Although we’ve certainly been experiencing winter-like weather for a while now, I would say this week was the first one of this season when we really knew winter had set it! When I looked ahead at the long-range weather forecast, although there was a day or two when it was possible the temperature might get above freezing, any wind off the lake would have made sure that didn’t happen. There was also the possibility of snow nearly ever day, and several nights with temperatures in the negative double-digits…yup, winter is here to stay for a while now.
I’m going to title this section “A Week on the River”. It’s the time of year when the lake, and river, are starting to freeze and what I love is the change from day to day. The daily and overnight temperatures as well as wind direction all make tremendous differences.
Monday
Looks like it might be covered in ice, but really it’s just thick slush.
Tuesday
Warmer day - everything disappearing
Wednesday - and snowing a bit too.
Thursday - ice floes upriver where I am, but open water closer to the river mouth
Friday - there is a river there somewhere…through all the snow!
Saturday - after the snow and a rather cold overnight
Sunday - warmer temperatures again this morning, and what was somewhat solid yesterday is definitely not today.
As the ice on the river forms, cracks and thaws etc., our silly Canada Geese are still hanging around, and they seem to love it right on the edge where the frozen river meets the open water. Several days this week that’s where I could find them.
Like many birds, they stand on one leg, and alternate legs, for warmth and to conserve heat. I’d suggest a better strategy is simply to get off the ice!
Smarter ones aren’t in the water at all…although they all went in, amongst an awful lot of honking, when I walked by!
Just a tiny, little ice shelf at the shoreline on Monday.
It had been a completely cloudy, grey day for most of my walk, and then all of a sudden this happened - sunshine!
Doesn’t this look just like an ice hand…sitting in the middle of the beach.
More shoreline ice on Tuesday.
And ice build-up is starting on the end of the pier.
All that ice from Tuesday…gone on Wednesday.
Turns out I didn’t have to go to a conservation area to see a wild turkey…all I needed to do was go about 100 m up the road from home! She looked a little confused too - I hope she found somewhere warmer to be!
24 hours later and shoreline ice fully back!!
The pier is a sheet of ice today - I didn’t walk to the end, the chances of wiping out were just too great!
Looking down on the shoreline ice from the top of the bank.
Woke up Friday morning to a true ‘winter wonderland’! We received 20+cms of snow overnight and then on and off snow throughout the day too. Although it’s beautiful, the down side of that of course is…shovelling!
Would you like to sit and enjoy a coffee?
While I was out walking it started to snow again…
And snow…
And snow!!
Can you see the bridge? Here it is the next day…when the snow had stopped.
Sunset at night…sunrise the next morning.
Having a little fun in the snow.
A newly formed ice bridge.
A good snow covering on top of the ice today meant I could get out to the end - and you can see the ice hill starting to form on the north pier.
Squirrel tracks…in a field of white.
The first ice volcano I’ve seen this season.
Too icy - and WINDY - to get to the end today.
Out for a walk…the driver is 4 years old!
Despite another mostly cloudy week, Week 95 ended with a sunset - over the shoreline ice.
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