First pond ice

Right before the sun rose, the thermometer read 21 degrees F.—I have pictures of the device... of course, I have pictures for the record—and since the night air was relatively still, the conditions were perfect for the formation of ice. In a few more weeks, when the overnight cold has really cooled off the millpond, perhaps the entire surface will freeze, but for now, only the relatively shallow areas near the shore were converted from liquid to solid... and a very thin layer of solid at that. It was nothing more than a skim coat, and you could easily poke your finger through it. By noon, it had warmed up enough to melt all traces of ice, so this was the quintessential image of the ephemeral—and a record of things to come... things with a longer shelf life. A much longer shelf life.