How to Make Music by Breaking Ice.

I know I said that my next blog would be about my wife’s and my grim visa situation, but I rather write about something much more pleasant.

This day was a classic summer day – clear, sunny, crisp and cold, short but sweet.  When I woke this morning, everything was painted white.  Not snow, not the fluffy whiteness sitting on tree limbs and engulfing entire cars.  But ice, umfgillions of tiny crystals that had grown on every surface of everything over the coarse of the night.  I don’t know exactly why, probably a mix of the below freezing temperature and ocean marine layer, but it was beautiful outside.  It still is, even as I write this.  I have never seen everything cover in such whiteness like that before.  You know those fake white Christmas trees?  The ones that look nice but only because their so artificial they could never be real...?  Well, all day I enjoyed that same arctic frost, but it was everywhere and it was authentic.

I had to take advantage of it and go out on Arvid’s rowboat – the same one that I used all summer.  The water was super dark turquoise clear...more than it has been in years according to Arvid.  When out on the boat, I could see down probably 60 feet to the little white patches of sand.  From the dock I could see all the picky details; colored seaweed and dozens of starfish.  Starfish small enough to fit on a dime and starfish large enough to creep me out a little.  I know he’s a harmless starfish, but do you think he actually eat my head if it had the chance?  I mean, come one, he could easily completely wrap himself all the way around it?  Maybe that’s just my sci-fi mind.     

I didn’t know it was so hard to row through ice...and this ice wasn’t even that thick.  It’s not that your boat stops completely, but the ice is surprisingly strong enough to hold your oar underneath it.  And then, if you don’t have good gloves, it will slip right through your fingers and through the ice.  That was problem solving situations, but don’t worry Arvid, I got your oar back.  I reluctantly turned away from my adventure of shattering my way through the stubborn ice.  

Maybe you saw the video I posted on Facebook of rocking my boat to create ice breaking waves.  I was helplessly fascinated by it.  As each wave traversed the sea in formation further and further from the boat, they created an almost symphonized performance of cracking ice and slushing water.  A new sound for my ears.  Likening to the whaaa whaaa ringing sound of large pieces of sheet metal fluttering, along with all the crickets in the northern hemisphere performing their unique instruments.  The sound started at my boat and traveled out, spanning the frozen section of the sea until I could hear it no more.  But honestly, I probably looked like a doofus out in the middle of the sea by myself jumping up and down on the boat.   

I have so enjoyed the sea here at my in-laws place, but I realize that I haven’t posted many pictures of it while out on the boat.  So here are a few of the ones form today that I enjoyed.