In the Depths of Winter....

Nothing new right now, but needless to say we are experiencing one of the coldest, windiest and snowiest winters in a long time.  Around the Great Lakes, everything is iced in.  Comments I have seen on boatnerd indicate it has been about 25 years since we have seen a winter like this.

Lake St. Clair

It will certainly help water levels as there is more snow and there will be little evaporation due to ice cover.
Lake freighters are having a tough time. The Algoma Olympic was off Port Lambton late this afternoon making little headway.  In fact I saw it going in reverse trying to make a track!  Ice has a lot of power and can push a ship in any direction.  In the big ice jam of 1984 I recall a freighter being pushed backwards with engines full ahead and both anchors down!

The countryside is pretty bleak with blowing snow.  Yesterday it was tough going home late in the day as I could not see the road at some points.  It was a shortened day as I was not able to get away until after 10 a.m. due to deep snow on the road.  I actually tried earlier, but got stuck!
Coming home today I thought a Snowy Owl would feel at home (if I had seen one).

Bird feeders are pretty busy in some places.  For some reason I do not have many birds here this winter (least number of birds I have EVER seen).  I have only filled the sunflower feeder a couple of times!  Goldfinches are feasting on the nyjer though.

This week is the midwinter waterfowl survey period.  Some managed to get things done this past Sunday when the weather was reasonable.  I usually do the St. Clair River, but this year I am not going to bother.  Too much ice and snow!  There are some waterfowl in the few open patches that remain but one would have a tough time getting around to view them with all the snow.  All those parks along the St. Clair Parkway are not ploughed in winter to make things worse. Not a lot out there anyway for interest's sake.

Our very strange weather continues though...this weekend rain is forecast!  Typical, as our weather goes from one extreme to the next.

Still think those bluebirds were very nice last Saturday!

Carolina Wren at Rondeau

Reminders of warmer times...