“It’s a great day for the beach!”
That’s something you might say in July or August during those dog days of summer. But what about January?
On this January day it was a perfect day for the beach for someone like me that loves to take pictures. With the heavy snowfall it was the perfect day to capture a wave that appeared to be frozen in time, see the contrast of red frozen berries with hints of snow on top of them and feel the crunch of snow under my feet.
Grabbing my camera, hat and scarf; I ventured out to capture the beautiful sights at the Indiana Dunes State Park and along the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
There was no crashing of waves against the shore, for the lake was virtually frozen. It was very peaceful; no beach full of people laughing, swimming and making sand castles. It was just as if the beach was untouched by anyone but me.
It is said that no two snowflakes are alike. With the beach blanketed with snow and the trees holding on to the morning snowfall, it was as if nature has painted everything white with billions and billions of unique little snowflakes.
According to Wikipedia snowflakes are frozen crystals and are formed when the flakes move through differing temperatures and humidity regimes. Another fun snowflake fact from Wikipedia is that snowflakes appear white in color despite being made of clear ice.
It might be easy to take for granted the beauty of winter when we are shut in from the cold or the roads become icy and slushy making it difficult to venture out, but if we take the time to look out at nature’s canvas we may see the trees painted in white and icicles glistening in the sun.
You don’t have to make a trip to the Dunes to appreciate what winter has to offer just look out in your back yard, you may see small animal tracks or a small bird sitting on a tree branch.