Photography

was entering into another world. City noise from traffic, sirens, and the general hustle and bustle just faded away into the sounds of nature and water lapping on the shore. It felt almost magical. One minute the noise is there and the next it's gone. There is a lot traffic on the peninsula during summer, of course, but it is slower moving and there are only turn offs to the various beaches, picnic areas, trails, or marina. No major intersections.

That feeling is emphasized in winter with the silence of little to no traffic on the peninsula, and even nature's sounds are muffled by snow. Everything is closed down and all you can do is drive through the park, or leave the car for a walk. The sand dunes get covered in ice and snow. By February, most of the water that touches the beaches is frozen in ripples. On the bay side, the ice gets solid and thick enough for ice fishing.

My husband used to go ice fishing on the bay with a friend. I would tag along, clear a large patch of snow from the surface, and ice skate.