lake effect

It was six below zero this morning as I decided to take the long way to work by driving down the North Shore Scenic Drive. I swung through Stoney Point to see if I could capture the mist from the steaming lake rising into the morning light. I stopped at one spot on the point for a bit and shot as the sun ducked in and out of the lake effect clouds. I drove further west on the point and two bald eagles caught my eye.  I thought that I would watch them and try to get a nice photo of the eagles however as quickly as I saw them they flew west not to be seen again. I turned around to see the ice fog wrapping around the trees behind me. It was as if the eagles lead me to this scene.

These swells were rolling into the rocks the other day at Lighthouse Point. They were really fun to watch, a swell would hit then rebound at 90 degrees and slam the next incoming swell causing this cool wave that would shoot into the air.

We had our real first snow of the winter today. It was not much, it ranged from an inch or so in Duluth to about four inches in Two Harbors. I like this perspective on the rail yard at Rice’s Point in Duluth. It reminds me of the model trains that I had as a kid. Can you see the workers in the photo? Look hard they are there. If you cant find them let me know.

It was one degree above zero this morning in Two Harbors. We have old leaky windows in our house. I was greeted by this mosaic of frost sparkling like diamonds in the early morning sunlight when I awoke this morning. It is astonishing how quickly the early winter weather has settled in this year.

I forget how much I like this time of year. The air is crisp yet a brisk walk will keep you warm. The changing colors of the fading light at close of the day is different to me this time of year, I think it is because when the sun disappears into the long night it means that we are slowly slipping into the coldest time of the year. It is amazing how quickly the seasons can settle in. A few weeks ago it was 60 degrees, and now the waterfalls on the Gooseberry River are already well on their way to freezing over. It is amazing to see the icy armor as it is in the process of coating the river that it is going to protect for the next several months. Most of all I like making short trips into this dynamic cold world only to return inside to warm up again.

It is the morning after Thanksgiving and I had my annual duty of shooting crazy holiday shoppers trying to get the early morning deals at Best Buy. I was up at 3 A.M. and at the store by 4:30. It was snowing lightly and I thought that it was going to be a gray day as I returned over the hill I stepped out in the flurries to capture the sun peaking through the clouds to greet this salty waiting to enter the harbor. The sun left as quickly as it appeared.

Last night was the first really cold night of the season, it got down to 8 degrees, the first time we have had single digits since last winter. I traveled the rocky shore around Lighthouse Point looking for treasures trapped in the first ice of the season. I came across some leaves and patches of grass, but I really liked the concentric lines in this small pool. The lines remind me of the lines in an agate. I find it interesting how nature repeats its patterns in many different ways.

It has been a while since I have posted. I have been busy with other non-photo projects that are taking up a lot of my time. I was able to get out of work a little early today and decided to take the scenic route home after seeing how the waves were breaking near the mouth of the Lester River. I thought that there may be a session in progress at Stoney Point. It was nice to see that my suspicions  were correct. It was so nice to stand in the lake air and watch the powerful swells break and flow up on the beach. It was good to make some photos for fun again.

I know that November is the cloudiest month of the year. A gap between the rapidly moving weather systems allowed for the a visit from the sun. It quickly poked through the clouds and gave a warm glow to the water and the air. Briefly, this point of land near Two Harbors and the lake suddenly looked tropical. Within less than an hour the clouds pushed back in and choked out the sun. The clipper systems are now starting to bring us the gales that are notorious this time of year.

This is a studio portrait of a blue and gold macaw that I had the opportunity to make today. He is a privately owned bird that is about 15 weeks old. I was simply amazed by the brilliance and range of color on the bird as well as the diversity of textures of the feathers, skin, and bill on the bird.

I think this might be the smartest deer in Minnesota. It is the middle of the Minnesota firearms hunting season for white-tailed deer and this large buck is relaxing near the entrance to the Two Harbors golf course watching Sunday traffic drive down Minnesota Hwy. 61. The scene was sort of surreal, a couple of other people stopped to take photos, meanwhile a couple of vehicles drove past with dead deer strapped to them. All this action and this buck was sitting in the sun chewing its grass like a cow would chew it’s cud.

This is a shot from when I was flying over the Duluth Superior Harbor today. I do not know how to fly, I was in a Cessna 172 with a pilot from the Bong Airport in Superior, Wis. The American Century is one of the 1000 foot cargo ships that travels the Great Lakes and it is loading low-sulfur coal at the Midwest Energy Terminal to haul to the Detroit area. I think it is amazing how everything looks like model toys from the air. This ship is probably one of the largest man-made things I have seen, yet it looks like I could pick it up and put it anywhere I want to.

After sunset a quick snow squall moved through and deposited a light coat of snow. It was crazy with the wet snowflakes being driven by the stiff wind. It was like small razors cutting at your face. The snow did not seem to stick anywhere, but when I got to the beach the sand had an odd frosted look to it.

Today really felt like a day of transition. Winter is closing in on us. The long days of light are gone until next year. We are supposed to get our first taste of snow overnight and into Monday. It is weird because at this time of year I don’t want the warm weather and long days to disappear, and in the spring I am sad when the last snow is gone. The long dark nights can be tough and tiring for me. The play of the warm light refracting through the clear waters of the lake and painting the rocks is reminder to me that the sun still visits our part of the world no matter what season it is.

These leaves and bits of algae are gently floating towards the intake for the hydroelectric generator above the dam on the Little Wolf River in Big Falls, Wis.