Tag: ice

Water, drops, drips, frozen=ICE

icicles
Wellie breaks out his super fantatical Icicle cutters.

ICE – Ice – ice…..no matter how you type it’s still frozen water, slick, cold, and reflective. Clear with a blue tint, blurry at the edges or sharp as a knife.

Ice is such odd contradiction of concepts to me…

  • Beautiful but can be deadly…..
  • Can look soft and yet is incredibly hard.
  • One end of the spectrum is a tiny ice crystal-the other may be a glacier.
  • Water is fluid-Ice is stoic and solid.
  • Ice makes: pellets, hail, dams, snowflakes, crystals, needles, sculptures, ice cubes, a coolant, ice houses/blocks, a famous movie* and musician**-since it can make all those things it ought to be flexible…. and yet it is not.
  • Did you know there is something called Rime ice? Rime ice is a type of ice formed on cold objects when drops of water crystallize on them.
  • Here’s a really odd one! Did you know that according to wikipedia “Ice can be used to start a fire by carving it into a lens which will focus sunlight onto kindling. A fire will eventually start.[38]”  Makes sense but really, I don’t think I would have ever thought of that.

Ice- all part of  Winter Wonders. I am hard pressed to call it a Winter Wonderland at this point. It has created havoc for so many and worn me down. Mother Nature-you win with 100 points…me-I’m down to about five points.

So I am holding out for the hope of spring, warmer days, no more ice and bitting cold temps. A while ago a dear friend shared a poem that I know is near to his heart. I am sharing it with you all now…. On so many levels, it’s so fitting right now.  Here’s to hope for a weather change, a season change, and because hope in life and what the future may present is often the ray of sunshine and warmth we need to hold on to.

It is called
“Hope” is the thing with feathers. By Emily Dickinson.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers – 
That perches in the soul – 
And sings the tune without the words – 
And never stops – at all – 

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm – 

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

(thanks Gary-a special nod and hug)

* I thinking of the movie Frozen
** Vanilla Ice and his 1990 single “Ice Ice Baby“

Imagination Week and so long to Twinkles.

Imagination Week. This should be fun!

Twinkles-Spring Thaw
Got to go - Melting! See you next winter.

What are those fuzzy lines between imagination, memory, and dreams?  Is that the core of imagination?  Hard to say… any ideas? Comment to The Botanicals and let us know your thoughts. We think imagination is all that plus freedom of your “inner self” to let “it” out . What’s”It” ? “It” is whatever form suits you – drawing, music, words, dance, acting, cooking, singing, etc. it’s all good.

The first order of business this week is that Twinkle, Goddess of the Shimmering Snow, wants to say Goodbye until next year. It is getting way to warm for her and she is  heading  North to stay cool and not melt away.   As you may remember, she comes in with the winter winds but that means she must leave when the spring temps arrive.  She left many charts and reports on the “dirty snow” from pollutions. She is worried.  Her message as she heads out-of-town:
1) Please, conserve your “ things needs” – you may just want instead of need it . It all ups to used fuel/energy to make the items, deliver to items, and then to possibly trash the items. 2) Please, conserve on your gas and get some exercise. Don’t drive if you can walk or bike ride!
3) Please pay attention and – Recycle your stuff… Reuse what you can…. Reduce your carbon footprint.

Fun Fact Friday – actually a fun story this week! A giant ice castle. (i.e. Frozen Water)

Incredible Ice Castles Grown by a Minnesota Man Using Geothermal Heating Systemthis year the giant ice castle is a tall, long wall measuring 65 feet at its height and 85 feet long with multiple tiers of ice layers. This year’s project began in November when Hanson set the poles and started growing the initial layers the first week of December. Now that it’s February, the ice castle will start to melt and eventually disintegrate around the end of April.

http://inhabitat.com/art/

Read more and see more photos: Incredible Ice Castles Grown by a Minnesota Man Using Geothermal Heating System Minnesota Winter Wonderland – Inhabitat – Green Design Will Save the World