Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Fate will lead you where Nature dares to go…
Record cold gripped Chicago last week. The temps were way below zero for several days and it was breathtaking in more ways than one.
When it is the coldest here, the sky seems to be the brightest. No insulating protective cloud cover when an arctic front sweeps in and lingers.
Just a cold, hard light. A beautiful deadly glow.
Lake Michigan is a wonder of confluence; it hosts the party where the blue tones of the sky meet the earth tones of whatever is under all that water, tempered and toned by the condition of the air itself. It’s a colossal mirror that mixes up whatever nature throws at it and offers it back never twice the same.
It was working overtime when I was out at the end point of Navy Pier last Thursday. Even though it was cold enough to flash freeze my fingertips in seconds, its beauty was just too good to be ignored. I’ve started collecting pictures of the Lake to make an album so I can go back and linger in those moments that are a unique look at that which frames us here in Chicago.
Where else can you see smoke on the water, moving lightly across its face? Where else does a bank of fog diffused with color live on the horizon waiting for its cue to roll in?
I lived in San Francisco for many years and the Pacific was a muse like no other. But the Lake, when you stand on its shore, appears as majestic, stretching as far as the eye can see, never looking the same way twice, always beautiful.
Stunning. There is something just captivating about a large body of water.
You make me so homesick! lived in Chicagoland for 33 years before moving south; cuddled with my hubby on the observatory lawn many times; owned a boat and sailed that wonderful water for many years — I so agree with what you say about the colors; constantly changing — will always remember the colors on that day we got caught in the middle of the lake by a storm; watching it coming towards us with awe, wonder, and sheer horror! ;>) keep posting your wonderful photos and I am going to take some of my own in 2 weeks when I get to come in for a conference.
The pcitures are beautiful! I absolutely LOVE the colours.
Lake Michigan is 10 billion times better than any ocean. No jellyfish, no stingrays, no sharks, no salt.
Those shots are beautiful. Makes me forget just how cold it must have been.
The last shot at the tip of Navy Pier brings home the true “star” quality of the sun! This is picture, perfect.
Those pictures are breathtaking! I grew up in San Francisco and now live in San Jose, Ca. I almost don’t want to tell you that we were in the 70’s last week and walking around in shirtsleeves. We were also having breakfast, drinking lots of champagne and having a wild “hoo-ha” celebration with friends on Tuesday. Have not felt this excited or optimistic since I was 17 and working on the Kennedy campaign. It’s a brand new day!
gorgeous!!!!