Ice Drama

Unlike last year, it's been too cold for snowman building around town, but we've spotted plenty of dramatic icicle formations. Lenore took the one above because even the little birdhouses have icicles. And the shadows are kind of neat too. The one below is funny -- I think those are real fake flowers.



Here are a few more. I've decided taking photos of ice is almost as difficult as capturing spider webs. But you get the idea. Click on any image to see it larger.






In other ice drama, I had a HUGE column of ice on the back corner of my house that was flowing over my cable TV line. I knocked some of it off, but in the process, I detached the ice from the house so it was hanging on the cable. Oops. This is bad, because I'm not technically paying for the actual service, per se, so if it rips off my house, it might be considered a little nervy to ask them to come out and fix it.
So.
What to do.
The idea of a super soaker filled with warm water began to form in my head. And a certain 9 year old who was spending the night that would make an able assistant. Lenore had the weapon, but no water tank. Crap.

Later that evening, in between watching Pixar Shorts and the Heffalump Movie and watching Anja put away almost an entire bag of cheesy rice cakes, I discovered a Dr. Pepper pop bottle fit perfectly. We were in business. So here's Anja just prior to launching the mission. She's talking to ground control headquarters. Or maybe her mom, I'm not sure.



First we took aim out the upstairs window. It was very sniper-like.



By the way, here is a close up of the offending ice. It's not true to size because 1. we had been squirting it already before I took this picture and 2. I knocked a few hunks off with a hoe earlier, which, in retrospect, was probably not the best idea since I was standing directly under it on a ladder to do it. Lenore, don't read that part.



So anyway...our plan appeard to be working! See dramatic action shots below:




However, the ice tried to escape by sliding down the wire. You can imagine the excitement! (The neighbors didn't have to imagine it, I'm sure they could hear it, I'm just glad they didn't call the police when they heard things like, "You try shooting it!" and "Gimme the gun now!")

Not to be outdone, we move the mission to ground level. I lost track of how many times we had to fill that damn pop bottle.



Mission accomplished!



Now a new one is forming, so I have to keep an eye on it and the super soaker loaded...

Special note to Lynda:
Baby it's cold outside!!