• Friday-What'sUP December 12 - 07:02 pm

It never ceases to amaze me how the splashing and crashing of Lake Superior waves can coat the shore with layers of ice. Thanks to Joy Ziemnick today, we get to enjoy the sights from the comfort of our nice warm homes.

Check out those first three icy shots, taken at McLain State Park. How can something so cold and hardened, be so beautiful at the same time? I really like how the ice forms transparent in places, so that you can still see the branches plainly and then in other instances, you can only make out the shape, not the individual branches in plain view. Just like no two snowflakes are the same, no two icy Superior sculptures are the identical, either.

Joy said that the hoarfrost in the last three photos was something they saw in the morning and for most of the day. Out of curiosity, she did a bit of research on the origin of the term hoarfrost and reports that the word hoar is an Olde English adjective that means "showing signs of old age"... so the frost on the tress and bushes looks like the "white hair" of an older person. Interesting!

Did you spot the Chickadee in the third and fourth shots? When I did, my first thought was that the poor thing must have cold feet hanging onto those frosty branches. Those little birds have some real Yooper SISU, surviving our cold Keweenaw winters!

All pictures show an icy beauty.

I C pretty pictures!

What amazes me more than the photos (which are great, btw) is the appearance of blue skies in the first photo; a rare sight this time of year!!

Very Impressive! First three look like scenes from Ghostbusters...the trees have been slimed :-)

Oh my! These pictures are cold...I mean cool :-)

I'm "hoaring" but I don't have white hair.;>

Love the chickadees! They hang around my backporch lately, eating the bird see I toss out.

'birdseed' even

Magnificent! Wow!!

The ice encased branches are pretty neat. A few years ago a neighbor of mine, an 'old timer', told me that chickadees turned into nuthatches in the summer time. That was his theory and he believed it.

Hi
That first picture of the chickadee would make a good Christmas card.

awesome shots joy.!!!love the little
chickadee"s..still looking for the ever elusive
boreal chickadee..somtimes seen on the peshekee
grade..great weekend everyone. phil

I think all the pictures today would make nice Christmas cards.

Good job, Joy!

These photos are among the most beautiful ever! Each
one is unique and artistic!

Thank you, everyone, for your nice comments! I love the small and large beauty of all seasons!

hoar reminds me of that church song about hoary heads
a well known song but by george I cannot remember the
particular song! Must be old age lol
Thanks for the explanation & great pics!