When I was growing up, I had a ready answer to “What is your favorite color?”  No question, it was blue.  But not just any blue.  It was the blue of a deep blue sky.  It was the color of cornflower blue in my box of crayons.  It is still etched very specifically in my mind, and it’s still my favorite color.

Riding my bike up the North Shore last week I delighted in the hues of that blue all along the way.  Lake Superior was in rare form, still and calm, reflecting that deep blue sky.  And the contrast with the snow and ice on the edge of the lake accentuated that blue.  It was a feast for the eyes, enhancing the wonderful day to be out cycling.

The ice formations along the shoreline were fascinating in their variety.  In some areas, thin ice was pushed up into a crush of jaggedy piles, the sharp edges protruding in spiky peaks.  In others, clear ice formed a patchwork of round fragments, sewn together by crusty white edges.  Some spots were still covered in deep snow, mounded over the rocks that lined the shoreline.

I think I have another descriptor for my favorite color: Lake Superior blue.