Friday, March 4, 2011

Lake Fix

Yesterday was a beautiful day, but the weatherman is predicting unrelenting rain starting some time today, so I figured that I had better get out and do a little walking, while I had the chance.  Jim, from Ocean Breezes http://jabacue.blogspot.com/ had some wonderful pictures of the ocean near him on his blog yesterday, and it made me hungry for my own large body of water -- Lake Ontario.  It's still very much Winter by the shores.

There is an ice shelf extending many feet out into the lake.  All of this area will be water, after the ice melts.
I don't remember the lake being this frozen over last year, but we have had pretty much unrelenting cold and snow this year which, I suppose, makes the difference.  I don't know what made these mounds to form on the ice.  Maybe wave action earlier in the Winter, with water splashing onto the existing ice and freezing before it had a chance to run off?

 The end of the pier is so ice covered it is just a great frozen blob.  You could never tell that there is a walkway, and benches for people to sit and enjoy the view out there.


I hadn't expected to see much life there yesterday.  It was very cold, and, as previously seen, frozen.  But, I was wrong.  As I walked along beside the shore, I came upon a Canada Goose pair eating grass from a patch where everything had thawed.
And, when I came to Mill Creek, where it runs into the lake, I found the ever present Mallards, floating rather dejectedly in a very small pool of water that the turbulence had kept open.
The creek was running with some force, singing a song as it raced over the rocks on the bottom.
Even still pictures show the swiftness of the water.

But, the scene at the lake is not one of Spring, but of Winter holding on.  Snow still covers most of the park, though that may change over the weekend.

However, aside from enjoying the beauty around me, I learned a lesson that human beings seem to have to learn time and again.  The old cliche says it best "Don't judge a book by its cover."

I was all alone when I got to the lake, and down by the shore it was pretty isolated.  But, soon after I got there I heard voices, and turned to see two young men sliding down the hill behind me.  They were kind of scruffy looking, and I have to admit I got somewhat uneasy.  I took a look at them, and saw that they were both on the small side.  "OK," says I, "I probably outweigh both of them together, and I have my treking poles, so I'll be able to put up a good fight, at least."  But, I decided that the best offense might be friendliness, so I put on my best harmless old lady smile and said hello.

And, I got, in return, lovely sweet smiles and a willingness to talk.  It turns out that they were members of a band called "The Fear of Falcons."  And, they were excited, as only the young can be, by the fact that their band was playing tonight in one of the larger club venues in Rochester -- The Water Street Music Hall.  We ended up joking and talking about everything from their coming fame, to Janis Joplin.  I left them with a very pleasant feeling in my mind.  In spite of all the adverse publicity around, there are still good kids in the world.  I wish them every success, and hope that, some day, "The Fear of Falcons" will, indeed, be famous.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

Great tour of Lake Ontario in its winter format. I grew up on Lake Ontario and remember it fondly. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful post, Louise! The last part, about the young guys, in particular. Isn't that just such a lovely feeling, when it turns out that way! ...that you get a positive surprise, in this day and age, when we have to be so careful about everything and everyone.

The pictures are gorgeous, great to see the geese! No signs of Spring here either.

Upupaepops said...

Great pictures. We dont get the likes of such ice here. the pier is a marvle as well as the waves.

You should ahve gone to the gig. I bet they thought you were pretty cool, being an old hippy and all that

TexWisGirl said...

Love that those guys turned out to be cool and talented and friendly folks. :)

Those ice photos are so impressive! Wow! The melt is going to be a tremendous rush of water!

Sharon said...

It sure does look like Winter doesn't want to let go. The pier is actually beautiful, although quite useless. :-)

It's bad to live in a world of fear, isn't it? I think, even I could have whooped the two boys, LOL! There are nice kids around. I would not even suspect anyone taking a walk out in the cold to be bad news.

Sally said...

Beautiful pictures, definitely feel the winter cold and breeze...but lovely.

So glad your encounter was a good one. These days one does worry...too bad!

fromsophiesview said...

Amazing pics of Lake Ontario...the winter weather surely was extreme there...those mounds of ice are humongous! Along the Atlantic coast rarely we have mounds piled up but occasionally they manage to appear if the weather is the right mix. Those 2 guys actually looked harmless to me only because the coffee in their hands gave it all away. Who buys $2/$3 coffee and then decides to pounce on a unsuspecting lady..I don't think too many. Besides, Sophie would take care of them in a flash! LICKS of course!

Louise said...

LOL, good point about the coffee. And, after I had a chance to think about it, I had the same reaction. Silly me for being scared. But, sad but true, bad things do happen, and I think that, especially for a woman out alone in isolated places, a little watchful caution isn't such a bad thing.

Sheri said...

lol, I was thinking the same thing as Sophie about the coffee while I was reading...
You're right to be cautious, though.
Amazing ice along the lake.

My Mind's Eye said...

Good morning Louise...I'm a tad late today. I took today as a vacation day. I have one more day in March to take off before the big R day. We went out for breakfast.

What a beautiful post. The ice on the pier was astouding...it certainly proves you had a very harsh winter.

You had such a nice and surprising exchange with the young men. Very refreshing to meet nice young folks. I wish them much luck. It sounds lilke they have a very positive attitude too and they are coffee drinkers so they are OK in my book.
Hugs M&M

Dar said...

Your Icy shore pictures are fantastic but do look very dangerous...that's the Mom in me speaking.
When you said the two guys were sliding down the hill behind you, my first thought was~S-P-L-A-S-H~
So glad the musicians turned out to be friendly.

Looking back, I can't believe how may of your entries I missed. Sorry bout that. I have a feral Mama cat too and worry about my birds. Hope yours did not take a duck out for lunch.

Also, love the Redwings. Have you ever called them? They will answer you every time. The bonus is that you gotta just love their songs.

You asked about the barn boards...The owners are not up often but I suppose about late spring they will show up and I hope to talk to them at that time about saving what we can. It would be a shame if they decided to burn it all. It happens too often cause folks just don't want to deal with the time consuming 'alternative.' Thanks for stopping and
BlessYourHeart

Tina said...

So Louise, I always like your lake pictures, and since it's the same lake I am very close too, if you could see the shore of Canada, what area would you see? Maybe I can wave at you one time from the distance lol.

Janet said...

Really enjoyed those photographs-it looks damn cold though ! having said that - a heartwarming post -glad you stopped and chatted to those young guys!

Louise said...

Tina, Rochester is almost directly across the lake from Trenton. I don't know if that's anywhere near you, or not. Toronto is to the Northwest of us.

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

I always enjoy your walks! And the story about the 2 young men at the end made it special.

Jim said...

I LOVE your walks Louise! And I can't believe all that ice on the lake! I guess with no big tide changes, the 'mounds' would get bigger and bigger.
Yes, we'll keep our eyes and ears open for 'The Fear of Falcons'.

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Great shots of that very dramatic shoreline! And thanks for warming up to those young fellows from the band. One of my sons is a rocker (The Figgs) and when his band's first album came out, the record company's art director photographed the boys in dark glasses and leather jackets with surly looks on their faces, and all I could think of was, I know those sweet boys, and every one of them loves his mother!

Judith said...

I love your pictures. It looks so cold, though. So do those boys - they weren't really dressed for it - no wonder they needed the hot coffee.

Dreaming said...

What incredible things nature can do. I love the ice sculptures! How awesome!
The boys were kinda cute...in their own scruffy way!

Liesl said...

Amazing pics Louise,you live in a stunning country!

Terry said...

Wow! I love the ice photos - that ice shelf is awesome!

Christmas-etc... said...

Hi Louise!
I come to you from beautiful madi's site! I've always wondered about the beautiful horse profile picture that pops up in the comment section so decided that now was the time to have a look! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed these photos! The geese, the mallards, the running water, the ice on the lake!! Everything so different from what I see outside my window and yet, so familiar too!
Please join me at my history (and sometimes Edward the cat) site! I'd love to have you!
Ann

Vicki Lane said...

Brrrr! But great pictures and a story to warm your heart!

KB said...

The lake is spectacular in its winter cloak. I can't wait to see it wake up as spring arrives.

You asked the other day about whether I carry a spare tube etc when I ride. This week has been so crazy that I forgot to answer. I carry a spare inner tube in a little bag that hangs behind my seat. I also carry a patch kit in case I get more than one flat tire in a ride (that has happened). Given the places that I ride, I carry all sorts of tools so that I can get myself out of almost every jam.

Thanks for the reminder not to judge a book by its cover. I'm afraid that my knee-jerk reaction to various "types" of people in the forest is very stereotyped but I love it when I'm pleasantly surprised - just like you were!