Of Wind and Waves

Ice shards in the lake today

I spotted a dog barking at a frog this afternoon (left), while walking along the edge of our frozen lake. Do you see it? That's okay, neither does my wife. Funny but I never see animals in clouds.

Winter's been chasing its tail here at the end of the road, and the lake was about 90% frozen over when the sun went down. But a warm front arrived overnight, bringing rain and wind this morning.

The little 10% patch of open water was room enough for the 30-40 knot wind to kick up whitecaps and chew away at the frozen edges of ice, which ran for more than half a mile across the lake. Over the course of several hours, the wind and waves crashed the smooth sheet of ice into so many tinkling ice cubes.

Night has returned, but standing in the yard I can still hear the shards of ice softly clinking together like wine glasses in a darkened banquet hall. In a few days we'll watch the surface re-freeze once again, for a third time this winter. But only after a deep freeze will the first foolhardy ice fisherman emerge.