The ice recedes

Inspired by my walk across Lake Winnebago, and a maybe a little bit by Daphne Schnitzer's views of the Mediterranean, I've been keeping track of the ice as it recedes from the shore.

The ice is always thinner on Millers Bay with a rougher texture and puddles of water forming on surface as the ice melts.

Out on the Ames Point breakwater that encloses the north end of the bay, the ice looks much more solid on the lake, but with open spots right around the end of the point.

Looking back toward Oshkosh, there are open channels.

A week later, the north end of the bay looks like it's all open water, but the gulls standing on the surface betray the location of the remaining ice.

Just a hundred yards or so down the shore, the south end of the bay remains locked in ice.

Over on the actual lake shore, a Christmas tree marks where there had been an open crack, which seems to have healed, although the bridges have been removed and the roads abandoned for almost a month.

Looking out over the lake, you can still see the line of trees that marked the road receding into the distance.

Four days later, the lake was completely ice-free. I think I'd like to do some more work with the ice, but despite the forecast of a major winter storm over the next few days, it's going to have to wait until next year.

All with the Moderately Telephoto Pinhole Camera in a Plain Brown Wrapper, loaded with Ektar 100.