough to melt it off the roads (good) and other hard surfaces, other days some of it disappeared because of walking and driving traffic, but in many areas it had lingered on some of the trees and bushes. All told though we still haven’t had nearly as much snow as we usually would for this time of year.
And here comes more snow...
Oops - got a soaker taking this one!
Slightly colder temperatures for a couple of days - but even still, the water in the ditches isn’t frozen yet...
Almost got wet taking this one too - but despite the cold winds and waves the fishing boat is still out!
Temperatures above 0 degrees one day allowed the little bit of snow we did have to melt just enough for a few more snow people to be built.
I loved the pattern of the snow on the roof
Does this house not match the snow and sky perfectly?
No not real (obviously) but they look very happy here under the branches
Most of this week we had some fairly strong winds from the west and that was just what was needed to start to bring in the ice. It’s amazing how quickly it can happen...but we also have to remember that it’s really only on the surface and not solid in any way! Don’t go walking on it!
So it can change from this...
To this...in 24 hours!
It’s not everywhere though...it tends to happen first down the pier because the ice gets ‘trapped’ there. Here in front of my place, the ice is starting to build up on the bank but it’s still completely open water.
An iceberg - Bayfield style
By the end of Week 44 it had finally been cold enough for the lake to start to freeze. This is exceptionally late - we’re now nearing the end of January - and Environment Canada is reporting that the Great Lakes are only 4% frozen! There have been years when at this point in January I can’t see any open water at all.
More ice on the river
And more ice at the shoreline, but the waves are still breaking.
Strong winds though make for some fantastic waves crashing into the pier!
And in the midst of Mother Nature’s power what do I see...
Can you see him - just about to jump in off the end of the pier
No surfing the next day though - cold temperatures and continuing strong west winds are bringing in even more ice, both at the pier and along the shoreline.
And then the next day - winds change direction and there’s open water in the river and on the lake again! And this is what it looks like when snow is on the way...
There was an enormous amount of action down at the marina on the last day of this week - as this happened overnight last night!! No indications yet about how it happened - the thinking is that the ice must have somehow pierced the hull, but given the ice is barely on the river, not at all thick, and really it hasn’t been moving all that quickly either - especially not last night, which was the calmest night we’ve had in a week - no one is really too sure yet. I’m just glad it happened while she was here and not out working on the lake!!
Is that almost sun trying hard to shine through the clouds as this week ends?
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