BLUE SKIES BECKON

Blue skies in the winter!  What a treat compared to the gray days we've had much of the last month.  I decided it was the perfect time for a road trip. 

I headed out of the city to Old Mission, hoping the roads would be as clear as the skies.  I noticed right away the significant ice and snow build-up along the shoreline.

Wide swaths of slush next lined the coast, waiting for winds to add it to the beach accumulation.  Out a little farther, the water appeared sluggish with no wave action going on.  I realized a thin layer of ice was coating the surface.

Weather prognosticators consider the bay frozen when ice reaches Power Island.  That hasn't happened in the last few years, but this might be the year that it does.

I passed the island and came into Bowers Harbor.  More protected from the winds, the small bay was full of ice floes and significant ice.  Its cold beauty was stunning. 

I turned inland and noticed the orchards quietly resting in the winter chill, preparing themselves for next season's crop.  The heavy snow cover also was doing its job of protecting the roots from freezing.  It won't be long until we see farmers out trimming their dormant trees.

As I reached the peninsula's interior, I remembered the barns marked with quilt patterns.  This red barn with its North Star pattern was striking against the white snow.

I had a decision to make when I reached Center Road: return to the city or continue on to the tip.  The roads weren't as clear this far out, but I couldn't resist the pull of seeing Old Mission Light, pristine in a winter setting. 

As I left the tip and started back to the town, I noticed the blue skies were giving way to winter gray.  It didn't matter, though, for this one last picture.  Red barns always stand out against the white snows of winter, regardless of what's happening in the skies.