I like Ice

Okay, some folks think I am crazy, but I do like winter. I love winter. I get excited for snowfalls, I enjoy a good ice storm [see I am not driving in those if I don't have to any more!], I like cold snaps.

I was going to work in the shed. The tool 'table' is my next project. But then two days of near zero temperatures got me thinking.
The quick thaw and the quick freeze over the weekend combined with all the moisture we had just might provide for some Ice Formations if one knew where to look.

I drove to Kickapoo Valley Reserve and went in to browse and vote for the photos in the contest. I actually voted for someone else's photo. It was a beautiful shot of the frozen Kickapoo River.

I zipped up and headed out on the Wintergreen Trail. I had brought my converted Infrared camera and the 'hot' filter which converts it back to the normal light visible light spectrum.
So many IR photographers put their cameras away when the leaves fall. But I thought it would be fun to see what happens in the winter.

It didn't take me long to get to the place of the well hidden 'Ice Caves' or 'Ice Falls'. I don't think these are very well known at all.

I think the ice reflected the same light spectrum as the sky did! This is not how it looks in the camera review screen. The sky and the ice appeared brownish orange. When developing IR for color a person has to swap the red and blue color channels.

No matter, I really liked how this turned out.

Another shot taken in visible light with the hot filter on the camera. I love the odd look of Infrared, but also love this shot. If the cold weather continues, the water will continue to flow out of the ground and over the ice building a huge formation.

I wore kids little knit gloves with open fingers and a pair of my Grandmother's hand knit mittens with a second layer of wool over the knit part. I was able to keep my hands warm in between shots and changing filters.

When I got to the bluff I'd wished that I'd also worn my face mask that I could pull up to my nose. It was brutally cold in the wind on top of those rocks.

Infrared again...

However, the view was worth it.
The ice that was forming on the surface of the river actually made eerie noises as they floated along hitting the rocks and shore below. At first I didn't know what it was and looked around for some sort of Creaky Monster.

I turned around and headed back as I had other things to get done at home. I really wanted to walk to the end of the trail but decided to leave that for another day.

I made a late lunch for Rich and he decided to take a nap. Charlie was nagging me for a walk so I went out and got Sven and we went off again.

I thought it would be too cold for the dog and the goat. I was wrong. The two of them seemed to enjoy the fresh air the same as little kids do. At least I didn't have to remind them to wear scarves or a nice warm coat. They already had nice fur coats on.

I didn't have Charlie's beeper collar on and at one point he decided to head off on a trail following his nose. I imagine it must have been the fresh scent of a deer. He came back and I decided enough was enough. I wasn't forgetting that collar next time!

The creek provided me with some beautiful ice formations to look at. I admit it. I am a ice/frozen falls/water junkie! I just can't get enough of searching for them.

See?
Doesn't Mother Nature make some of the coolest formations with water?

We live in a 'hollow' which means that the sun disappears from the sky a bit earlier than it does on the ridge. I called to my faithful dog and goat and we headed back up the ridge road.

My two pals and I headed home to do chores and make supper.
We'd had quite the day.