A Brief Moment of Sun in the Finger Lakes |
| 1/14/2010 6:10:36 AM |
It was late in the afternoon when the sun made a brief appearance in the Finger Lakes so I went for a walk along Canandaigua Lake. The little Ontario Country Park along East Lake Road was deserted but the sun brightened the snow and ice and made for a sharp contrast against the cold blue waters of Canandaigua Lake. This small county park has a few picnic tables and some willow trees along the bank which offer a bit of shade in the summer. But, as the sign says – no swimming!
As I drove down to the City Pier in Canandaigua, the sun disappeared and the winds began to pick up. The waters around the pier are covered with ice and the ice now extends perhaps a quarter of a mile out into the lake.
Near the end of City Pier, there was a large collection of ducks and Canadian Geese which were swimming in a small open water area surrounded by ice. Obviously, they had missed the “no swimming sign” posted along the lake but as I watched they swam back and forth, back and forth. No, they weren’t there to cool off – they were protecting their only open source of drinking water as their movement keeps the water from freezing. I’m thinking that keeping the water from freezing takes a lot less energy than flying south for the winter!
James R. Bupp
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