Tahquamenon Falls

The swirly waters of Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's Tahquamenon Falls State Park.

Best of Both Worlds

Ice Crystals and Sand on the beach

Ice is Cool*

*Pun Intended ;)

Found a little bit of Winter up in Northern Michigan recently.  This is a photo through the railings on the breakwall in Charlevoix, Michigan.  

Pieces of the River

We get some very interesting designs in the Chicago River when the ice layer starts to crack, separate, and eventually melt. (Best part was when I was taking these photos, two different people stopped to mention that they like when the ice cracks like this and makes those great shapes.)

(Click to enlarge the photo collage)

Icy Sunset

A Winter sunset complete with some interesting lace-like ice patterns.

Lake Michigan Fangs

You have to love the cool ice sculptures that Lake Michigan makes during the winter. These are along the pier in Charlevoix, Michigan.

Mother Nature's Ice Sculptures

Time, dirt, sand, and, now, rising temperatures have created some odd little ice sculptures along the lakefront. (This almost doesn't look like ice anymore.) This little lopsided heart was formed - briefly - near Fullerton Avenue. By the time I walked back to this area, about fifteen minutes later, the front section had collapsed.

Chicago Igloo

We don't see igloos around here too often. But some people clearly used last week's snow storm to their advantage and built this one in their front yard.

Winter Rising

Yesterday's sunrise over Lake Michigan. Interesting clouds and lovely colors.

Icy Shore

I have a few more photos from the snow and freeze period in earlier January. This is from North Avenue Beach. In nice weather, this is the bike/walking path. But, on the second weekend in January, it was a bumpy and very slippery glaze of ice. It forms such an interesting pattern.

Different in the Winter

At first, I didn't recognize what these were. Then I realized they were the pylons that ring North Avenue Beach. The ice accumulates around the pylons, creating little shapes that look like floating tree stumps.

Tree Illusion

The sun created this shadow of a tree on a mostly-frozen and snow covered North Pond.

Ice Fishing: Chicago, IL vs. Madison, WI

Chicago
This ice fisherman on Wolf Lake was heading home for the day ...

Chicago
... but some of his fellow ice-fishing fans were still holding out
despite the frigid Sunday temperatures.

Madison
But Madison seems to have a much larger ice-fishing fan base
as this photo (from a short trip we took last weekend) shows.

Crystal Blue

It is cold here. Monroe Harbor is starting to ice over.

Signs of Ice

This is a "leftover" photo from the end of December when an ice storm came through Chicago and interrupted holiday travel. I can see why travel was so messed up. Everything - street signs, trees, plants, stairway railings - was coated with a layer of ice.

Winter Came in Like a Lion

The winter switch has been flipped to the "ON" position in Chicago. Ice and snow regularly move through. It isn't just March that comes in (or goes out) like a lion.

Charlevoix The Beautiful

A little pre-holiday getaway to the Little Traverse Bay area of upper lower Michigan. They've had way more snow than Chicago. This is the Charlevoix Lighthouse in the background and some cool icicles in the foreground. I'd never seen icicles form in a curvy pattern like this.

Snow Fighters

The Department of Transportation Snow Plows (although the evening news was referring to them as "Snow Fighters") were out in force the last two nights.

Winter and Spring

One last picture from last weekend's Spring snow.
It was a heavy, wet snow so it clung to the branches.
These tree buds, though, made it tolerable because
you knew the snow wouldn't be sticking around very long.

A Lot of Ice, A Dust of Snow, A Little Water

OK, so last week it was warm enough that I went running along the lakefront and the ice in the harbor melted. But then it got cold so a thin layer of ice formed. A little lake effect snow added a dusting over the ice. It should melt again with the forecasted weekend warm-up.

Warm - Rain - Flooding - Cold - Ice - Snow - Warm
Must be Spring ;)