Recently I’ve been reading about the Great Lakes, and will be putting up a couple posts about them.
And today, my folks sent these pictures, from the shore of Lake Ontario.
A windstorm in February had gusts of 69 mph, stacking the ice fifteen feet high on the beach, and coating the trees along the shore with ice.
After the beautiful, delicate formations on the streams in the Finger Lakes, this ice has a strange cast to it, and looks decidedly less friendly!
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2 Dinosaur boneyard
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UpState & Away - - - - Waterlooseneca.com 
The formations in the first two photographs remind me of those farm implements that have long helical blades, one of which in fact shows up in the Related section: “Walks Around The Finger Lakes. Fall of 2018.” Picture 5 leaves no doubt about which way the wind was blowing. All in all a bit scary.
Kind of teeth-like. And I do see a resemblance to a hay rake.
Ah, I didn’t know those implements are called hay rakes. You’ve reminded me of a little ditty I made up a few years ago:
Hey hey, ho ho,
Childish chants have got to go.
The thickness, the bend, and the color make them look decidedly unfriendly. Scary.
The yellow-brown bits are a little off-putting, ocher-ish and ogre-ish looking.
These ice formations are stupendous and dangerous. All I can say is that I would not want to climb or walk over these monstrous formation. Great photos, Robert!
Thank you, Peter. Dangerous place for a stroll.
Wow! Less friendly, but incredibly beautiful, though!
Thanks, Mick. Kind of eerie. still winter here, -21 C last night
Yup…that’s cold…
Even in Austin we’re at -1°C this morning under an overcast sky, with the trees blowing back and forth in the wind. Not good for the blossoms that had emerged.
Brutal but beautiful!
Thanks, Neil, kind of a Dr. Seuss look to the place.
I’d seen some photos and videos of the ice blowing ashore from the lakes and stacking up on shore, but these are even more impressive, and not necessarily in a good way.
The first two photos, particularly the rib cage effect of the second, bring to mind some of my favorite words from the artist Andrew Wyeth: “I prefer winter and fall, when you can feel the bone structure in the landscape—the lonliness of it—the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it—the whole story doesn’t show.”
Thank you, Linda. I was sure I’d responded, but want to tell you, I really like that quotation. I love all the Wyeth’s paintings, and Andrew is well-spoken, too.
Awesome pictures !!!
Thanks so much!
Not so nice ice 😊 It is very descriptive, Roger. I’ll put on an extra sweater now!
Thank you, Hanna. 🙂 Maybe two sweaters!
Great pictures! The wind actually molds and shapes the water as it freezes–telling a cautionary tale. I wouldn’t want to be caught outside in those conditions!
Thank you, Cecilia, I’ll pass along the compliment. Upstate NY is a great source of tales of all sorts, but especially cautionary ones.
Those are beautiful images. But it looks like it was really cold. Amazing what nature is capable of creating of forms and shapes.
Thank you, Otto. Yes, it’s been a heck of a winter, lots of windy subzero days, but now the weather station is promising we’ll climb above the freezing mark this weekend! All this winter, I’ve been admiring fellow-bloggers’ ice photos, and don’t remember ever seeing such variety, and beautiful creations.
I am awestruck. The pictures make me think of the Alien films and leave me with a slightly uneasy feeling in my stomach. It must have been brilliant to see this in real life.
Yes, definitely an alien feeling. I think the 60 mph wind picked up a lot of sand, algae, and grit, that gave the ice that brownish cast, a bit creepy. My folks waited for a calm, relatively warm day, to go to the lake and see it.
It must have been spectacular when they saw it. I’m glad they waited for nicer weather. I have seen similar ice formations on the Island where I was born in the middle of the Baltic sea. The water there is brackish but it still freezes.
Ireland must be a milder climate, it looks from the photos, like there’s some green around year-round.
Yes we have very little ice and snow here. That is one of the reasons I moved here from Sweden. I remember growing up and your breath would freeze in your nose each time you breathed in. I like the Irish climate a lot better. We have bees butterflies and frogs here already this year. 🌱
Sounds very nice!
I saw these scary pictures yesterday and had a nightmare last night that included “Dinosaur Boneyard” … funny thing was, my hydrangeas were in full bloom all around them and my dog peed on the dinosaurs. Believe it or not…. 🙂
That’s great!! 🙂 I mean, sorry about the nightmare, but Good Dog! 🙂
Those lakes get some frightening weather. Some of our lakes/reservoirs had ice piles similar to those although not quite as fiercely created. I would not want to be in a boat with those things floating around.
I saw photos of that ice online somewhere – it is really mind-boggling. Please thank your parents for braving the elements to take these – I think it’s good for us all to be reminded that we are humble before nature’s power.
Thanks, Lynn, I will pass it along. They’d said the ice was rough, not difficult to walk on, and they really enjoyed the weird formations.
Good for them!
Will be eager to read some of your thoughts and impressions about the Great Lakes. Glad you shared these pictures from your parents, those formations are quite something, all right. Hope you’re having a good week, Robert.
Thank you, Jason, and hope your week is going well, too. I haven’t been much out of Milwaukee and Chicago, but reading and talking to people here, these big lakes promise to be really interesting.
Winter’s sharp teeth.
Nice phrase, yes, the Killer Rabbit from Monty Python, they do have a look of nasty big pointy teeth.
I read the first book in Game of Thrones (but haven’t seen the TV thing), these pictures remind me of the wintery place on the wrong side of the wall. Spooky.
Thanks, Dave, yeah, kind of bizarre-looking. Now that you mention it, there was mention of some wights & direwolves prowling around…
I have had reports from home (Stouffville Ontario) about the endless cycle of freeze,thaw, ice storm,freeze. The barn where I ride has not been able to get the horses out to the paddocks as they are too icy. Your photos are marvelous. So dramatic.
Thank you, Anne, my dad took these. Yes, the nights are still cold enough to keep re-freezing things, I’m really ready for spring, and I’m sure the horses are, too!