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To mark the end of this irritating year, something completely DAFT.
A short cold snap over Christmas offered the chance for the ice creation I’ve waited so long to attempt.
On Christmas Eve, birds came to decorate.
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2021 began with a prolonged period of below-freezing weather. Refilling the bowl each morning for the birds, I began stacking the ice.
And so it went on.
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In the end I had so much fun with it, I looked forward to the next opportunity, saving odd containers to create different shapes.
But it was not until four years later that such a time arrived and knowing the duration would be short added to the challenge.
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Christmas morning I perished my fingers emptying the various containers and attempting to place them, using handfuls of snow as glue.
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Boxing Day.
It was so cold that some of the containers froze during the day giving me more additions.
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Clearly, there was no plan.
There were always plenty of knobs but how would I balance larger pieces on top?
The containers were on the porch beneath a suet feeder and some if them got colourized by bird donations.
Which gave me an idea.
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Food colouring.
Why didn’t I think of this before?
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Not the colours I expected.
Maybe being frozen changes them?
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This day I added some different shapes and using snow I was able to stack on top of the knobs.
I used whatever containers I could find.
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By wetting the surfaces, I got them to stick together.
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I added some broken bits from the sparrow’s large water bowl.
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By the 28th, temperatures were moderating, so there would be no more building.
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Just the daily melt.
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This was at 8 am.
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And this was at 1530.
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Melting is interesting too!
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Some people watch fire burn…
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0734 December 29th
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Amazingly, still standing.
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Upended ice from the sparrow bath.
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1310 29th December.
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The shapes fascinated me.
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Ice is a bit like clouds. No formation is ever exactly the same and they constantly change, growing or dissipating.
Just as I could always lose myself in watching clouds, I find myself captivated by ice formations.
Putting the “sculpture” together was fun, but watching it dissolve I found equally enjoyable.
There is something almost spiritual about watching your humble creation evaporate.
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This was the last image I took on Sunday afternoon.
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And this was Monday morning.
Poof!
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The world had reverted to brown.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
You are an ice artist ! 🙂
Happy New Year 2025 to you too.
Happy New Year. If you video the process next time, from start to complete meltdown, and put it on Netflix, I’m sure you will be an internet sensation!
Oh, so lovely!! 💕
About as daft as cats!
Pictures of the various stages of your ice sculptures had me captivated! I am sure I had as much fun watching the process as you did creating them. I hope to see more of them as the winter continues.
And to you, Carolyn! Thank you for being my very entertaining blog friend. I look forward to “being in touch with you“ each and every day.
Beautiful, creative ice sculptures! Food dye was nice touch!
Looking forward to your stories, and pictures in 2025!
Happy New Year, Carolyn! 🐱🐈
Catherine
Very creative!
Happy New Year, Carolyn! Wishing you a wonderful 2025 and look forward to more of your daily adventures!
That’s a lot of fun, and it gets you outside in the fresh air. Win-win!
Best wishes, Pete.