Ice on the Pond
Tuesday, March 10th, 2026
Ice on the pond.
RJ Photography
By Bob Gaydos
‘Tis 80 degrees
and there’s ice on the pond.
One would think, with this thaw,
‘twould be nice on the pond.
That one being me, ventured to see
What had become of winter’s
Ice.
On the pond.
Still there … more or less
Not quite pretty, not quite mess.
Ice on the pond surrounded by trees,
which, I suspect, preserved the freeze.
Even at 80 degrees.
Once upon a time,
in the spring, I suspect,
There were waves on the pond
And I muttered, “Holy heck!”
The trees had shed their limbs.
The wind had ‘leashed a wreck.
So, some ice on the pond,
while a balmy surprise,
Is still a pleasant treat
for winter weary eyes.
Soon, ‘twill be gone.
Actually, the sooner the better.
For the geese like their ponds
not frozen, but wetter.
For mating and training the young ones
to swim,
ice on the pond can be
rather grim.
So, Nature, forgo surprises!
Be done.
‘Tis 80 degrees.
Ice on the pond be gone!
Carrie’s Painting of the Week – 5/2/2014
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014
Early Spring
oil on canvas, 10×10
By Carrie Jacobson
One of the best things of this life as a painter is having the time, and living in the space, to be aware of the minutiae of the natural world, and the turning of the seasons.
Weeks and weeks ago, I saw the tips of the trees begin to redden. I’ve watched the buds shift to yellow green, and then to flowers and, in a second, it seemed, burst into leaves. I drive the back roads, slowly enough that I can notice the wisteria growing wild where, perhaps, a house once stood. Slowly enough that I can stop to help a turtle cross.
The daffodils are mostly passed here, except for in the shadows, but everywhere, dogwood is blooming, pink and white, fragile and brilliant deep in the shady woods, and dancing at the edges, too. Azaleas – ludicrously loud! Ridiculously bright! – announce themselves all over town. Irises are blooming, elegant and spiky, and the lawn is already out of control.
Working for decades inside, I hadn’t known I’d lost touch. Now, I know I had.