Morning Stroll along the Breakwall
With clear skies and light winds from the south, Lake Erie this morning was a vision of placidity. Calm waters reflected morning sun and blue sky. People of early morning contemplated the scene, played on the sandy beach, or stopped to enjoy the moment. Here are two views from this day along the shore of Lake Erie on a lovely serene morning.
Kayakers Skim along on Placid Lake Erie
Flowing Clouds Move over Shadowed Cleveland Skyline
It was such a spectacular morning at the lake shore that it was difficult to tear myself away and go where I was supposed to be! The sky and the sun were changing minute-by-minute offering dramatic views of the sky, lake, and shore. I’d have loved to spend an hour watching and photographing the changing scene but I had only a few minutes. It was hard to choose from among the many shots I got but I think these are good representatives.
Sunburst
Stepping Stones
Before I arrived, a child had arranged a line of stones at the base of a naturally-stepped waterfall. He had made the line in such a way as to not block the flow of water and not be washed away. Draw what lessons as you may from the boy’s action; I just thought it was beautiful.
Looking North from Marblehead
We took a little trip to the Marblehead Peninsula to see the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton and revisit a favorite place: the Marblehead Lighthouse, at the eastern tip of the peninsula. The aviation museum is very interesting, especially to those interested in World War 2 aircraft, and keeps alive the heritage of the Ford Tri-Motor aircraft. They’re even rebuilding a Tri-Motor at the museum. Astonishingly you can also see, close-up, a flightworthy B-25J Mitchell Bomber in the cluttered but clean hangar facility. Still, my favorite part of the trip was clambering around on the rocks at water’s edge by the lighthouse. It was a lovely spring day, though a shelf of clouds was moving in from the south. My photography for the day included trying out a brand-new circular polarizer (Cost $$$) and I like the results.
Watching the Sky and Water
Sky and Lake in Transition
Transitioning: The seasons are changing from winter to spring. Storms blow in. Lake ice moves out. A fierce wind buffeted me as I stood atop a pile of dirty ice, perhaps 10 feet deep, along the lake shore. Waves, beginning to stir, jostled the ice plates and occasionally sent spray showering over their edges. It was a dark day, today, with the promise of brighter days to come, though I was in awe of the transitioning.
Great Blue Heron Arriving at Nesting Tree
Now Arriving: A Great Blue Heron arrives at its rookery bearing a tree stick for its nest on a gloomy Sunday in late March. Nests are pretty much complete and it was quiet, this afternoon, at the rookery. The big birds are sitting on nests, standing in the grasses below the nesting trees, waiting for hatching; then the real work begins!
Ice Cliffs on Lake Erie’s Shoreline
Ice Cliffs and Knolls: Formed along the Lake Erie beach by wind-driven waves and ice flows, sand-tinted piles mound high over the shore. Soon the ice will melt, the sand will drop back to the waterline, and wondering photographers will no longer walk suspended above the scene.
White Desert Out There
Broken Ice
I’ve been tremendously busy lately, the annual bicycle events calendar project gobbling up as much time as I could give. So it was with great pleasure I was able to spend some time outdoors today shooting under a brilliant clear sky. This morning my subject was steaming waters flowing over an ice-enshrouded dam (at -3F), and at midday I visited the lake. I’m still recording the changing scene along the south shore of Lake Erie as we move toward the spring season. Since my last visit there, the winds and waters have piled the ice even higher over the sandy shoreline. Some of the beached ice plates have fractured and fallen, opening crevasses large enough to catch the legs of careless climbers. The sky today was clear and intensely blue highlighting the rough, barren expanse of ice. A good way offshore, a narrow passage has formed, a split between the lake’s ice cover and that attached to the shore. The gap forms river out of the lake.
Cloud Shadow
Lake Erie today looked every bit the arctic or Antarctic desert. As far as could be seen to the north was a vast expanse of brilliantly lit snow-covered ice. Close to shore, shards of broken ice plate piled up a bit, accentuated by drifts of wind-driven snow. Here and there were dark patches, scudding across the white plain; they were the shadows of clouds floating above and behind me. Air moved across the lake as well and at 16F, bit hard my face and hands.
Snow-Desolate Beach
While I love the recent moody scenes I’ve seen and recorded along the lake shore, today was different. As I’ve said, the way the lake appears changes all of the time. Today brought sunny, blue skies decorated with sprays of cloud and it was beautiful… if still terribly cold. By the time I completed a 25-minute photo session this early afternoon, my gloved fingertips hurt! I had to hold my bare hands in front of the car’s heat vents as I drove away to relieve the pain. I captured many images of the lake, the sky, ice, and snow in the short space of time. Here’s one of my favorites.
PhotonStopper 