Friday, May 3, 2013

News! cold May temps provide minor relief from Protestant guilt

The number-one news in Laramie the other day was the weather ... of all things.  It was May Day and yet it snowed.  Several highways were closed.  The low was 5º F (-15º C).  Everyone was talking about our predicament, posting on Facebook, sharing photos, protesting (with obvious pride) the extreme weather we’re subjected to in Wyoming.

Winter always returns several times each spring and we always react this way.  It's a tradition ... almost a celebration.  Perhaps it’s that Protestant guilt thing we Americans supposedly have -- if we’re suffering, we must be doing something right.


But why suffer?  Wintry interludes bring wonderful things, for example ice art.  I found many intriguing pieces yesterday morning.

Ice photography is irresistible to me, and yet patterns in the ice were something I ignored until a cold morning a year and a half ago when I was walking along the Laramie River shooting photos for a winter blog post.  Taking more time, looking more closely -- these are some of the rewards of photography and blogging.
"Round things" was a common theme ...
Below, blobs of water trapped in ice, floating around in search of freedom.
Enjoy.  This may be Jack Frost’s last show for the season (or not).
Short-lived ice on the Laramie River in early May.
This is the latest post in what is becoming a lengthy series on ice art.

2 comments:

  1. Oh, I did not know that Americans are just like Estonians. We also tremendously enjoy suffering. At least it seems to me that way. We complain about many things (especially weather) but at the same time secretly think that because of this suffering we must be worth more. We are protestants as well. Maybe it explains.

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