Sparkly

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.  

Autumn Skies I

The drawback to Autumn Sailing Classes (which I think is what those little boats in the bottom right of the photo were doing) is that your class could be held while snow flakes are falling.  The benefit, though, is a chance to see some great Autumnal Sky Colors

Freighter Day

This is blurrier than I would like it to be.  But given that it was dawn and the freighter wouldn't hold still for me, it's not too bad -- especially if you pretend it is an impressionist painting.  This freighter came by last week along with a few more -- it was almost like a parade.  I guess they were getting their last trips in before the weather makes it too dangerous to continue running.  

I'm posting this photo today because it is the anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald during a bad storm on Lake Superior.  So, find the Gordon Lightfoot song on iTunes and toast the "Fitz", the captain, and the crew.       

Morning and Evening

I just love the interesting clouds and weather patterns that keep sliding through Chicago.  The top photo is from Thursday morning (around 9), the bottom photo is from the early evening (around 5:30).  The middle of the day was actually rather sunny.  

Autumn Sunrise

October Sunrise. There are still a few boats in the harbor. Have to credit the optimists that hold out for those last late Autumn lazy boating days.

Watching for Waterspouts

There's an odd weather pattern (see the article here) involving the warm temperature of Lake Michigan and a slow moving low pressure weather system that caused a large number of waterspouts to form on Lake Michigan this past weekend. Here's the one I saw near South Haven. Michigan.

Rain on the Horizon

Had to interrupt "Color Week" for this photo of Thursday's sunrise. The little areas of rain along the horizon were pretty cool.

Another Sunrise

In a Fog

We don't usually see such heavy fog in the summer. Early Spring, yes. Autumn, yes. Summer, not so much.

However, on Tuesday, the cool Lake Michigan water temperature (around 65 degrees Fahrenheit) reacted with the extremely warm air temperature (92 with a heat index closing in on 100) to create a wall of fog around the city's lakefront. It only went in a few blocks from the lake. The fog was thick enough that all the beaches were closed to swimming. People could go to the beach but couldn't go in the water because the fog was so dense that the life guards couldn't see that far.

The Heat is On

The dog days of Summer are here. Stay cool.

Wild Weather

I didn't think just setting the camera on the table and putting the shutter speed at 30 seconds would really get anything.

I hoped.

Apparently Mother Nature wasn't camera shy on Thursday night.

Here's what the storm looked like as it rolled in over Navy Pier.

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer! It's the longest day of the year. Get out and enjoy - whatever the weather.

Blustery Spring

I actually took this photo about a week and a half ago. Then we had some beautiful sunny days so it just seemed out of place to post it. But we're back to foggy, rainy, unseasonably cold Spring so here it is. (You know it's bad when the television meteorologist and traffic person both say "Oh just stay home today.")

Watercolor Sunrise

Practicing to Get Ready

You don't just get a boat and then start sailing it. Well, you can but it isn't really a good idea. There's a whole book written about the results.

But these smart folks were doing it right: taking a class before the boating season starts so they are prepared when (if?) the Spring weather decides to finally make an appearance and stick around for a few days.

A Little Late

So, for the past two years in early March, there's been a sunrise with vibrant blue, pink and orange colors (here's proof from 2009 and from 2010).

But I hadn't seen that sunrise yet this year.

I've decided that I didn't oversleep and miss it earlier this month. I've decided it's just a little late in showing up this year (as Spring is a little late settling into Chicago this year).

Shades of Blue

There's really nothing all THAT interesting about this photo except that the Chicago River is a deep blue, the water in the harbor is an aqua blue and Lake Michigan is a light blue. I was struck by the variation in the color of each section of water. It's not usually so pronounced. This photo is from Friday March 11. By the time you read this part of the Chicago River will be a shade of green that does not exist in nature ;)

Icy Sunset

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

Blizzard of 2011, Part III

A few more photos from the Blizzard of 2011 ... Snowlapalooza ... Snowmaggedon ... Snowpocalypse ... The Monster Storm ...

This one's not going anywhere anytime soon

This is Golf.

Really?!?

Well, maybe if you have those fluorescent golfballs.

Where the extra snow belongs: In the Dumpster

STOP Already ...

with these darn Blizzard Photos

(although I do wonder where the sign pole went

... Did it blow away to Michigan?)

OK. New Day! New Subject!

(Well, a few more Snowmaggedon photos may show up.

It IS going to take awhile for this stuff to melt)