Chained/Unchained

I am not sure I have ever noticed these chains before. They hang from the roof of the pavilion building at the Arboretum. I was strolling past when I suddenly noticed the ice. And I had to stop for a closer look.

Water had dripped down the chain and frozen, completing the link on the chain. I am not sure I have ever seen anything exactly like this before. So I took a bunch of snapshots, and then this macro shot, to capture a close-up of the details.

Chains of ice. I suspect that a lot of people in the northeastern U.S. know exactly what I'm talking about. We are in the grips of a full-on winter, one for the record books. It snows about every other day. Sometimes we get ice. And then it freezes and stays. Then it gets frigid. We haven't seen bare ground in months.

But soon, March is coming; and with it, spring. And then the ice will melt . . . and we will break these chains.

I've picked two songs to accompany this image. One is for chained, and the other is for unchained. :-) Aretha Franklin, with Chain of Fools (this little dance scene is from the film Michael, starring John Travolta). And the Righteous Brothers, with Unchained Melody.