Ice Interlude: Vernal Pond in the Scotia Barrens

The snow is all gone from here now, and the woods feel strange without it. But I have to admit that it's easier to get around now. The trails that were soggy with puddles and mud when I was in the Scotia Barrens on Sunday have dried out some. My husband wanted to jog, and I went along and walked all around, and checked out the status of several of my favorite vernal ponds.

The ponds are full up with water now, but they still have layers of thick ice floating on top. It all looks very strange, and neat, and interesting. I found some ice with bubbles trapped inside, and leaves beneath it, and so that is my photo for this day. In a few months, these ponds will be chock full of amphibians, and oh, what a happy day that will be!

For my ice abstract photo, I thought I'd use this song, which feels appropriate: Springsteen and the E Street Band, with Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. This video is from their Madison Square Garden performances in the year 2000. 

On a personal note, I saw Springsteen and the E Street Band for the first time then - they kicked off Leg 3 of their North American tour on February 28, 2000, at the Bryce Jordan Center, and they were FANTASTIC. I had managed to get my husband, myself, my brother, and his wife tickets about 11 rows up from the stage (big sister Barb and I had treated my brother and his wife to those tickets for my brother's birthday). At one point, Bruce Springsteen stood on the piano and sang directly TO ME! (Well, it felt that way, anyway!) What an experience! So here are "the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, house-rocking, earth-quaking, booty-shaking, love-making, legendary E Street Band!"