Happy New Year

2008 was a year where most people were given a reminder of how fleeting wealth can be and how quickly our lives can be changed by circumstances beyond our control.

As I look back over the past year and see days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into another passing year, I realize how short life is here on this side of eternity. This time of year reminds me of how seldom I have stopped to give thanks to God for what He has given me, in particular, His Son Jesus Christ.

I hope you have enjoyed the "Northern Images" throughout the year and a special thanks to those who purchased prints. I was able to donate $1765.53 to Child Cry Ministry an outreach of Times Square Church of New York from the profits of the online galleries during 2008.

There are many resolutions I could make, but, there is only one that really matters to me, and that is to live a life that glorifies my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

May the New Year bring you many blessings.

Here is a link to a Seasons Greeting that I hope you enjoy. (Turn up your sound)

With Warm Regards,
Dennis

Beauty in the Mist

The temperatures over the past several weeks have been below zero most of the time resulting in some of the most beautiful weather phenomenon that we have seen around Lake Superior in recent years.

While the cold weather made it somewhat uncomfortable, and heavy snowfall caused slippery roads; the fog, ice, and snow created a winter wonderland that makes this season one of the most beautiful times of year.
Nearly every morning the rising sun could be seen filtering its way through the steam clouds coming off the chilled waters of Lake Superior. While not everyone cared for the wind chill factors, many people noticed the "Beauty in the Mist" quietly displaying the majesty of a mighty lake, and a Almighty God.

CLICK HERE to view a slide show of other images taking during the past three weeks.

Merry Christmas!

Lake Effect

Arctic air finally charged across the Canadian Border this week with below zero temperatures and wind chills to match. Once this super chilled air streamed over the relatively warm water of Lake Superior, sea smoke or, ice fog formed in rising columns coming off the water surface like a steamy soup. December sunrises on Lake Superior are fantastic and even better when the -15F degree air stirs up the sea smoke.

Standing on the shoreline, I could hear the clinking of small ice flows as they drifted into the rocky shore and the small electronic fog whistle located on the South Pier Lighthouse make a feeble attempt to sound a chord in the frozen air.

During the next half hour, the atmosphere filled with color from the rising sun while strengthening daylight outlined the ghostly vapors as it danced along water halfway between heaven and earth.

I can't explain why I keep coming back here, especially in rather uncomfortable conditions. I guess it's because it fills my senses and makes me alive. It reminds me of the one who brings the elements together to create this special piece of artwork. A masterpiece crafted like no other, and one that will never be duplicated exactly the same ever again. Each visit, I begin to understand a bit more why God made this beautiful world the way He did, to show us, in part, His Glory, and allow us to rest in the arms of an Almighty God.

Once again, like previous mornings, I unlocked the car door with fingers numbed by the cold, yet, with a heart warmed by the light of knowing who controls the universe and events of our life.
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good. Then He separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. Gen 1:3-5

Snowflakes-Crystals in Making

Snowfall started after dark and the shiny crystals glistened like twinkling stars as they floated through the light from the street lights. It was an invitation that I had been waiting for since last winter, a chance to break out my snowflake microscope and photograph the little crystals.

The air was 10F, perfect for crystal growth. The flakes twirl through the atmosphere riding the air currents aloft, allowing the delicate six sided prisms to grow in perfect symmetry until they finally are pulled to earth by gravity. Each flake forms according to the path through the atmosphere that it takes, the temperature and moisture of the air around it, and even the electrostatic forces from nearby snowflakes. Each one is different.

The laws of physics that form these crystals were put in place by our creator so that we might observe in awe His creation and understand His attributes a bit more.

People remind me allot of the snowflake, each of us is different and unique, a special work of art, created by God for His glory, shaped by our surroundings and the circumstances of life. It is wonderful to know that God has his hand in the formation and development of each one of us. So, the next time someone calls you a flake, consider it a compliment.

He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down.
Then everyone stops working so they can watch His power. Job 37:6

Northern Images Home | View Snowflake Gallery

Triple Play

On December 1st, the three brightest objects in the night sky converged, producing a triple-conjunction of stunning beauty. Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon were crowded into a patch of sky just a few degrees across. With the exception of the sun and moon, Venus is the brightest light in the heavens, and Jupiter is second-brightest. A conjunction of the two brightest planets won’t happen again for another five years.

For these pictures, I walked out onto the frozen water of Caribou Lake and focused on the beaming spectacle. My fingers numbed as I fiddled around with the camera setting in the 10F temperatures, but, the sight was one to behold. The triple formation of heavenly bodies slowly transited across the sky in the dim twilight as they followed the same path to the horizon that the sun had taken an hour before.

Standing in the middle of the frozen lake, the silence was occasionally broken by the deep groaning of the newly formed ice surface as it cracked and expanded in the frigid air. The lake ice had deepened to eight inched in the past week and was growing thicker with every passing day.
News reports and pictures of the event were soon on the evening weather reports and Internet sites, it was the most reported and photographed space event in the ten year history of spaceweather.com. The event was seen around the world and it caught the attention of anyone who was in a position to observe it.

In the dark cold night on the surface of a frozen lake, I was once again reminded of how big God is and how small I am, and I find great comfort in that. The heavens truly declare His Glory.

The heavens proclaim His righteousness; every nation sees His glory. Psa 97:6