Here is another view from the various cascades and ice formations along the edges. This was the first thing I saw when I arrived at the water, but I waited until on my way out to shoot it. Another trip out onto an ice shelf, but this was pretty solid compared to the other airborne shelf. I love my microspikes.
So….does anyone ever read the comments that are captured by the spam filter? Do those folks think anyone will respond?
Here’s a different version in color.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
I like this one, too. It is nice in black and white.
I’ve been afraid to look at the spam folder. Did you read yours? Is it full of people being snarky, or just trying to sell you stuff?
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Thanks, Melissa. No snark. I did have one nasty comment about two years ago. It was followed up with an apology but I just deleted both. The spams are mostly selling something, often either SEO related or a product like storm windows. Sometimes the messages are straightforward sales or they make a comment like “This post goes right to the heart of the matter” or something like that followed by a sales pitch or link to a website.
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Both are equally beautiful. Hope you are being careful when out on /near the ice. I get very few spam and they are all filtewred out by Asket. sp? I have not looked at any in a long time on WP but gee whiz the number of spams that yahoo catches is unbelievable. And lots of my WP blogs go to yahoo spam. Most times your posts are going to my spam and lots of other blogs too.
The repulsive things that are in yahoo spam would make the devil cringe. 🙂 I’m not referring to WP blogs- just want to make that clear.
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I am more cautious as I get older, Yvonne. No picture is worth an injury. It can happen even when using care, but tempting fate is in my past. 🙂
I guess I am lucky with the spam I receive. In all too many cases, the internet seems to have brought the worst out in people. I guess better in spam than if they have to let it out in reality, but where all that nastiness comes from eludes me. Yup, mine is filtered out by Askimet too, but they are there in the spam folder waiting to be reviewed and deleted if necessary. I empty the spam folder periodically just to keep the usage data down.
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I like the way, in both, the ice and snow seem to stand out from the water. And, I think it results from more than just the water being blurred and the ice and snow being in sharp focus. Perhaps the clarity of the latter had been adjusted up while that of the former had been adjusted down? Whatever you did really works nicely. Good vantage too … you must have gotten wet? Our snow is just about done. I spent the afternoon getting the blade onto the 1520 to allow me to plow the drive (put chains on yesterday) – what fun. I dropped the big/heavy snow blade on my foot however. First I thought I might actually have cut the end off (only had Muck boots on) … when I saw that it was still there I stopped to wonder whether the blood would start to overfill my boot and begin pouring onto the ground … when that didn’t happen I went in and yelled for Joanna. She knows when she hears that tone to come running. I said ‘take off my boot and my sock and don’t tell me what you see.’ She took off the boot and the sock and said … ‘You’re luck you didn’t break it and you’re gonna have one heck-of-a-bruise.’ She was right on both counts. I’ve had it up with a bit of ice since dinner. All in a day’s work!
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Ouch! I’ve dropped a few weighty objects on my foot, but never a tractor plow blade. I am surprised, and relieved, that you are only bruised. No doubt you will have a lot of dark purple to look at tomorrow. How did you do that? Don’t you pick it up with the tractor? I once turned an ankle while playing softball in running shoes and sprained several of the ligaments giving me an almost black bruise that lasted forever. A broken bone too.
There are a few things I do for the clarity, including the tool in Camera Raw by that name, but much is selective contrast adjustments. And, in this case, some selective sharpening too. No wetting of Steve involved, fortunately. Just walking around on ice shelves. Mary Beth and I were just looking at chest waders in the LL Bean catalog. Theirs are a little more expensive than the ones you showed me from Cabela’s.
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The blade was up on a few pieces of 6X6 to keep it off the barn floor during summertime storage. Yesterday (since we had the snow) I was hitching it to the front-end-loader for the season (I know, a bit late). It was as I rolled it off the 6X6s that I misjudged its trajectory and didn’t get my foot out of the way quickly enough. I’m surprised that there’s not more bruising this morning … perhaps that’ll still take time to develop? It hurts though … oh, yes, it hurts! Got the drive plowed though – all’s well that ends well. I hope you’ve not got too much of the white stuff yet.
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Ouch again. I bet it does hurt quite a bit. Just thinking about it hurts. I would guess that the bruise would have developed overnight based on my previous injuries, none of which measured up to yours. You are indeed fortunate. I could imagine actually having it chop right through to the floor.
As of 4:30 am, we only had about 4″ and lots of blowing. Mary Beth told me that a late weather update said the storm was taking a more easterly track out over the ocean and we would be spared the brunt…well, the brunt was always more easterly but we would be seeing less snow. I hope it is going to be less fearsome for your sister and mother too. It’s a swirling storm so lots of wind. We could still end up with another foot or so, but we’ll see how correct they end up. I shoveled for Murphy but he just yellowed things up a bit and then hied back for the warmth. He hates the wind.
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I heard that Nantucket was having a real time of it. Hang in there – the sun will shine again … I know so because it’s shining here today … blue sky and all.
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I heard that the entire island was without power. I lived on Nantucket for a few months back in the early 70s. I did not like the idea that it was so flat and that a storm could easily overrun it. And I missed mountains too much to stay there long. I hope they get the power back and do not sustain much damage. The sun did actually come out for a few minutes this afternoon. But no blue sky…it was just shining through the overcast.
Do you remember my mentioning that my fear of the ice involved falling into the water and getting sucked underneath? It happened to a local woman recently. We have to be careful. Even her spikes were not enough to keep her out of the water..
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Wow. That’s not the sort of story I like to read but I suppose it provides a good object lesson that I will certainly remember. I do listen very carefully when I edge out onto ice … for signs of fatigue and failure. I suppose one can never be too careful. Thanks for this lesson – I will surely keep it in mind as I venture forth. D
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A sad piece of news for sure. I met her a few weeks back at the local winter farmer’s market where she sold her breads. She knew what she was doing, but that isn’t always a guarantee.
I am very thankful for surviving all the things I did when I thought I was invincible. I am not too sure I would survive them now.
The forecast for tonight is 6° with wind gusts up to 30 mph. Not a good night to be out cleaning up. I am glad I did it this afternoon but tonight I am not feeling so well so maybe it wasn’t a good idea. We’ll see what the morning brings.
How is the dog tonight? Purple yet?
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Nice shots Steve. The second looks like a Selenium print as much as colour. My spam folder is usually SEO related but i dont get much. How is Murphy in the snowy days Steve. Does he venture out at all?
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Thanks, Andrew. Murphy does go out in the snow, tomorrow he may have to tunnel, but does not care for it as much any more. When it’s closer to freezing he doesn’t mind, but it is well below that and tomorrow there will be a lot of wind which he doesn’t care for at all…even in July. We have tried boots but he isn’t having any of that.
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I think Murphy and I have much in common Steve. He’s a very smart dog.
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I like both photos, though I favor the second. (It’s that blue ice thing I have.) There are so many textures and so much movement. It feels like one of the most complex winter scenes you’ve captured. The detail that makes me smile most is the way the snow has piled up on the “feet” of the icicles.
On the left, that looks like old man Winter at the bottom, ready to blow up another blizzard.
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I favor blue ice too, Linda. Generally, if it’s cold then I want the images to say that. I hope to visit a glaciated landscape some day before they all melt away.
I guess these could be looked at as winter Rorschachs. Maybe I will include that idea when I next post a shot like this.
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I’m wondering what suddenly caused you to mention spam in between the two versions of your ice photograph. It’s kind of a spam sandwich.
Like the rest of you, I get spam with non-specific praise for my blog, often in English that’s obviously been translated from a foreign language. Most of the comments come from sites with names that mention a product or service. I also get my share of strange spam, for instance:
“if you worry his nice looking that has a snake pet, and interest rate, devices and consequently know-how, surely just do it– have anaconda along with some pet snake.”
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It’s just coincidental, Steve. I happened to have just cleared the spam folder. Most of the comments resemble your example. The sandwich effect was accidental. I posted the second version after the original post.
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I favor the second shot. I like the brighter whites look. I sound like an old laundry detergent ad, don’t I?
As for spam, I check the folder now and then. Mostly, they are nonsense collections of sentences and fragments. Some are almost real sounding. Rarely do I find one that is legit. I haven’t had any bad experiences.
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I am favoring the color version more too. I often sound like an old something or another. 🙂
I have found one that got mistakenly deposited as spam. The rest were nuisances although occasionally entertaining.
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Love the second photo . . . looks magical!
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Thanks, Laura.
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You mean my blog isn’t exactly what the person had been waiting to find…I’m heartbroken.
‘Nuff snow now Steve?
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Oh, Rod. They use the same sweet talk on all us bloggers. 🙂
We are actually not getting as much as predicted. We’ll end up with 5-8 inches, but it’s the wind that is causing the most havoc here. The eastern part of the state around Boston and up the coast is getting much more snow and even stronger winds.
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That is such a gorgeous bit of winter…Touching not advised; a warning that should not go unheeded.
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Thank you, Charlie.
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Such a gorgeous bit of winter…Touching is not advised; this warning should not go unheeded.
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Booo-tiful photographs, Steve. Love the mix of movement and the frozen stillness. Snow is gorgeous in short bursts and before it starts to turn to mush and then ice over. Your pictures capture the very best of it. I get far too much spam and spam comments on my blog – I fear it’s because in the past I’ve used some saucy tags – hum, that’ll learn me!!
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Thanks, Lottie! I was most pleased to get out there before the snow was littered with forest debris. Despite all this fresh snow we got today, the wind is bound to not only contribute more litter, but a lot of branches and maybe a few trees will have been knocked down. It’s howling out there.
Well, the world can be quite unfair. You should be able to say what you wish and tag as you like, but there are enough idiots out there that one must be careful about what is posted. I consider myself fortunate to only have to deal with storm window spam here on the blog.
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