The Lyricism of Ice

Even in the stillness of winter, a frozen lake is very loud.  This morning I stepped outside to snap some photos of the spectacular morning sky, and as it always does, the unearthly noise coming from the lake took me by surprise.  It's fascinating to listen to.  Unpredictable.

A frozen lake makes noise in this way because the ice is elastic and dynamic.  Constantly changing due to currents underneath and ranging temperatures.  Certainly, our lake is the noisiest on very cold mornings or when there has been a dramatic temperature change.

We are nearing our one year mark of living here - we moved last Easter weekend, and I am looking forward to coming full circle, as it were.  When we arrived last year, the ice was already out and there were only patches of snow left.  I want to see the lake ice melt.  Having only visited here in the past, and never staying long enough to notice anything significant, I am constantly surprised by how dynamic and lyrical winter is.  I would have never guessed that the most interesting season on a lake would be winter, but it is.