Blue Ice

The ice is blue and shoving its way up to the shore. Cracking and pushing and piling.

The Wisconsin winter is full of ice, thick ice! :0)

Ice on the Pier

I was so intrigued by the way the ice formed around this pier!

This is the ice on top of the pier - amazingly formed!

Who would have thought the wind could whip the snow into a pile straight up a sign - cool!

Along the shore, the wind has made little formations that make me think of volcanoes or homes for some sort of sea dweller.  These were taken up in Door County, on Lake Michigan.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

We finally made it to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on our way back from Maine.  We've been talking about going for years, just never taken the time to stop when we get near.  This time we did stop at the headquarters to get our passport stamp, then went to Mt Baldy.

Immediately upon starting up the path we found a lizard.

Haden helped him pose for the camera.  He does have a way with creatures.  The little guy reminds me of a wiggling, growling dog.

I just thought the shadows on the uneven sand was cool.

Dennis hand to dip his toes in the cool water, hope a wave doesn't slap the camera.

A lighthouse in the distance.  If the day had been clearer we would have been able to see Chicago, but alas, it was not to be.

So cool and refreshing on a hot day!

Seagulls scavenge anywhere, even in the trashcans.

A foggy day in Door County

We decided on a quick run to one of the lighthouses in Door County, as we got closer we drove into fog and the air was significantly cooler than in Sturgeon Bay.

There was moisture in the air, and spider webs everywhere!

What you see here are my attempts at “macro” shots with a 400mm lens. A lens that requires a minimum distance between camera and subject of 5 feet.

Other than the lens to contend with there was also the fog, and wind - it was very windy! And, well, webs move in the wind.

I never saw a spider - just plenty of webs!

Wonder what’s out there.

Another lighthouse. You may remember it from a sunny day a few years ago.

Good thing I’m not arachnophobia!

Winter Sunrise on Lake Michigan

Days of Summer

Before it turned chilly we ran up to Door County for a little exploration.

There were several gulls around but I thought this Herring Gull was pretty funny standing on a rock.

Scratching his itch while Lake Michigan waves crashed into his rock.

And his friend enjoyed the waves nearby. While many gulls migrate south for the winter a good many of the Herring Gulls stay along the Great Lake coasts.

I am not sure if this juvenile gull is a Herring Gull or a Ring-billed Gull since both were present and both juveniles look similar. It takes four years for a Herring Gull to attain his adult plumage and only three years for the Ring-billed.

Uh-oh, be careful Mr Ring-billed, don’t fall off your rock. Notice his yellowish legs? Did you notice the Herring’s are pink? Knowing that, which one do you think that is in the background?

Were you right?

The Ring-billed Gull can be found all over the state in the summer but during winter he returns to the lakeshores.

Bye-bye Gull! *waving*

Hello, sexy! *smooches*

You’re getting a little close now, maybe I should start backing up.  Run!