PBDC Day 12/31: Partial

Monday and Tuesday were the first consecutive days of 50+ degree weather in way too long to remember. Probably no more recent than Christmas week. Into Tuesday afternoon we started getting storm warning notifications for anywhere from four to nine inches of snow, freezing sleet, strong winds, thunder, or any combination of the aforementioned meteorological afflictions. This morning there was quite an accumulation of snow on my windshield.

And it was gross snow. Not like the powder we graciously received for the majority of the winter, or the ice that frosted over quickly, it was wet and chunky like angry bleu cheese or a mixture of bread crumbs in a bowl with just enough egg in it to make it clump together but not really stick to anything. The roads were a slushy, bumpy mess, and it was not pretty in any way.

By noon the snow had stopped and the sun had come out in full force. Not to say it warmed up, it barely squeaked into the 20s at best, but at least the roads were cleared out enough where you didn't have to fear for your life. Leaving work this afternoon I noticed that my car was adorned by a double-decker icicle mustache, thanks to the snow that started higher up and warmed up enough to flow with gravity before refreezing.

Despite the sun's presence in the now cleared sky, the winds had already painted Mishawaka with the pasty snow, sticking it to every inch of tree, bush, building, and traffic light that got in its way. Seeing traffic lights partially blocked out was definitely a first. I have no picture for those since I don't touch my phone while I'm driving.

I did, however, see the most unique ice form I've seen all winter. Imagine a snow-covered pole. Now melt it just enough to where it starts sliding off the pole, but not where it falls apart. Add wind. Include a sign on the pole that catches the partial-sleeve of snow and prevents it from falling to the ground. And now freeze it in a position that would catch the eye of someone looking for cool things to capture on camera.

I give you, The Twisted Partial-Sleeve:

And a couple other pictures to get the full effect

and...

Cool, right? Natural art on a man-made canvas with a sweet blue background. Looking at it again, it looks like a water slide. Or one of those twisty tube slides at a playground. I've walked past this pole numerous times, but for some reason it caught my eye today, and I'm glad it did.

So it might have been the ugliest snow storm of the winter this morning, but even so, I'm partial to living in an area with four seasons. That way you really start to notice more as things are always changing, and if you don't keep your eyes open, you may never see them again.

Photo and Blog a Day Challenge-Day 13/28: Water

"Be water, my friend." -Bruce Lee

I've had quite a relationship with water in my three decades on this Earth (which is covered mostly water, by the way).

1. Lived on both coasts.
2. Joined the Navy.
3. Stationed on and deployed with a submarine (Hooyah, Rickover!)
4. I love the beach (fitting with #1).
5. I love pool parties.
6. I drink a lot of water.
7. I really enjoy taking a shower.
8. I passed my swim qual in Navy boot camp.
9. I successfully completed a month-long swimming unit in high school.
10. I can't swim.
11. One of my biggest fears is drowning.

Ok, so maybe #10 and #11 aren't exactly in support of my overall positive relationship with dihydrogen monoxide, but hey, you take the good with the bad, right? You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, so they say.

But yes, water and I get along more times than not. A lot of people do. Brad Paisley even wrote a song about it. And not in a metaphorical, subliminal way, either. Here's the video for the song entitled, "Water," shocker, right?

If you've been following my blogging journey, you've noticed there have been a few posts about snow.
Snow.
More snow.
Snowflakes.

I wanted to flip it up today, so I give you...ice.

Driving around seeing all the icicles on houses has been so intriguing, awe inspiring, and scary. A few days ago, a co-worker had told me that the icicles on the back of the building had been growing, so during my lunch today, I drove around to check em out for myself

Whoa, right? Here are a few more.

And although the logical part of my brain can piece together exactly how this happens, I couldn't help but stare at them and be amazed.

Water. Like Bruce Lee said, it can take the form of any vessel that it fills. But what if there is no vessel? Then it flows as freely as it can...until it freezes. And then it flows again when it thaws...until it freezes it again. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Applying that to ourselves, we can flow into the vessels that we fill. Households, schools, jobs, religions, communities, and so on. But when there is no vessel, where do we go? When do we freeze? When do we stay liquid? Do we become dirty by picking up filth from our environment? Or even when it is added to us?

We can filter things out, thaw, freeze, flow, and spread. We can lose droplets in cracks and grow in collaboration with others.

These icicles back here are like people. These moderately scary, but wholly awesome ice sculptures persuaded by the construction of these buildings are like each of us. We flow, we grow, we freeze, we flow, we spread, we mix, we nourish, evaporate, and flow once again.

It's as simple as Master Bruce said, "Be water, my friend."