Winter in the Straits of Mackinac
Today is a crystal blue day on the Straits of Mackinac, one of several days in a row now. As we sit and listen to the stories of stranded travelers and forecasts of the big storm in route and people scrambling for supplies, it’s hard to imagine when we look out to the calm of this day, not a breeze in the sky. The steam that had recently risen out over this deep blue Lake Michigan inland sea has now left till spring, leaving a large white blanket speckled with silver icebergs and waves frozen in motion and building with freshly covered snow. The local coast guard cutter “Mackinaw” makes an appearance in the Straits on a mission to break up the ice for an occasional passing freighter carrying important goods to some distant port of sail. The sounds of the ice cracking and creaking when the cutter passes through is always exciting and I wonder what it would be like to be in that boat and how exciting it must be for the young new recruits on their first ride. As the daily news of the world unveils itself, all is calm in this little waterfront community of St. Ignace as we watch a moon set over this vast expanse of winter wonderland and know there’s not a better place to be on this beautiful winter day.
