Wolf Moon

January 1 - Wolf Moon - January Full Moon behind Split Rock Lighthouse For the past 25 years, I have been trekking up the North Shore of Lake Superior to photograph the January full moon as it rises from behind the rock cliffs to silhouette the lighthouse. There are only a few winter nights during the year when this can happen. The moon never fails to come up at the same place and same time, year after year. As you stand there and watch this phenomenon occur, you cannot help but appreciate the universe as it rotates from days to months to seasons and years. The clockwork of the universe keeps ticking. Our heavenly Father not only created the heavens but, He also sustains them for His joy and our pleasure. Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. Psa 111:3 It is comforting to know that God, who created the heavens, is also the same God who has promised to keep us regardless of our situation.

Great Gray Owl

January 2 - Great Gray Owl - An effective hunter of the North Woods Grey owls venture south from Canada during mid-winter to forage for mice and other small creatures. This big guy did not seem bothered by my being there, and he was as curious about me as I was in it. The beautiful Great Gray Owl is a powerful bird; it can break through hard-packed snow to grab a small mammal moving beneath the surface. In the winter, they eat up to 7 small mammals every day. Great grays hunt by perching on posts or branches and listening. Great grays have asymmetrical ears, unevenly situated on the sides of their skull, one slightly higher than the other, such that the wide facial disk acts like a radar dish, directing sounds to its ears. The owl's small prey can be moving 100 yards away and two feet of snow and be part of this incredible creature's lunch. But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? Job 12:7-9 The Great Grey Owl is a perfect example of God's design in nature. This bird has so many built-in capabilities for survival that this incredible bird glorifies God by its mere existence. If we take time to focus, it is not hard to see the hand of God in all His creation.

Deep Winter Shipping

January 3 - Deep Winter Shipping - The Cason J Callaway arrived in Duluth, passing through sea smoke boiling off Lake Superior's open water. Within a few weeks, this area will be thick ice until Spring. Shipping on Lake Superior continues into mid-January with severe cold and thick ice. In these icy conditions of -20F, you can also see incredible beauty everywhere you look. The coldest temperature recorded in Duluth was -41, which occurred on January 2, 1885. Emersed in the cold of January, Springtime seems far off; however, the daylight hours are already stretching longer, and soon, it will be noticeably lighter at supper time. "From the breath of God ice is made, And the expanse of the waters is frozen." Job 37:10 Sometimes hope is surrounding us, and we miss it because of our situation, but just like January, Spring is right around the corner. And indeed, as Spring follows Winter; as Christians, the hope we find in Christ is always there; we only have to look up.

Magenta Light

Split Rock Lighthouse has stood sentinel over the rocky shoreline of the north shore of Lake Superior for more than 100 years. The beautiful lighthouse remains a significant tourist attraction and is the most photographed lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Ships navigating Lake Superior had few references, and after multiple boats ran aground on the rocky cliffs during violent storms, Split Rock Light was commissioned. I can only imagine relief sailors would feel once they recognized the flashing light pattern of Split Rock and other lighthouses around the lake, especially during foul weather. Much like the hope that the storm-tossed sailors had in knowing

Icy Reflection

The Wisconsin Point Lighthouse reflects onto the clear ice surrounding the entry into the Duluth-Superior Harbor. Constructed in 1913, the Wisconsin Point Lighthouses has stood watch over the Wisconsin Entry for more than 100 years. This Lighthouse replaced the previous Minnesota Point Lighthouse, the first Lighthouse built on Lake Superior in 1856. This beautiful Lighthouse has is exposed to high winds, powerful waves, lightning, and extreme cold throughout the years and is a tribute to the construction crews and engineers the build and designed this light. The Wisconsin Point Lighthouse has withstood the powerful elements on a solid foundation meant to last. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 Just like the Wisconsin Point Lighthouse, we need a solid foundation to withstand the storms of life. We have this foundation for life "In Christ Alone."

Ice Boats

Shipping January has some unique challenges and the tug boats help the final boats come in through building ice.

Ellison Island Sunrise

Located near Split Rock Lighthouse, the sunrise over Ellison Island brings light to the landscape and the soul. While most people put down their cameras for the winter, it is one of the most beautiful photography seasons. The white landscape, silent forest, and colorful sunsets and sunrises break into your routines and slow you down to focus. Because the winter sun is so low on the horizon, sunlight must pass through more air, which means the light is more scattered and more colors appear. ------ And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds 2Sa 23:4

South Pier Moonrise

January Full Moon over the South Pier LighthouJanuary Full Moon over the South Pier Lighthouse in Duluth. The moonlight reflecting off the clouds and water makes for a surreal image. The South Pier Lighthouse has been guiding ships into the harbor since 1901 and replaced an older lighthouse at the time. This powerful beacon shines 24 miles out onto Lake Superior, guiding ships into safe harbor. Christians have relied on the powerful light of Jesus Christ through prayer and the Bible for thousands of years. The Gospel beams the hope of salvation far and wide. For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29se in Duluth.

Frosty Forest

After three days of freezing fog, the forests across the Northland became covered with rime ice. Rime ice forms when supercooled water liquid droplets freeze onto surfaces. The incredible beauty caught everyone's attention. God seems to gently "breathe" on the earth as it becomes covered with frost. When daylight breaks and the curtain of freezing clouds lift off the landscape, the wonder of God's creation reveals His Glory for our pleasure. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. Psalm 147:16 Thank you, Lord, for showing us your beauty, peace, and quiet in a world of confusion and chaos.

Full Moon at Split Rock

The January Full Moon transits up the horizon on a cold January evening.

Ice Shards

Layers of sheet ice piled up on the Park Point shoreline. Sheets of ice break up and are pushed up by wind and currents into piles along Lake Superior's shore. You can watch and listen to the crystal-like shards as they move and bump against each other throughout the day. As the water cools down, its molecular structure slows down, and when the water temperature reaches 32° Fahrenheit (0° Celcius), the molecules bond together and forms solid ice. By the breath of God, ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. Job 37:10 Oh God, thank you for the cool fresh air today, for the water that we need to live, and the hope you give us through your creation.

Winter Nightscape

Deep winter in the Northland reveals many breathtaking scenes, and the colder it gets, the more beauty pops out. On a freezing evening in mid-January, the colors saturate blue, and the windblown snow sculpted drifts become visible. It is hard to believe that the daylight hours will be noticeably longer in just a few weeks, and the thought of Springtime begins to tease our minds. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater. Isaiah 55:10 Thank you, Lord, for your creation to point to You and provision to enjoy and live in winter. hope, provision, help grace

Ghost Ship

Lake Superior lets off steam as an ice-covered Laker makes its way into the Duluth Shipping Canal on a freezing January morning. Fingers freeze and camera batteries die quickly in this weather, so quick snapshots are the rule of the day. There are few days of Duluth's year where conditions are right for thick sea smoke, but those challenging days make for some beautiful images. All three forms of water are visible here, steam, liquid, and ice. By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. Job 37:10 Thank you, oh God, for cold January days where we can view your beautiful creation and breath in the pure arctic air.

Amnicon Falls Bowstring Bridge

The Bowstring Bridge, also called a Horton Bridge, spans the Amnicon River and graces Amnicon State Park's landscapes near Superior, Wisconsin. The sound of running water, chirping chickadees, and a gentle wind blowing through the treetops gives you a sense of peace that only being in nature can provide. Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy. Psalm 96:12 Thank you, Lord, for your exquisite creations that so often point directly to You!

Cold Wave

I always stop by Split Rock State Parke when I head up the North Shore of Lake Superior, and this day was no different. A sunny afternoon with light winds made for a pleasant afternoon. The waves were stirred up from a passing cold front the day before, and the beauty of the lake, with fresh snow and emerald and blue waves rolling onto the beach, created an incredible winter scene. In this unexpected situation, all you can say is WOW while your heart pounds as you maneuver across the ice covered rocks for a better vantage point. You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. Psalm 89:9 Thank you, Lord, for such a display of Your Power and Beauty in this beautiful place.

Snow Crystal

January is a month filled when ice and snow, with incredible scenery everywhere you look. You don't have to leave your yard to photograph exciting pieces of nature necessarily. This image was captured by mounting my camera to a microscope, with everything outside the cold weather and light snowfall. A single flake is isolated and laid onto a microscope slide. When you first focus on the snow crystal, there is an incredible moment of awe as you first see the flake close up. From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? Job 38:29 God created this hidden beauty to reveal Himself to us in His creation. We only have to stop and consider.

Winter Whitetails

White-tailed deer are one of the most beautiful of God's creatures and thrive abundantly in the northland. This pair stopped by to munch on some fresh alder brush less than a 1/4 mile from downtown Duluth. Deer have a four chamber stomach, which allows them to chew the cud, where they partially chew food, regurgitating it, and chewing it again to make it easier to digest. This fantastic ability enables them to eat some very rough foliage. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3:19 Like the deer, God cares for us with abilities, shelter, food, and family. We have so much to be thankful for this winter.

Frozen Assets

The 1000 ft Paul R Trgurtha makes its way into the Duluth Shipping Canal. As the Great Lakes shipping season draws to an end during mid-January, the large Lakers must struggle through extreme weather conditions as they finish up the season. During the eight weeks between shipping seasons, the large ships are repaired and refurbished while the crews get a much-needed rest. Come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 We all need rest at some point, both physically and spiritually. Take a few minutes today to reflect on where you are in life and where you are going! I will be rest to your soul.