Friday, April 9, 2010

Ice Flows!

The coming of spring here is always a celebration.

We live about 30 minutes from Marquette, Michigan, which lays on Lake Superior.

It is where I graduated from high school from and where my hubby and I graduated from college from (Northern Michigan University).

In the spring, the break up of the ice of Lake Superior is always gorgeous and so welcomed.

Today, I thought I would show you some photos of the ice break-up there.

The photos were taken on the first day of spring (3/20/10) and I pre-published this post.

All the ice on the lake has melted over 3 weeks ago (although we DID get snow on the ground here again on 4/8/10!)

But we are used to that in the U.P....we are supposed to get high 60F degrees by this weekend back again!

But I wanted to show you the Lake Superior Ice as it was breaking up (a few weeks ago).

Here is a shot of Marquette. The ore docks are on the upper left:




I love the floating, bright white chunks of ice on the blue water:




A buoy at the end of a breakwater on ice:



Look at the ice hanging below the water!:




Icebergs and Lake Superior rocks:




A shoreline of ice:



Another wonderful iceberg:


A closeup of an iceberg:





Another iceberg closeup:





The Coast Guard Station on ice:




Two fisherman on the icy shore:




Floating iceberg:

By the time you read this, hopefully, the ice has melted and all the icebergs have disappeared into the Lake, leaving only blue, sparkling water.

32 comments:

  1. Joan,
    I love looking at your photographs!

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  2. Loved seeing your ice flows! And those were some hardy fisherman! Looks beautiful up there! I think there is more snow coming today - at least in our area.

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  3. Great iceberg shots. I had to look for a long time to see the second fisherman. My favorite was the rocks and ice together. That water must be COLD!

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  4. I first learned about Lake Superior from my high school textbook, but it was not as colour as this.

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  5. Lynn: thanks so much, Sweetie!

    Shelley: It is supposed to be back up to the 60's by Sunday here,but we shall see!

    DJan: I bet the water was cold...I sure didn't test it. ha

    Rainfield: Lake Superior can have many colors depending on our weather and where you look on the shores. I have seen it bright blue, gray, green, turquoise and almost black looking. But it is 100% fresh water and many towns get their water right from the lake!~

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  6. Wonderful photographs. Can I assume that the lake gets fully iced up in the winter?

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  7. Gorgeous! Love the reflections in some of the shots!

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  8. Great photos again! all that ice is making me cold!

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  9. Hi Joan, I have never seen this before... I wondered how long it took the ice to break up and melt. It's a shorter time than I expected. All of those little pieces of ice out there look like tons of little white boats on the water... OH--bet that water is horribly cold!!!! Brrrrrr..... Brave of the fishermen to sit out there.... Guess I don't need to be complaining of our 'cooler' weather there today... (temps in the 40's).... Oh Well!!!!

    Great pictures... Thanks so much.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  10. How pretty! I'm always so impressed with the beautiful scenery around you.

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  11. Alan: There have been some years up here where the ice has not frozen over, but most years it does freeze completely over.

    Bossy: thanks so much! I love reflections on water too.

    Eva: It was so weird. The day I took those photos we had a rare spring day where it was almost 78 degrees outside!

    Betsy: Thanks so much. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for the ice to break up and sink below the water in the spring...sometimes just a few days..if we get strong winds that "bump" the icebergs about, it can break up pretty fast. We got snow yesterday here! But it is melting fast today and by the weekend we are supposed to be back up in the 60's.

    Catherine: I am very fortunate to live where we live...there are a ton of lakes, streams and rivers and waterfalls within 10-25 miles of my home.

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  12. I would really like to have a chance to fish like that. All of these are such clear and sharp pictures. My favorite is of the ice hanging below the water.

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  13. So, so beautiful. I suppose you can call it the big thaw.

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  14. Only you could make ice look beautiful! Brrr. I love the way you appreciate the beauty around you. I'd be whining about the cold, myself. LOL

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  15. Technobabe: I loved seeing the ice under the water in those iceberg shots too!

    Loree: Thanks so much..yes it sure was the big thaw!

    Lesley: hahaaaaa...I have really enjoyed winter and the cold more now that I have gotten into photography, that's for sure!

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  16. The iceberg ones look like clouds if you think about it.

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  17. Just looking at those mini icebergs made me cold Joan, but I enjoyed seeing them!
    ♥...Wanda

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  18. Great photos, looks like where I live in Western NY, have a great weekend and wishing you some good weather.

    Dorothy from grammology
    grammology.com

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  19. its a flotilla of little ice bergs....makes for a cool shots though and some great texture...there was a chill wind today...goes well with your pics.

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  20. I'd give anything to take a dip in that right now...yeah it's freezing, but the heat here is just unbearable!

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  21. Ann: yes they do look like clouds!

    Wanda: I am glad you liked them.

    Dorothy: Thanks so much for stopping by..I am glad you liked the photos!

    Brian: We have had some cold winds too, but it is supposed to warm up this weekend. We actually had snow for the past 3 days, but it melted away now (thank goodness!)

    Dreamwalker: Oh, you would turn BLUE if you took a dip in there...the water is barely 32F degrees!

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  22. I like that coast guard station.

    Regarding your question, I think it's the top of the old pier or boardwalk supports sticking out of the water.

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  23. James: Thanks...you know, my first instinct when I saw your photo on your blog was that it was pilings from an old dock or pier, and then I changed my mind and wondered if it was stones! Loved it.

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  24. Your iceberg close ups are stunning!

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  25. Jientje: Thanks so much...I loved seeing the icebergs and being able to capture them for everyone to see!

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  26. When I was a kid staying at my Grandpa's house in Ontonagon I never thought twice about swimming in Superior everyday. Now that I am of "retirement" age (6 more weeks and school will be out and I will become a newly retired teacher:) I cannot imagine swimming in those frigid waters. Of course, the fact that I have lived for many decades in the Sonoran Desert and my blood has thinned considerably probably has something to do with my chill factor as well.

    Lindy (about to move back home to the Grand Traverse region:)

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  28. Awesome photos. I really like all the reflections you captured on the individual icebergs. The photo of the Coast Guard station is beautiful.

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  29. Awesome photos, I could feel the coldness of that ice...brrrr.

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  30. Hi Joan, Your views of the ice and Lake Superior are gorgeous. I love seeing the icebergs extending under the water.
    And as for the fisherman, that would probably be my husband, too. A little ice would never stop him from fishing either.

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  31. Excellent photos of the ice breaking up..even if this was in March..was that early or late compared to other years? I enjoyed all your photos :)

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  32. Lindy: Ontonogon! My cousin and her husband own the hardware store there and my uncle and aunt lived there for years! yes, I never swim in Lake Superior (except as a kid either) ha...but it sure is gorgeous to look at. Welcome to my blog...! I hope you join(ed) on as a Follower!

    SquirrelQueen: Thanks so much...it was so gorgeous out that day!

    Brit: Yes, I wouldn't have wanted to be in that water, either!!

    Pam: Thanks so much..that lake is always so picturesque!

    Far Side: Sometimes the lake doesn't freeze over at all, all winter....and other years it freezes solid...and the meltdown can be anytime from March to June....one LATE June, we could still see floating ice way out there! It seems a little early this year, for which I am grateful!

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