Just for Fun No C&C will be given: The Iceman Cometh

[Tom Robbins]

...though Hickey never did arrive this morning.

Icefall at Ottawa Canyon of Starved Rock State Park​

Falls of ice can have subtle colors. Early winter ice, for example, is usually milky and tea-colored. Middle of winter ice is usually much clearer, probably because the water source is freshly melted snow, or rain running off frozen watersheds. Late season ice is unpredictable with earlier ice of the falls being buried under more recent accumulations. I think this is all rather interesting. However, I also enjoy watching paint dry and lawns grow, so this sort of thing probably isn't for everyone.

I almost cloned out the bright spots of refracted light, but then decided they were simply part of the scene and deserved to stay. While scanning the original file for dust at 100%, I discovered hundreds of tiny midge-like insects crawling over the ice. They may be a prime source of food for canyon winter birds like Carolina and Winter Wrens.

The vernal equinox is just 42 days away, but who's counting?

Thanks for looking.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I discovered hundreds of tiny midge-like insects crawling over the ice. They may be a prime source of food for canyon winter birds like Carolina and Winter Wrens.

Tom,

At the risk of them crawling into my key board, could you post some of these brilliantly "found" winter creatures for us to see. What's especially interesting to me is the fact that the globules of ice might serve as natural micro studio lighting setups!

Asher

 

[Rachel Foster]

You know, critiques that say "wow" and nothing more are useless and a waste of time. That leaves me feeling inadequate here at OPF quite often because images like this one leave me with with my mouth hanging open and the only word I can muster is "wow."

WOW!