TCC for 1/30/08

The Caretaker's Concern 1/30/08
Ghetto temp. 58 F. and rising.
Island tmp. 23 F. Yesterday's L/H: 32/35 F.
Mostly clear night sky, occasional clouds. Mild wind from the West shore, with occasional gusts.

Both of today's photos were taken today. The one on top was taken early in the morning, the one below was taken around mid-day. The morning started with freezing rain and some hale, mostly light and intermittent with occasional down-pours. By mid-day it became snow, briefly, then stopped. The wind was not as forecasted, but there were plenty of good gusts. The ice has opened up more. The wind pushed it around quite a bit, the ice made all sorts of noises today. The ice has been quite active these past few days, between the lowering of the Lake and the wind, the ice has been quite a symphony. As the Lake lowers, due to a lack of precipitation, it usually cracks and booms as the ice drops. A few times the drop was enough to shake the Island and rattle the Ghetto, almost like a very, very small Earth quake--it is often a touch jarring. When the wind pushes on the ice, today especially, the ice gurgles, pops, and pings. Sometimes it sounds like a slide-whistle as the air pockets move rapidly beneath the ice. Many of the noises from the ice sound as though they are from a Science Fiction movie. Overall the sounds of the ice are not exactly easy to describe, but the Caretaker will make a point to try to do so in the future.

While the Caretaker was at the shoreline he watched the ice move up and down and shift around as the wind gusted. Occasional ice sheets would grind together, their edges breaking up into small shards of what looked like crystal, glistening in the sun. With the warm weather and the thinning ice, it almost seemed like the Spring thaw. However we will be getting some cold weather again, but not for long. Next week's temperature is expected to be rather mild as far as the ice goes. This is not so good for the Caretaker, at least as far as getting to the mainland. The Caretaker will be trying for the mainland tomorrow. His hope is that he will be able to scoot himself along top the ice in a kayak. If it works well he could be over to the mainland in no time. If it doesn't work so well he could be over in a long while, and if it goes utterly terrible he will be pulling himself out of the Lake minus the kayak--or he decides not to go at all. Unfortunately not going to the mainland tomorrow isn't really an option.

--The Caretaker