Icy Tears

Winter would stay forever if it could.

It's worked hard to establish itself,

building layers upon layers of ice and snow,

determined to become a permanent part of our landscape.

It's understandable then,
to see the long, sharp, icy tears of sadness

when warm winds blow in
and it must relinquish its grip.

Rings of memory,

frozen in time,

wait anxiously to be released

to rejoin the story of the seasons.

Stripped of Winter's decorations,

the forests are left dark and empty,

save for the icicles
that twinkle like haunted chandeliers,
a memory of happier times.

The ground swells with unfamiliar waters;

milky-grey and ice-cold,
not ready yet for life to begin.

Ice touches gold.

Winter and Autumn, old friends,
reunite for a brief moment.

Together they transform bare fields
into treasure-chests brimming with jewels.

In the same way Winter arrived,
it leaves us breathless, sparkling
with a beauty we won't forget.

And then, with one swoop of a wand

the seasons change. 

Ice Bubble Magic

Need a reason to venture out into the cold?

How about something that will fill you with a sense of wonder!

If you'd like to watch a mini Ice Age planet

form before your very eyes

scroll to the bottom of this post for the video.

If you want to create an Ice Bubble yourself,

continue reading for instructions :) 

First, you must be brave and head out into the cold.

• Yes, the VERY cold.
• It should be no warmer than 30 degrees Fahrenheit/-1 Celsius! The day I took the video it was 0 Fahrenheit/-17 Celsius.
• So, #1 - dress warmly; hat, gloves, coat, slush pants if you have (just like your mother made you dress as a child) because you will be staying still and the cold creeps up on you when you're not moving.

Other conditions you will need:

• Sunlight (for photos)
• Little or no wind
• Some snow or a soft-ish outdoor surface to blow the bubble on.

Supplies:

• Bubble solution: 3 cups water, 1 cup liquid dish soap, 1/2 cup corn syrup (stir gently, do not shake to mix!)
• A straw
• Patience
• Wonder

I suggest blowing your first bubbles just to watch and enjoy.
The first few are tricky. Don't be discouraged if they don't last long.
Keep practicing, blow very gently and adjust your technique until you get the hang of it.

For taking photos:

• I use my Canon 6D with my favourite 100mm macro lens which allows me to catch the fine details of the ice crystals but really, these bubbles are so beautiful I think any camera you use will not let you down! Your phone camera will do very nicely too.
• I often shoot in Automatic setting (or use Aperture Priority, depending on the light) with manual focus.
• Manual focus is a must because the bubble and the ice crystals that form on it are constantly moving. The trouble you'll see in the video (which I filmed with my iPhone) is the ice crystals often begin to form on the far side, then when the crystals form on the front, the camera doesn't adjust its focus and the final image has a haze on it.
• With manual focus you will focus first on the far side of the bubble and then adjust to focus on the front side (closest to you) as the ice crystals develop.

Bubble tips:

• The temperature outside will play a role in the speed and quality of the bubbles you get.
• The colder it is, the faster the ice crystals form, sometimes I barely have time to blow the bubble and pick up my camera before the whole bubble is completely frozen over. (Yes, in Montreal, where I live, it is often VERY cold and I just love it!)
• It's nice to catch the ice crystals as they form with a lot of free space around them if you can.
• Fiddle around with the blowing technique until you find what works for you.
• I make my bubble solution in a mason jar and keep it indoors with a lid on it for the whole winter.
• If possible, put the jar outside to cool down a bit while you get dressed for outside.
• Find a spot to set up, somewhere facing the light with a flat surface you can blow the bubble onto. You should have somewhere to brace your camera arm so you can remain still (or set up a tripod.) I use a banister on my backyard deck.
• It's important that there is almost no wind. The bubbles don't stand a chance in the wind and you will be eternally frustrated when they keep popping. If you have an outdoor shed with a window, going in there might be a good alternative for you.
• To blow the bubbles, I dip the straw in the bubble solution and gently exhale, rather than blow like we do with summertime bubbles, about an inch over the place I want the bubble to land.
• Depending on the temperature, wind and humidity, the bubbles can last anywhere from seconds to minutes. Either way, start snapping pictures as fast as you can. For a more stable, long-lasting bubble, it's best to blow a smaller sized bubble than a large one.
• Experiment with positioning the camera toward the light to create contrast and bring out the details of the ice crystals. This was extremely difficult for me at the beginning and took a lot of turning the camera every which way before I figured it out. It's times like this that I'm happy cameras today are digital and I'm not paying for rolls of film :)

I do hope you get the chance to give it a try.

It's not every day you find something that fills you with such wonder!

Delightful December

Last night the snow fell.

Scampering around like a family of frantic field mice,

we pulled shovels from the back of the shed,

removed forgotten items from the yard

and added twenty minutes extra to

tomorrow's travel plans 

to deal with the

"weather."

After everything was done,

I stayed to watch the snow coat the branches of the trees

until they were as beautiful as a freshly iced cake.

The plunging temperatures caused some

to pull up the collars of their coats

and stamp an annoyed dance

onto the icy ground with their heavy boots.

I chose to watch

the golden light spill from the windows

of the houses onto our street.

It looked so cozy;
all these families gathered for a hot evening meal,

while their humming furnaces
sent soft plumes of smoke

into the darkening sky.

This frozen, wet stuff...

It's just rain, really.

Is it more annoying

because it's going to stick and stay?

Surely snowflakes

are a form of enchantment;

falling, frozen stars,

light as air,

each one sculpted, unique, miraculous.

They gather here and there

with an artist's flourish

and make something new from what was old.

Or, they melt and freeze again,

allowing us glimpses into other worlds

that only winter can help us find.

Whichever way you choose

to view it,

I welcome the snow

and all its wonder.

Oh Spring, Where Art Thou?

It appears Spring has been hijacked by Winter,

and is refusing to leave.

Fresh snow continues to fall

discouraging the tulips that have optimistically

poked their heads out of the cold, hard ground.

The forest remains bare-branched and empty.

The only things out to greet me on my walks

are last year's weathered flowers

And the joyous sound of birdsong welcoming

a Spring that has yet to arrive.

The sun assures us it is doing it's best

to move things along,

Casting the most lovely glow on anything

brave or hardy enough to make it through the winter.

And so I admire what fall has left behind;

A gift given once but appreciated twice.

"Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yes, patience...

And so I will continue to admire

the longer days and (slightly) warmer temperatures.

While I wait for Spring to truly arrive.

Life In Ice

Night falls and

Curtains of ice drape the windows

Outside, feathers dance

a winter ballet

on a bone-chilling breeze

The tomb seals shut

Freezing anything

and everything that moves

Ice contains no future

Just the past, sealed away

Trapped in that moment

The ordinary becomes extraordinary

Diamonds appear out of nowhere

cut and polished

to perfection

Everything you know - 

transformed

Each precious moment -

captured

Ice

Changes the view

A world of ice

The story of life

Frozen in time

Winter's Bite

Winter has been gnashing its teeth at us!

Wherever the icy rains land

they stick

and freeze mid-action,

creating beautiful, frozen statues.

Branches groan under the weight of their heavy cloak

and power lines crack and fall,

leaving many people without electricity.

So, we create a light of our own,

with stories and games,

laughter and patience.

(The power outage only lasted 26 hours for us.

So all is well, no need for anyone to worry.)