A Bridge to Beauty

A Frosty Morning on Manitou Island
Unique frost makes for a picturesque scene on Manitou Island.
A Frosty Morning on Manitou Island garnered first place in the City Landmarks category of our 2020 Lens on the Lake photo contest.

Nature, in all her unbridled beauty, frequently puts on a dazzling display for all to see. Such is the case when Ron Hawkins awoke on a chilly Monday morning last February and noticed the hoarfrost on the trees—he knew the tiny crystals of frozen water vapor coating the landscape would make for beautiful photos.

“I went straight to the area of Matoska Park and the Manitou Island Bridge,” says Hawkins. “After hopping out of the car, this was the first view that caught my eye—and it was the very first picture I took that morning.”

And Hawkins, an avid photographer, perfectly articulates the feeling his photo, A Frosty Morning on Manitou Island, evokes.

“What I like most about the photo is that it simply gives me a sense of peacefulness and hometown pride. White Bear Lake has so many beautiful gems around town and this area certainly is one of them,” says Hawkins. “That morning, and when I look at the photo again,
I feel a sense of calmness.”