Walking by a lakeshore one day in January, I heard what I first thought was thunder. Thundersnows are rare, but they happen.
Thunderstorms on winter evenings when the temperature is falling below zero are less likely. Thunderstorms on perfectly clear evenings when myriad stars appear are probably impossible. So I looked for another source of the sound – sound that clearly came from the frozen lake.
If you have never paused near an inland lake as temperatures change and the ice pack shifts in response, it can be quite an experience. The ice cracks as pressure builds making a vibration that reverberates through the whole ice sheet on the lake as if it were a drumhead. Sometimes the reverberations are high pitched quite like “Star Wars” sound effects. Without snowpack to muffle it, the song of the ice on the lake can be loud and varied.
Nature has many un-proclaimed but rich experiences.
An unexpected intrusion can become the most interesting part of the day if you let it. So much of our lives are spent in environments that counter the effects of the natural world that we are no longer vulnerable to the encounter.
Still, experiencing something that our most ancient ancestors encountered connects us to reality.
Enjoy your world.
Grace and Peace.
I was reminded of the power of ice.
