Irene and Lake Ontario

I knew that the brisk winds blowing directly across Lake Ontario, from North to South would result in some heavy wave action, so I went down to see.  I wasn't the only one, the beach was the most crowded I had ever seen it.  I wasn't disappointed.  There were huge whitecaps, as far as the eye could see.

No one, wisely, was venturing out on the pier.

The waves crashed against the shore.

Sometimes, a wave would hit the shore with such power that it would roll back out towards the water, only to crash against an incoming wave.  My camera was too slow to catch the full glory of the sight.  This is the closest that I got.  That upward spray of water, away from the shore, is the crash of the two waves.

But, still pictures can only capture the sight of these waves.  This short video will give you a better idea of the sound and the fury.  I love the way the wave rolls along the concrete abutment.

Today, it's sunny and calm.  You would, almost, never know that a major storm had just brushed by us.  The only sign of anything out of the ordinary is that there have been several of those huge military helicopters going by overhead, from West to East.  I wonder if they're going to help out in the parts of the Northeast that are experiencing heavy flooding?