February 1 - Mushing Through the SnowFor over 40 years, Minnesota's North Shore has come alive with the excitement of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon race, which celebrates and honors the spirit of John Beargrease and brings thousands of worldwide spectators and hundreds of mushers from across the nation.Nothing indeed compares to the beautiful experience of dog sledding. Sled dogs' fascinating heritage, also known as mushing,' has been strong for thousands of years.The dogs run incredibly long distances joyfully because God made them and how the musher trained them.May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Colossians 1:11 Think of the "long run" of life today, and run the race with joy
February 2 - Snow ConesSnow flocks to trees on a beautiful February day. The main objective of a pine cone is to protect and keep the seeds safe. First, pine cones close their scales to protect the seeds from cold weather, high wind, and animals who might eat them. Then, they open up and release the seeds when it warms up.Besides being naturally beautiful, pine trees are an excellent source of nutrients and vitamins. Consuming parts of a pine tree provides healthy vitamin C and fiber. And when properly cooked, it will also taste great. And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. Genesis 1:29 God uses trees' beauty and powerful nutrition to remind us of his provision.
February 3 - Needle FrostNeedle Frost (Hoar Frost) develops over several days of near-freezing temps.Ice crystals attach to grass, leaves, and branches on a calm, clear night. Humid air will skip the droplet stage and go straight to crystallizing. As tree branches and leaves surface rapidly cool, the icy needles grow into the spiny crystals that decorate the tree.By the breath of God, ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. Job 37:10The beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me; every day, there is something new to behold.
Winter brings it's own beauty in the form of white snow covered fileds.
February 6 - Superior Glow Each season on Lake Superior has its unique beauty, and as February represents the waning winter season, shore ice is a unique feature with a beauty all its own.The strengthening afternoon sun breaks up the surface ice formed overnight into shards of crystal ice sheets, and winds pile it high onto the shore.The icy sheets form a necklace around Lake Superior's shores and are a reminder of approaching Spring.May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:22We are blessed beyond measure for today, another day to slow down and consider the glory of God in his creation.
February 7 - Moonset in the PinesThe moon drops across the horizon before a northland winter day. The Magenta color is generated when fine atmospheric particulates reach the stratosphere and scatter blue light, which produces a violet tone mixed with ordinary red. It is amazing how the God of Creation brought the moon, colors, trees, and snow into one scene, shows us His glory, and gives us hope in Him in everyday reminders.“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13 When you lose your positive outlook, look up, for he is with you.
February 8 - WinterscapeThe winter sun peeks through a shoreline tree along Minnesota Point.The sunrise is now earlier and rising a bit further north than yesterday.With the Spring Solstice only six weeks away, the promise of warming weather defeats mid-February's cold winds. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19As surely as Spring will arrive, so will the promises of God be fulfilled.
February 9 - Winter ShoresThe beauty of winter is readily apparent along the shore of Lake Superior, and the beach grass along Park Point stands heartily in place throughout the winter season.Amazingly, these plants endure and increase in the harshest climates.May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Colossians 1:11Much like the tough beach grass, we can travel through life with the assurance that our heavenly Father will sustain us through good times and bad.
February 10 - Moonrise Through the BridgeA full moonrise is always spectacular, especially on cool February nights.The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge was built in 1910 and has spanned the shipping canal for over 100 years. This iconic bridge has stood against powerful storms, blazing heat, and extreme cold, all to the tribute of its architects, builders, and operators.Similarly, we rely on the proper functioning of our world, and if we do our part as stewards of the beautiful planet, God does his part to make it pleasing to our temporary stay in this world.His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' Matthew 25:21 Thank you, Lord, the master craftsman of the universe, for allowing us to view its grandeur.
February 11 - Delicate SnowflakeA single snowflake under a frozen microscope reveals the magnificence of God's creation. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 We see beauty everywhere we look in God's creation. But before the microscope, only God alone could see this beauty in the snow.When we learn to appreciate the elegance in nature, it will help us enjoy God more each day.
February 12 - Blatnik Bridge TwilightThe transition from day to night transforms the harbor into a winter cityscape of lights and ice.The spectacle of transitioning light from daylight pulls the shades on another day as quiet settles over the Northland landscape.The watchman says:"Morning comes, and also the night. If you inquire, inquire; come back again." Isaiah 21:12The refreshing awareness that tomorrow is a new day brings refreshment to the heart and peace to the soul.
February 13 - Beach Grass & Snow The windblown beaches of Park Point on Lake Superior's shores show the quiet season's beauty and solitude. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2Thank you, Lord, for the fresh air today and this scene to calm my soul.
February 15 - Fire and Ice Brighton Beach in Duluth is a beautiful place to watch the sunrise, waves, ice, and the big lake. However, by Mid-February, shore ice has formed and begins to break up with warming temperatures. With Springtime drawing closer, the winter landscapes will soon melt into the big lake.So that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. Psalm 65:8 Thank you, Lord, for giving me a fresh new day every morning.
February 16 - Ice-LandIce shards are continually building and moving along the North Shore of Lake Superior this time of year, forming art formations with their own beauty.How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom, you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25The beauty of God's creation surrounds us. All we have to do is open our eyes and see.
February 17 - Ice Shards on the North ShoreLate winter ice shards are the attraction of the north shore of Lake Superior during late February. Since December, we have gained an extra hour of daylight, and the hope of warming weather brings hope to the heart.But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25Hope is a driving force in life, and if will look around us, we get filled with just enough for today, and that's enough.
February 18 - Jack Frosts CabinBuilt in the days when the fishing industry thrived on the North Shore, this rugged structure protected the nets and other fishermen's livelihood tools through even the fiercest of storms.The fishermen who built this hardy building to make a living from the big lake had no idea it would become a photography attraction years later. "Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ... Matthew 6:25-34God's provision is one of His mighty attributes that we can be thankful for every day!
February 19 - Early Morning Ice FishingFishermen head out onto Lake Superior for a morning catch. Besides the risk of the ice pack floating away from the shore, the fun of a morning catch on Lake Superior is nothing new and enjoyed by many local anglers.Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you, I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8 God has provided us with a bountiful harvest of fish from Lake Superior over the ages and will continue to do so in the future.
Thick shore ice along Lake Superior creates a beautiful ice cathedral. The broken sheet of ice pushed onshore by the winds and waved of late February creates some stunning structures of clear ice.“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail... Job 38:22The ice sculptures are crafted by the hand of God overnight and are new each day!
February 21 - February Milky WayThe Milky Way makes its appearance in the Northern Hemisphere, beginning in February and lasting through November. Quiet nights at Split Rock State Park is a great time to view the display as it makes its transit across the sky with other heavenly objects.The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psa 19-1Viewing the universe is a window to God's glory, majesty, and sovereignty.
February 22 - Sun PillarA February sunrise forms a sun pillar behind the Grand Marais Lighthouse.Sun pillars are beams of light extending from the sun or other bright light sources under the right atmospheric conditions. Ice crystals in the upper atmosphere catch the light and refract it into a beam. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. Isaiah 45:7Each day is a gift. Take time to enjoy it today!
February 23 - Chickadee in the WoodsA tiny chickadee sings its familiar song amidst the northern woods.Chickadees are tough little birds that do not migrate. However, during cold weather, Chickadees need twenty times more food than in summer.Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26The wonders of God's creation declare the glory of God.
February 24th - Magenta ShoresThe setting moon slowly descends on the snow-covered shores of Lake Superior.It is a good feeling to see open water after a long winter.Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25 Hope comes in many forms, and a quiet February landscape assures the warming days ahead.
February 25 - Icy SunriseSunrise breaks over sheet ice on the North Shore. With waves rapidly breaking the surface ice on Lake Superior up into shards, the advance of Spring is a sure thing.And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years." Genesis 1:14Spring's new life is a good thought and the "New Life" promised in Jesus Christ is indeed the same promise.
February 26 - Crystal ShoresGleaming in the afternoon sun, stacks of sheet ice decorate the shore of Lake Superior.Late February is prime time for ice photography along the North Shore.Having the glory of God, its radiance like a rarest jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. Revelation 21:11God's creation is everywhere you look, and every day of the year presents His new handiwork.
February 27 - Apostle Island Sea CavesView from inside the Apostle Island Caves. Centuries of wave action, freezing, and thawing have sculpted shorelines throughout Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Some of the Great Lakes' most spectacular scenery occurs where these forces interact."Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,..." Job 38:22Whether it is summer or winter, the caver proves to be a fascinating work of creations.
