We have a tiny slice of heaven on the shores of "The Sea of Waubesa". My father calls it the center of the universe. Our tiny slice of heaven was a bit surprising yesterday morning. I shall call it "Iceland".

During the night the wind pushed the ice pack, which is having trouble melting this year, right up out of the lake and way up on our shore! Never mind that we have the pier stacked along the seawall, something we have done year after year with no problems. But the heaved ice pack pushed against our pier sections and our boat hoists, seeming intent on turning steel into pretzels.

My photos don't do the incredible sight justice, or convey the amazing sounds of tinkling piles of ice crystals. But they will give you an idea of something I have never seen before and hope to never see again.

A heap of ice piles on the sea wall and further up to the lawn.

blog 5-3 Here are the pier sections being petzelized by the crush of the ice blowing in. blog 5-1 This boat hoist has been pushed off its platform and is starting to dig into the boat house door.blog 5-2 Aaron and Mark digging out.blog 5-4 That piece of cement in the foreground was a part of the platform, it got heaved up onto the hoist.blog 5-6 A magnificent pile of ice crystals!blog 5-9 Piles and piles of ice.blog 5-13 I had the brilliant idea to put the hose to it. blog 5-15 Brilliant? No.blog 5-17 Reinforcements arrive...my brother and our oldest son.blog 5-18 Getting close to being able to lift the hoist out.blog 5-19 Poor, poor owl!blog 5-20 blog 5-21 blog 5-22 Our neighbors had some problems, too.blog 5-35 These were lying flat till the ice pushed on the legs!blog 5-37 Aaron...thanks for the brawn!blog 5-43 blog 5-47                                                                                                    ICELAND!!