Views from the Vortex

Well, now it is March but our Groundhog Winter won't let up.  Here are a few pictures I took back on February 25th.  Things are really no better today.

1. The Archaeological View  

When digging in Belgium last year I met a guy named Dane Alexander.  A big burly Yorkshireman he was remarkably able to excavate trenches with the precision of a surgeon.  Hell, better than most surgeons I've scrubbed in with.  Ever since I have striven to cut clean straight edges.  This is, I suspect, a bit annoying at the dinner table.  But when clearing snow it provides a bit of entertainment in a mundane and repetitive task.

Dane, you might be able to do a bit better with your trowel, but you'd freeze to death first!

Here's the Master and some of his works...

2. The Ornithological View

In the northern climes of the Western Hemisphere the acknowledged initial sign of spring is the arrival of robins.  Well, I saw my first one this morning.  He was huddled, feathers all fluffed up, and appeared manifestly unhappy.  When I stepped out to snap a photo he flitted to a nearby bush - or such of it that was above the snow line - leaving as a departing statement a spray of bird droppings.  I think that summarized his opinions effectively.

3. The Speleological View


In case you don't use the word more than every other life time or so, speleology is the study of caves and related matters.  My post on Stalags and Stalagmites a couple of weeks back got me thinking.  When the two meet, what do you call them?  Here icicle stalagmites actually reach the ground.  Note also the smaller ones to the left in this picture.  They are inclined at a 30 degree angle.  Not something you see all that often, it can only happen when a brief melt is met by suddenly dropping temps and a strong breeze.

4. The Theological View 

According to Dante, the lowest circle of hell is where Satan sits forever bound in a frozen lake.  Is this a 19th century engraving of this scene?  Or a selfie run through a few photo filters?