April Storm at Marblehead Lighthouse

Another windy day in Marblehead. Whenever we get several days of high winds out of the Northeast we get water and debris thrown up on Main St. in Marblehead. From the East shore of Marblehead, we have open water for over 90 miles in the NE direction. Waves build and build as time goes on. This video is taken from that eastern shore of Marblehead looking NNE into the lake toward the Marblehead Lighthouse. A day after this video, the lake was calm.

Cedar Point from the Other Shore

Here is a sped up version of our scene by the lake as we ate supper in our lawn chairs by the Lake. It was great to have a 60º day, finally. We are currently doing our social distancing and spending a lot of time indoors to keep ourselves and others safe. Getting out doors is good therapy and cures some of the cabin fever. Everyone is dutifully keeping their distance. We all hope that Cedar Point can get started this summer at a decent date. If that happens, we need to enjoy the time out, just incase the whole virus event comes at us again in the fall. The rides at CP are all dormant now, but hopefully, in a couple of months, we will look across the water and see movement on all of Cedar Fair's rides.

Migration

On the last trip down the park road at East Harbor State Park in Marblehead, the were several geese and a few visitors like myself. No matter what time of day you go to this park, there are always at least a few folks driving or walking to get their nature fix. On this trip in, on the northern pond (Middle Harbor), there were hundreds and hundreds of lesser scaup ducks. They were in constant motion and a welcome sight. Nature is still on its loose schedule and the migrators are beginning to come through. In these crazy times, watching the predictable web and flow of nature is reassuring. The ducks are calm, relaxed, and doing their normal thing in their normal time frame.

Fog On The Huron River

I went out one foggy morning to Huron. The drive over was through the fog, so it was slow going. In town, along the river, there was little activity. A couple of morning walkers were out and a few folks moving about starting their workday. On the river, there were hundreds and hundreds of gulls. Many were in the air, but the majority were on the ground until disturbed. I set up a tripod on the river walkway just north of the last parking lot on the way to the Huron Lighthouse. I took several still shots of gulls flying around, but when the fishing boat went out, that was just the movie clip I was after. Above you see the sights and hear the sounds of that morning.

Repair Underway at Marblehead Lighthouse

Well, here on the South Shore of Lake Erie, in Marblehead,Ohio, we have the Marblehead Lighthouse. Right now the lighthouse is not very attractive because it is under repair and has been for several months. If all goes well and work crews get some weather breaks, the lighthouse should look handsome again for the summer crowds.

Almost everyday some folks are in this Ohio State Park taking pictures of the lighthouse from all different angles and different times of the day. Some folks even come at night, shine a flashlight on the lighthouse and take that picture.

So right now, no leaves on the trees, wet grass, ugly lighthouse -- well, all in all, does not make for a pretty picture.

If you plan a trip to our little town when the lighthouse looks nice again, stay in one of our cabins or motels, eat at our nice restaurants, and even take a side trip on the local ferry over to a Lake Erie Island, Kelley's Island.

Magee Marsh

Along route 2 in Ottawa county, about mid-way between Sandusky and Toledo, lies the Magee Marsh wildlife area. This is adjacent to the Ottawa National Wildlife Preserve. Around the first week of May, these areas hosts hoards of birders from around the U.S. and world.

Right now, at the end of Feb, 2020, we already see the swans, geese, and a few redwings making a home at Magee. The weather is cold and the winds can be in the teens and 20's. So one has to dress warm if you are going to walk around outside of your cosy vehicle. but the outing will be worth it.

If you arrive near sunrise and hang around for a couple of hours, you will be rewarded with more than one eagle sighting. The great bird will not come down and sit beside you, so bring some binoculars. A magnification of 8 times is fine.

Dress warm, bring some water and maybe a snack bar and enjoy some bird watching.

Lake Erie Shore - February

February in 2020 has had a range of temperatures from the teens to the 40's. Here in Northern Ohio we are not quite sure how to dress for the outside 2 days from now. We cannot be totally confident on a guess 2 days out. With several days in the 30's and 40's in Jan and Feb so far, we can loose awareness that some of the colder days that got slipped in by Mom nature actually produced some shoreline ice. In some places we see a little on the rocks or sand. In other spots with a little more wave action, the ice can get up into the shoreline trees. On these colder days we head for indoors by the fireplace. Spring, where are you.