It seems like the month of March has been filled with water and ice throughout the years in the archives. That’s pretty much the norm for us Yoopers this time of year, sometimes water, other times still frozen. Back in 2002, Steve King made a visit to the Smith Fisheries in the Bete Grise area of the Keweenaw. That year there was still some white stuff hanging on, but the shoreline was clear of ice.

But then two years later, in 2004, Rick Anderson of Skypixs was flying high over Houghton and captured this scene including the Michigan Tech campus. Note the Portage Canal is still frozen and the rooftops and ground are still covered in white.

Another six years ahead to 2010, we find Brenda Leigh on the banks of the St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste. Marie. The water is open there at Rotary Park, but again, the shoreline is still icy where the seagulls seem to be enjoying the sunny day.

Our current view is from this past weekend, when Krista Poirier and her family took a drive to Bucky’s, also known as the Calumet Waterworks Park. Looks like the ice is still hanging on up there this year. That’s Krista’s son in what looks like the mouth of an alligator, but no fear, he’s systematically breaking off the teeth of that icy creature.

We’re standing in almost the same spot as Brenda’s photo above, in today’s video. In Rotary Park at the Soo, watching the USCGC Mackinaw make a 180° turn in the St. Mary’s River last year in March. You can see the rock pile in the water and the same evergreen tree on the small point in both the photo and the video.

It would be nice to sit on that bench in the summer watching the commerce of America go by. A nice breeze just enough to keep the bugs away and a Whopper to munch on:) That would be a good way to spend a couple hours.

Nice pix and video...every day there's more water and less ice. And you just made me hungry, Duane...I think I'll down some vitamins since B.K. isn't serving Whoppers this early. :-(