Newsletter

“Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.

Brian Tracy

Ice Stacking--a fascinating phenomenon

by Ann Wolski

Though not an everyday occurrence, ice stacking creates a stunning and sometimes eerie winter landscape particularly along the rocky coastline of Lake Superior. Ice stacking requires specific weather conditions including strong winds, cold temperatures and significant ice cover on the lake. When the powerful winds push large sheets of ice against the shoreline, the ice crumbles into piles of shards. As the ice sheets break and pile up on top of each other, they form unique and intricate patterns.



This process can also be accompanied by distinctive sounds—the cracking, crunching, and groaning of the ice as it moves and stacks.

SKI Around Town

California's Palm and Pine

When traveling in California, I noticed a pine tree next to a palm tree. It seemed like a strange juxtaposition until I found out this notable landmark is known as “the palm and the pine”. A single palm tree and a single pine tree planted together in the median of Highway 99 just south of Madera represents the state’s north-south divide—the palm symbolizes Southern California, while the pine represents Northern California.

The unique landscape marks the geographic center of California, reinforcing the symbolic connection between the two distinct regions. The expression “where the palm meets the pine” is a popular phrase indicating the point where the state’s diverse climates and identities converge.

California’s ability to support both palms and pines reflects its varied climate zones. In Southern California, the warm, dry conditions are ideal for palm trees, particularly those introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 1700s who planted them for Palm Sunday, referencing the tree’s biblical significance.

The city of Los Angeles planted tens of thousands of palms in the 1930s to beautify the city for the Olympics, making the palm tree an icon of imagined paradise.



In contrast, Northern California’s cooler climate is home to a range of evergreens, such as pine trees, which flourish in mountainous areas. These ecosystems—desert oases for palms and mountain forests for pines—are often geographically close, highlighting California’s remarkable environmental diversity.

Blog

January SKI Tips, 2026

Crocuses? Tulips? In the Middle of Winter?

Taking away the winter chill with a perfect fire

Birds on a wire

Hundreds of birds huddle together on electrical power lines, but, miraculously they never get electrocuted. Birds can sit safely on power lines because they don’t complete an electrical circuit. When a bird sits on a single wire, both of its feet are at the same electrical potential, so no current passes through their bodies. Electrocution occurs only if a bird touches two wires or a wire and a ground source simultaneously, which creates a complete path for electricity to flow through the bird.

Birds gather on power lines for several reasons. Large bird groups offer protection from predators by making it harder for a single bird to be targeted. Gathering also helps them share information about where to find food, leading to more efficient foraging for the entire group. In winter, birds congregate in large numbers to roost together and share body heat. Power lines give birds a small amount of warmth, making them a cozy place to rest. Lines offer a clear, unobstructed view of the area and are a convenient, open space for resting and flocking.



Common species seen in their flocks include European Starlings, Common Grackles, Brown headed Cowbirds and American Robins.

Warming our precious loved ones

A grave blanket is an evergreen arrangement that covers the ground above a grave. They first became popular in the upper Midwestern part of the United States when Scandinavian settlers brought the tradition over from their own counties. Grave Blankets are typically placed over graves before the first snow to keep the deceased warm during cold winter months while brightening up a barren cemetery. Today they honor and remember a loved one who has passed.