On Friday, the Lake started freezing solid, creating giant plates that collided with each other in the mild swells.
Then it snowed on Saturday, just lightly, lots of big, slow, fluffy, crystal-y flakes, covering the whole surface of plates with a clean frosting. So it looks like a solid plain of white now.
I thought of the title first, and then realized that it was a pun on the new Apple ipad. But really, I think these look like little lily pads made of ice, don't you?
Sun's back! Cold, crisp, and lovely.
I like the way the open water ripples between the icy parts.
Later on, for a few brief shining moments, the sun decided to come out. For the first time in days. And only for a few minutes. And now, tonight, it snowed a bit. And it's only January. I don't mind cold as much as sunless dread. I'll take a sunny crisp 0 degree day before 40 degree gray anytime.
The dull gray weather demanded a change of venue. This is a long view of the harbor.
And the short view, complete with Canada Geese. I just missed getting them in flight.
There was a hint of pink/peach/orange at the horizon well after the sun had risen. This photo was taken just before 9am. The clouds must have been arranged just so for this to happen. The rushing, roiling waves continued, loudly, for a second day.
I know I keep taking this same view, but look at it! Yesterday it was still and clear, today it is crazy with energy and the clouds are billowing. The sheen from the sun contrasts with the foamy waves.
I cannot get enough of these ice cliffs. They look different every day, depending on the temperature, the strength of the waves, the sun. From early this morning.
Photo of Lake Huron taken from the bridge crossing from Canada into Michigan. From August 2008. Just need Ontario and we have all five...
It's Great Lakes extended family weekend! Taken from the car in Cleveland on Christmas day. Look carefully. There's water. Really.
Check out this amazing post by James Fallows of the Atlantic Magazine: Sunrise over Lake Superior.
Here are the "cliffs" formed by the piled up snow from last week, built up by splashing, freezing waves. The "cliffs" is in quotes because they are probably only 3-4 feet high.
And here is the sheen of newly forming ice, which will melt as the sun rises and the air warms up.
This is from Tuesday morning. It was quiet and gray, and this flock of geese was clustered near some forming ice.
And there are from Tuesday afternoon. Beautiful colors reflected by the setting sun.
Ha ha! Since I installed a sitemeter, I can find out where my blog readers are coming from, and lately, a surprising number are coming from googling "Striped icebergs Lake Michigan." This is because of a hoax e-mail going around claiming that the icebergs pictured above have been found In Lake Michigan.
The water was trying to turn into ice this morning, and the surface looked the way a parking lot looks after a rainfall.
See? The close-up shows it more clearly.
Well, we did get a fair amount of snow (6-8 inches, depending on where you are measuring.) See how it piles up along the shore into "cliffs." Close-up below. Cool cloud-light interaction too.
I'm so happy I finally got shots where you can SEE the falling snow!
Yesterday was a snow day from local schools. You can barely see the water here.
Nine inches of snow predicted. I'll believe it when I see it. In the meantime, it was a gloomy day.
It's a shame to post today and demote yesterday's beautiful shot, but this does capture the weather quite well. It's COLD out there!
I love the cloud-filter on the sun, the zigzag pattern caused by the waves, and the smoky, wispy clouds on the horizon this morning.
These are leftover pylons (if that is the right word) from long ago dismantled boat launches or fishing piers. The air is so cold that the splashing waves are making them into domes of ice. That sky is not bad either.
