Cold day in Kewaunee

This is another photo taken last Monday from the icy beach in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. My wife and I were returning from a trip into Door County. As we drove south along Lake Michigan, we were impressed by the amount of steam kicked up on the lake from the arctic winds that buffeted the area. "If it's this misty in Kewaunee, I'd like to stop to get some pictures," I said. My wife smiled, anticipating a statement like that from me. We arrived to find the pier lighthouse sitting like a fairytale castle in the misty water.

Waves and bitter cold had turned the beach into a sculpture of ice and snow. The "islands" in the middle ground are actually ice that had accumulated around old pilings in the water. It took quite a bit of time for me to get into position for this shot - the icy "dunes" on the beach were very glassy and I learned very quickly that if I wasn't absolutely certain what was under the snow, that I shouldn't step there.

After living life on the edge this past weekend, I'm back in my warm home, going to work at my warm day job, and looking back with warm memories at a painfully cold world.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2007 James Jordan.