Remembering Ice by Chipka
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Description
Everyone talks about it: last year’s blizzard, and the quiet young man who walked on ice, afterward. The ice is gone now. So is the young man. Some say that he vanished into the sea itself, and that he will re-appear next winter: a ghost given shape by the howling wind and blowing snow. Others say that he simply left. They remember his offering of walnuts, weighted with stones in their dirty, burlap sack. They remember the meaning of his offering, the stones mixed in with the nuts, so that they might sink when the ice melted. There are walnuts under water now. No one has found them. Nothing has washed ashore.
Few people remember the young man’s name, or even what he looked like. He was tall, some say, with dark, curly hair. Others contend that he was of average height, with straight, blond hair. Some say that he came of age in a far away land. Some say that he was local, and something less than sane. In this way, he was a ghost—perhaps. No one, after all, ever agrees on what a ghost looks like. I’ve seen ghosts myself. Once, I saw a figure. I knew it was the shape of a woman. A friend beside me, saw the shape of a dog made of steam, and his friend saw the body of a criminal, suspended (by the neck) from a hangman’s noose. Woman. Dog. Criminal. They were all the same ghost. This young man, this old boy, must be the same. Dark haired. Blond. Tall. Short. It is all the same person. When people think of ice, they think of him. He is gone now, and that’s all anyone knows.
*
I’d intended to post this image a lot sooner than now. Other things came up, other stories bubbled to the forefront of my mind. Though I hadn’t planned on a lakeshore ice series, that’s what happened. I took this picture on a very cold day. I meandered along the lakeshore with Corey, quite intent on finding stuff like this. The Great Lakes do strange things in winter: they get crunchy along their shores.
There are other pictures in this series. They’re already posted. They involve a character…leaving, or considering a departure. They begin with quotations by a man named Hieronymous. That’s all I remember of them, and so it’s fitting that my return to this world is a return tinged with gaps in memory. I suppose I could have gone back and read the stories I’d written and continued from there…but I rather like the fact that I’ve lost the thread. It opens up a different story.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse back at compacted layers of ice grown along Lake Michigan’s southwestern shore.
Comments (27)
drifterlee
AWesome shot!
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend. God Bless.
tizjezzme
Reminds me of winter along the shores of Lake Superior. It's treacherous for walking. Awesome shot. :)
Lashia
Great shot of this ice, amazing- thanks for sharing! :-)
Selina Photography™
flavia49
excellent
Orinoor
There is something ancient about the ice in your photo, it reminds me of the calcium deposits in certain caves, where water drips off of limestone for ages and creates weird, otherworldly shapes. Perhaps they are ghosts too....
jocko500
looks cool. bet every one in your area thinks of winter now as it is so hot in your area. it hot here too lol
Sepiasiren
That blizzard was a chiller killer--kewl cause we rarely get a good snow down south--great picture--a brilliant reminder...
jac204
Nice capture and story about the ghosts.
NefariousDrO
I agree with Orinoor, my immediate reaction was "that reminds me of cave formations" when I saw this. I have many fond memories of walking along the Lake Michigan shoreline in winter, really cool stuff.
auntietk
My mind absolutely boggles every time I see something like this. Photographs, of course ... I've never seen it in person. Ice here is a delicate thing, and the walnuts would be at the bottom in a day's time. Of course "bottom" isn't very far in these parts. A mud puddle, the shallow edges of a lake ... salt water doesn't freeze. Deep water doesn't freeze. Not here. A tall, short, blond dark thin man would fall through, walnuts or no, all the way to his ankles. It makes me love your story all the more, and the image leaves me with my jaw on the floor.
RodS
Fascinating formations of ice - great capture, Chip!
blinkings
You know short of sticking my head in the freezer, I can't imagine how cold this water is!!!!!!! Great walk mate.
Feliciti
indeed fascinating formations of ice looks like from the other world !! great captured !!
durleybeachbum
"I rather like the fact that I’ve lost the thread. It opens up a different story." MOST encouraging for those of us in the Third Age of our lives. I cannot begin to conceive of the mind-boggling cold it takes to form these amazing structures.
fallen21
Excellent capture!
MrsRatbag
Wow, this is a fantastic capture, even without the brilliant little snippet that is a whole story in itself. You did well!
photosynthesis
Fascinating & evocative ice formations + unusual & creative framing & composition = great image.
sandra46
terrific cool from your shot i need it in this very hot day! Ciao!
danapommet
I grew up looking at ice like this Chip. It was everywhere and shots like this were all around me at low tide. When the ocean freezes it is cold and living on an island seaport was brutal in the winter. Some nice memories were evoked by this frigged shot. Dana
CoreyBlack
Oh boy do I remember this day! It was FRACKING cold. The kind of cold that goes through you like a knife. The kind of cold that takes your breath away. The kind of cold we Chicagoans are used to! (And one of the main reasons I'm retiring to Florida ASAP) The kind of cold... Well, let's just say it's hot July here in Chicago, and I still haven't thawed out totally from this day in January! As I recall, I grabbed a few quick snaps, including several of you sliding around the snow/ice banks on your belly getting up close and personal with the quasi-frozen lake, and then I high-tailed it to the warmth of the nearest coffee house. Wonderful, moody shot that brings back memories...cold memories.
helanker
Yeah, Last winter was very cold, but not at all as cold here, as in Chicago. This is Mother Nature in her best winter dress. Looks fantastic. And only ghosts would walk around on the ice....... and maybe Mark too. :) He told me he did. TSK TSK!
mbz2662
Wow~ really neat. I have never seen anything like this. I would love to some day. Who knows? I may yet get to see one or more of the Great Lakes during the winter season. Wonderful work.
bobrgallegos
Wonderful photo!! Brrrrr it looks cold.
fredster66
Awesome image!
Armahda
There's something old about this ice - old like late March ice, no longer fresh,crystal and clean. I enjoyed the little tale with this photo, they match well: old,aged ice and a ghost.
icerian
Impressive scenery and text about things which are gone.