New Year & Start How You Mean To Go On.

I always feel like the dawn of a new calendar years brings with it the possibility to wipe the slate clean and start again. It seems a little silly in a way. It's just another day. Yet I try to think of things I'd like to begin. I don't make resolutions as such as I usually break them. I do however plan on making some goals that I'd like to obtain. There are things I've been wanting to do and the start of a new year seems like the perfect time to begin those things.

One of the things that - as a couple - we're determined to continue with is our Sunday walks. For years I worked every Sunday and Saturdays were taken up by family, shopping, housework and generally catching up from a draining work week. When I decided to leave my job the Sunday walks were one of the things we wanted to do more. Last year was the first year we managed to go out almost every weekend. We've had a lot of fun. We visited loads of new parks and walked new trails. In 2018 we're determined to visit 8 new lighthouses and walk in 8 new parks. Hubby wants to do an overnight hike but that's one I'm not too sure about - maybe I should just take a leap!

Today's walk we planned on going to the lakeshore. I'd seen online where Lake Michigan was starting to freeze. We decided to go to Warren Dunes State park to look at the ice build-up. Nope. Wasn't too be. The drive was pretty bad - it was snowing and blowing. We made it to the park but the wind was blowing so hard and the snow so deep we couldn't even find a way down on the beach!

This was as close as I could get. The wind was whipping across my face so hard it was painful! The temps were really cold too.

From there we took our usual route up the shoreline.

This was the view as we drove along. Yes - this is the main road. Glad I wasn't driving!

We managed to see the two lighthouses nearby before heading back home. Not new-to-visit ones.  I was SO glad to get there! I think tomorrow I'll be staying inside. 

The lake is freezing over. It is strange to watch - especially at the bottom photo. The lighthouse is on one side of a channel and between the channel are chunks of ice. You can see them floating up and down.

Couldn't stay outside long at either one. We were bundled up tightly but with the wind blowing and the temperatures so low it would be too dangerous. There was one brave couple walking along the boardwalk to the top lighthouse. At the end the ice was so deep it looked like they had to climb over it!

Hope everyone had a lovely, safe New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Everybody in my house is back to work tomorrow so a quiet day of cleaning and sorting.