Wild ice and confused stars

[asakiyume]

Wild Ice

The good thing about really deep cold is ice in all the wild places: on streams, in wetlands, on ponds and puddles in the woods. Wild ice. I love finding it and sliding on it.

Sometimes it doesn't take much searching to find. I took a friend for a walk around a pond, and sure enough, the pond was frozen. Because I had a friend with me ("don't go out on the ice by yourself," the radio admonished the other day), I ventured out a little, inching past the cattails. "Be careful," my friend said anxiously. I didn't get more than a yard away from shore. Even so: how delicious it was, to be on ice under a wide sky. I held both arms up--triumph!

Later we came to a lookout point--sort of a gazebo at the end of a pier, sticking onto the pond.

"Wow, you could really get onto the ice here," my friend said.

"Good idea!"

I lowered myself off the pier and onto the ice.

"Ughh, why did I go and suggest this," she groaned.

"No, it's good." I said. "Look how strong it is." I held onto the pier and jumped hard. The ice was quite firm--wonderful. I walked a little way out and drew some patterns in the snow on her suggestion.

Later I sent her a message, thanking her for coming with me on my quest for wild ice, and she sent back this message:

Thanks for sharing your ice joy with me! It was magical to feel such fear while witnessing such joy.

Her words got me thinking about the special flavor of joy that comes in the face of fear.



Confused Stars

The Japanese word for planet is wakusei (惑星), which if you go character by character means "confused star," or "lost star" for planets' habits of wandering as if lost in the night sky. On Thursday evening I walked to the supermarket, and behind me Venus was shining bright blue white, with a little star beneath it that I later found out was Saturn. Ahead of me, ruby red, was Mars, up above and to the left of Betelgeuse, Orion's fainter-red shoulder. And over Orion's other shoulder, to the right, shining a warm bright gold, was Jupiter. What a beautiful, powerful sight. Almost audible--my vertebrae were vibrating.

Comments

[sovay]

behind me Venus was shining bright blue white, with a little star beneath it that I later found out was Saturn. Ahead of me, ruby red, was Mars, up above and to the left of Betelgeuse, Orion's fainter-red shoulder. And over Orion's other shoulder, to the right, shining a warm bright gold, was Jupiter. What a beautiful, powerful sight. Almost audible--my vertebrae were vibrating.

Thank you for this shot of the sky.

[asakiyume]

Very glad to have people to share it with!

[minoanmiss]

I am very glad the ice repaid your admiration with solidity!

And like your fellow poet sovay said, thank you for this portrait of the sky!

[asakiyume]

I am glad too! One thing lots of near-zero F days are good for ;-) And you're very welcome--thanks for being here to share it with.

[radiantfracture]

Beautiful.

Mars has been so bright lately!

[asakiyume]

So bright--calling out to be seen and admired.

[cmcmck]

We have been getting stunning displays of both Mars and Venus recently.

[asakiyume]

They really are stunning.

[smokingboot]

So much beauty and magic, thank you.

[asakiyume]

Thank you for being here and enjoying it with me!

[mallorys_camera]

I have combined your two experiences in my mind so that now you're gliding silently on a night-frozen pond under the red stars. 😀

[asakiyume]

I would straight up LOVE to do that. ... In fact maybe I'll try (but on something more like a puddle than a pond, heh).

[heleninwales]

It very rarely freezes here, so it's a long time since I saw a frozen lake.

[asakiyume]

They're less common here, too, thanks to climate change, but they do still happen. On my drive to my father's house on Saturday, I saw a guy out ice fishing on a lake with his dog for company.

[shewhomust]

I learned for the first time at Wednesday night's quiz that cattails are bullrushes. Thank you for providing such a delightful context for them.

[asakiyume]

Yes! I gradually realized from Wakanomori that that was the case! (And you're very welcome)

[osprey_archer]

Ooooh, now I want to walk out on the ice in the pond behind the Hummingbird Cottage... Will take your good advice and only do so if I have a friend around, though!

[asakiyume]

I hope it's *wonderful* when you do go out.

[wayfaringwordhack]

I have gotten such joy out of so easily seeing so many planets of late. Wonderful to think of friends doing the same around the world.

[asakiyume]

Me toooooooo! So glad you've been enjoying them as well. The skies connect us--poets all over the world have written about looking at the moon or the stars and thinking of their beloved, far away, looking at it too.

[med_cat]

Lovely and poetic :)

[asakiyume]

Ice brings it out in a person! ... As do a string of planets in the night sky.