Ice On The Shoal

White Rock Shoal at sunrise -- Sunday, December 11

Ice is forming on White Rock Shoal already due to the cold temperatures of the last few days. When I stepped out on the terrace to take this photo, I could hear the snapping sounds of ice cracking and shifting as cold water and thin ice collide.

Here on the eastern side of Michigan, the sun came up at 7:54 am about 121 degrees ESE, according to the astronomy application on my Kindle Fire. Those figures are calculated for the zip code 48434 which is Forestville, about 4 miles south of White Rock Shoal.

Shortly after this photo was taken, we saw an ocean going vessel, a saltie, loaded with wind turbine towers, headed north. Ed determined from Internet sources that the vessel was the BBC Ems headed for Menominee, Michigan.

Swans, oblivious to the ice, on White Rock Shoal

Moon rise will be at 6:04 pm tonight, at 60 degrees ENE. The full moon has been spectacular over the shoal. The ice sparkles, moonlight dances on the waves and an ethereal feeling envelopes the landscape.

Copyright 2011
Wanda Hayes Eichler