For many people, the Great Lakes are a summertime place, a place of heat and sand and cooling waters in which to play.There is a certain beauty, though, of the lakes in other seasons. And a serenity to these waters after the first snow of winter.
Some people have never seen the shelf ice form on the lake and stretch out miles from the shoreline, quieting the waves. Some have never seen that ice break up in the spring to get tossed around by a late winter storm and stacked like crazy ice houses on the sand.
There was one Easter Sunday when my family drove to the lake and met up with some friends. The day was incredibly warm and the sun had thawed the frozen ground to the point where we could shed our shoes and walk barefoot on the warm sand. The ice, however, still decorated the beaches, large slabs of lake ice marooned on land and slowly melting in the springtime sun.
The lake speaks to us in all seasons and I am thankful for my time on the shores of Lake Michigan this fall
and winter.
and winter.
Lake Michigan is fantastic in winter--and here we might put in a plug for Jerry Dennis's new book THE WINDWARD SHORE: A WINTER ON THE GREAT LAKES, which is actually several different winters and Lake Superior as well as Lake Michigan.
ReplyDeleteHi Pamela! Yes, Jerry Dennis's book is a wonderful read about winter on the Great Lakes. He captures this season so completely in his book. I had the pleasure of reading it at the lake this fall. I think lake books should be read by the lake!
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for having lived for a few years near the shore of Lake Superior and seeing it over the years in all seasons. Not so many people get that opportunity, I know I've been lucky.
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