Just a few days ago I posted some photos showing the gritty side of winter. Which is mostly what anyone living or working in an urban environment experiences. But sometimes quite by surprise, winter will show you a bit of breathtaking beauty. This morning I walked over to the local post office to mail my tax forms. My usual February ritual. The last few days have been a bit warmer by day, but still below freezing at night. So all the snow melts just enough to freeze up and slicken most every walking surface by sunrise. I slipped and barely caught myself several times today, cursing all the more this dreaded winter season.
But just before I got home, I saw something on the sidewalk that struck me as a work of art. At first I thought that it was man-made, given that my town is brimming with artsy people who would somehow figure out how to etch a fancy pattern in the sidewalk just for the sake of it. But no, on closer look, whatever I saw was clearly made of ice on flat piece of slate.
So I went inside and got my camera and went back to find this impromptu bit of natural ice sculpture, half expecting that I wouldn’t find it as it was just an illusion that would quickly melt away. Sort of like that line in the Pink Floyd song, “I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now . . .” But no, surprisingly enough it was there in plain sight, just begging for a photo shoot. No one else was in the area, so I got down on my knees and took some shots.


Next is a detailed close-up shot, to help share my wonderment towards this unanticipated and almost stepped-on bit of plebeian winter splendor. I still don’t like winter (it is supposed to come back with a vengeance in a few days and stay until almost mid-March), but I guess it does have its place in the bigger picture.

Jim, Too often we don’t see the beauty right in front of us; we’d rather moan and groan about how difficult the winter is. But it certainly does have it’s beauty.
These pictures are certainly a wonder and beautiful. I find myself wondering if there was something under the ice that caused the pattern. But you said the water was on a flat slate which makes me wonder if it could be the wind that caused the pattern in the water as it froze. Another who’d’ve thunk! for this winter.
If we took a different approach to winter, we could see a lot of beauty. And you’ve captured some of it in these pictures. Another good job, Jim. MCS
Comment by Ma — February 22, 2014 @ 1:43 pm
Thank you for sharing your photographs, Jim. As always, piercing insights without the need for words! inspiring indeed.
Comment by spunkykitty — March 15, 2014 @ 4:53 am