Blinking Ice Domes

The water had been high in the pond for days. In fact, it was up on the bank, a source of concern after last March’s flooding. It was mid-December, late in the day, cold, with an easterly wind blowing. I went down to the water’s edge to check on the level.

To my great surprise, I saw these little ice domes glowing and blinking at the water’s edge. They looked for all the world like electric lights going on and off with the rhythm of the waves. On close inspection, I decided they had been built up by the little wind-driven wavelets adding layer upon layer of ice.

The source of that light? I couldn’t tell. They obviously were picking up a beam of sunlight — perhaps reflected off the water — but from where I couldn’t see. I remember it as mostly overcast, and getting dark quickly, so that source remains a mystery. As dusk settled in, the lights became bright against the dark water. The event took on a magical quality.