Making Ice

As I mentioned in a previous post, this time last year the ice was in and here to stay.  The season has been so mild that we are still pretty far away from "ice in".  The lake is cold, though, and ready.  All it takes is a few hours of below zero temperatures for the ice to start forming.  Below is a picture of a calmer area near the shore where you can see thin patches of ice forming on top of the water.  This thin ice moves with the water, wind and currents and if the lake gets too rough, it will dissipate once again.  

Smaller ponds and marshes were frozen this morning.  The photo below is of the marsh below Swords.  Winter is trying to take hold, and may this weekend with snow and colder temperatures in the forecast.  Come Monday, it will all go away again, there are more mild, rainy days on the way.

Just a Little Bit Easier

A few weeks ago we had some lovely snow and I thought it was the beginning of a white Christmas season.  It has however, been raining ever since.  I love snow for Christmas, but I just can't complain about this.  The last two winters were so brutal, so cold and snowy, that I really feel like I can't handle another winter just yet.

It has been raining most days, with temperatures ranging from just above zero to ten degrees Celsius.  One again, I'm not complaining.  I am enjoying this extended fall weather.  It is easier to do things outside, go places and to keep the house warm.

This time last year we had a frozen lake and two feet of snow,  We did experience a thaw right around Christmas, but winter came back with a vengeance in January.

While I have grown to love snow since moving here, and will miss a sparking white Christmas morning, the mystery and loveliness snow adds to Christmas Eve, and all the winter activities that we enjoy so much, if the trade off is an easier winter season...well, I'll take it, but just for this year.

Ice In

Yesterday morning we woke to a thin skim of ice covering the lake.  Throughout the day, it shifted and melted, and all but a crust remained around our shore by day's end.

 

This morning, we woke to a similar scene, except today's ice didn't melt.  I imagine this ice is here to stay.  The start of this winter's ice.

 

It's truly amazing to watch as a constantly moving thing - like a lake's surface, become still.  I know that ice really isn't perfectly still - it shifts and cracks and booms, but it's continual motion is gone, quieted by the coming winter.

 

Our ice is in.

 

Ice

The ice is finally here to stay. 

Last night it was loud.  Booming and cracking and buckling in the dark. 

This morning we headed out into the sparking bright day and checked it, and did some playing.

A buckle in the ice.