At the Water's Edge

Showing posts with label Great Lakes. Show all posts

Prompt: Ekphrasis post. Ekphrasis (writing about another art form) – Find a Flickr Image in Creative Commons that inspires you in some way (positively or negatively) and free write about it. Give yourself exactly 15 minutes to write without stopping. Don’t think!

I chose this picture from Art.com for a few reasons. Firstly, lightning is one of those things that have always fascinated me, yet it scares me at the same time. The power in each strike is incredible. The streaking lightning makes for an excellent light show, though I prefer if it is a little ways off in the distance. I particularly liked this picture, however, because it shows the lightning over water. As you can tell by the name of my blog, I do hold a particular fondness for coastlines to begin with. And the sea captivates me with its rolling waves and cerulean hues. But, there’s a little more to it than that.

One of my favorite things to do at night along the shores of Lake Michigan (besides star gazing, of course) is to watch a thunderstorm roll in from across the lake -- from Wisconsin. It’s pretty rare that you get a good storm far enough off in the distance that you can watch it without yourself getting caught in the storm, but I’ve done so on a few occasions.

One time was during my first camping trip to Manistee. The storm started I think around midnight and it just seemed like it would never make it across the lake. We watched it for hours as streak after awesome streak came down over the water. Because you have such a vast expanse of sky and water before you, you’re really able to get a great view of the storm. It’s better than fireworks if you’re lucky. I keep hoping for another storm like that one, but so far I’ve found none that rival it.

The power and beauty and uncontrollable nature of a storm just make me stand in awe – not just of the storm, but of the Creator God who holds all things in his power. To know that something so wild and so seemingly chaotic is really under the control of God gives me comfort in knowing that the other areas of my life that seem so out of control are also under God’s sovereignty. This is a crazy world that we live in, but we can find beauty even in the chaos and peace even in turmoil.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

Summer is upon us. As I type, the time has just rolled to the first day of summer, the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Although not my favorite season, if we’re judging just on the beauty and essence of it (that would be Spring or Fall), Summertime in Michigan in phenomenal. Why? It marks the only three months out of the year that we can usually actually tolerate to swim in our Great Lakes. One of my favorite things about Michigan is that is nearly surrounded by fresh water – the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. If you haven’t ever seen the Great Lakes, they look like oceans, they are so vast. Only, one doesn’t have to worry about sharks, jelly fish or any number of ominous sea creatures in the Great Lakes.

Nothing feels quite so refreshing as a dip in Lake Michigan late in the summer. The lakes are cold. Really. That is why even if we have warmer temperatures earlier in the year, you don’t see a lot of people actually swimming (55 degree water is not warm enough for me!). I’m partial to Lake Michigan because that’s where I’ve spent most of my beach time. Plus, from what I can tell, the Michigan side of Lake Michigan boasts the best beaches found along the Great Lakes’ shorelines. And nothing can compare with the beauty of a Lake Michigan sunset.

We spent some time around Lake Superior last year – actually circled it on motorcycles—and I must admit, it’s a beauty, too. The rocky shoreline may not be as ideal for beaching it; however, you can’t help but be in awe of the splendor of this the biggest of the Great Lakes. We’ll become more intimate with Lake Superior later this summer, too, as we will be spending a week on Isle Royale – an island and national park located in the northwestern part of the lake.

So, I welcome summer and the opportunity to explore our beautiful state, to spend time outdoors, to stargaze, to go to the beach, to hike, to camp, to boat, and to enjoy all of the activities that are best done while the weather is warm and sunny. We’re taking full advantage this year. Let the summertime festivities begin!

at the Water's Edge

Lake Superior Circuit

Ekphrasis Post - Lightning Over Water

Summer in the Great Lakes State

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