Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Sniffing out the remaining ice

On frozen ground
London, ON
March 2025
This photo originally shared on Instagram


I follow our dog deep into the woods, her magical nose pointing the way.

Eventually she stops in the shade of a massive tree and spends some quality time sniffing it out. It’s a Saturday afternoon, so I’m just as happy to let her have her fun for as long as she wishes.

She seems really interested in a tiny patch of ice. It’s a sunny day, and melt-off is already beginning all around us. But here, shielded from the piercing glare of our nearest star, it’s still deep freeze city, and Calli has decided this is magical.

I’m never quite sure what’s going on in her head, but I imagine it must be a fun place to be. And she seems outwardly happy in this tiny spot under a giant tree beside a fast-flowing river.

Soon enough, I crouch down beside her for a closer look, and I begin to understand her fascination. Earth, leaves, and rocks peek through the cracked ice in a riot of muted colors and textures, a spontaneous display of randomly formed art playing out under our noses. It’s as surprising as it is mesmerizing.

All this will be gone tomorrow as temperatures soar into the double-digits, but for now the show is too good to pass up. So while she sniffs away, I pull out the smartphone and try to remember the moment.

I’m conscious of the fact that magical things happen everywhere, and we probably need to seek them out now more than ever. I’m also conscious of the fact that these moments - with her, and in general - are limited in number.

A reminder, perhaps, that I should follow Calli’s nose into the forest more often. Maybe we all should.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medwayvalley #gutter #ice #frozen #winter #walkabout #weather #wx #onstorm #abstract #stilllife #naturephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone16 #shotoniphone

Related:
Frozen, a new season, December 2021
Half-frozen river, February 2021
Ice amid flowing water, December 2020
Rooted to the ground, December 2019

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