Ice Song

We had a lazy morning on Lake Champlain.  When I woke up, the lake was frozen solid from our back deck to the island about a mile offshore.  When the wind picked up, it churned up the open water to the south, and the ice started talking.

Sometimes, when the ice breaks up, it sounds like a timpani drum.  Sometimes it sounds like thunder. Sometimes it sounds like a sea lion barking.  And sometimes, it sounds like something from another planet — something that doesn’t sound like an earth noise at all.

So we shivered on the porch this morning and listened.  We watched a mink that popped up from a crack in the ice and played for about an hour before she disappeared again.  And we videotaped, so you could listen and watch, too. 

12 Replies on “Ice Song

  1. thank you!

    Kate, I loved your sound descriptions. The words. And then I played the video. You’re right. Other worldly and so beautiful. I had no idea minks could play like that.

  2. Re: thank you!

    Thanks, Jeannine! I love the sounds that the ice makes and wasn’t sure if I could capture it on video or not. It doesn’t fully do it justice, but at least you get the idea.

  3. Great video Kate! Thanks for posting it. The sound is fantastic! You did a great job capturing it!

    Mink are a riot to watch. We had a family of mink living on the brook out in South Reading and I loved watching them.