Ice Bubble Magic

Need a reason to venture out into the cold?

How about something that will fill you with a sense of wonder!

If you'd like to watch a mini Ice Age planet

form before your very eyes

scroll to the bottom of this post for the video.

If you want to create an Ice Bubble yourself,

continue reading for instructions :) 

First, you must be brave and head out into the cold.

• Yes, the VERY cold.
• It should be no warmer than 30 degrees Fahrenheit/-1 Celsius! The day I took the video it was 0 Fahrenheit/-17 Celsius.
• So, #1 - dress warmly; hat, gloves, coat, slush pants if you have (just like your mother made you dress as a child) because you will be staying still and the cold creeps up on you when you're not moving.

Other conditions you will need:

• Sunlight (for photos)
• Little or no wind
• Some snow or a soft-ish outdoor surface to blow the bubble on.

Supplies:

• Bubble solution: 3 cups water, 1 cup liquid dish soap, 1/2 cup corn syrup (stir gently, do not shake to mix!)
• A straw
• Patience
• Wonder

I suggest blowing your first bubbles just to watch and enjoy.
The first few are tricky. Don't be discouraged if they don't last long.
Keep practicing, blow very gently and adjust your technique until you get the hang of it.

For taking photos:

• I use my Canon 6D with my favourite 100mm macro lens which allows me to catch the fine details of the ice crystals but really, these bubbles are so beautiful I think any camera you use will not let you down! Your phone camera will do very nicely too.
• I often shoot in Automatic setting (or use Aperture Priority, depending on the light) with manual focus.
• Manual focus is a must because the bubble and the ice crystals that form on it are constantly moving. The trouble you'll see in the video (which I filmed with my iPhone) is the ice crystals often begin to form on the far side, then when the crystals form on the front, the camera doesn't adjust its focus and the final image has a haze on it.
• With manual focus you will focus first on the far side of the bubble and then adjust to focus on the front side (closest to you) as the ice crystals develop.

Bubble tips:

• The temperature outside will play a role in the speed and quality of the bubbles you get.
• The colder it is, the faster the ice crystals form, sometimes I barely have time to blow the bubble and pick up my camera before the whole bubble is completely frozen over. (Yes, in Montreal, where I live, it is often VERY cold and I just love it!)
• It's nice to catch the ice crystals as they form with a lot of free space around them if you can.
• Fiddle around with the blowing technique until you find what works for you.
• I make my bubble solution in a mason jar and keep it indoors with a lid on it for the whole winter.
• If possible, put the jar outside to cool down a bit while you get dressed for outside.
• Find a spot to set up, somewhere facing the light with a flat surface you can blow the bubble onto. You should have somewhere to brace your camera arm so you can remain still (or set up a tripod.) I use a banister on my backyard deck.
• It's important that there is almost no wind. The bubbles don't stand a chance in the wind and you will be eternally frustrated when they keep popping. If you have an outdoor shed with a window, going in there might be a good alternative for you.
• To blow the bubbles, I dip the straw in the bubble solution and gently exhale, rather than blow like we do with summertime bubbles, about an inch over the place I want the bubble to land.
• Depending on the temperature, wind and humidity, the bubbles can last anywhere from seconds to minutes. Either way, start snapping pictures as fast as you can. For a more stable, long-lasting bubble, it's best to blow a smaller sized bubble than a large one.
• Experiment with positioning the camera toward the light to create contrast and bring out the details of the ice crystals. This was extremely difficult for me at the beginning and took a lot of turning the camera every which way before I figured it out. It's times like this that I'm happy cameras today are digital and I'm not paying for rolls of film :)

I do hope you get the chance to give it a try.

It's not every day you find something that fills you with such wonder!

Delightful December

Last night the snow fell.

Scampering around like a family of frantic field mice,

we pulled shovels from the back of the shed,

removed forgotten items from the yard

and added twenty minutes extra to

tomorrow's travel plans 

to deal with the

"weather."

After everything was done,

I stayed to watch the snow coat the branches of the trees

until they were as beautiful as a freshly iced cake.

The plunging temperatures caused some

to pull up the collars of their coats

and stamp an annoyed dance

onto the icy ground with their heavy boots.

I chose to watch

the golden light spill from the windows

of the houses onto our street.

It looked so cozy;
all these families gathered for a hot evening meal,

while their humming furnaces
sent soft plumes of smoke

into the darkening sky.

This frozen, wet stuff...

It's just rain, really.

Is it more annoying

because it's going to stick and stay?

Surely snowflakes

are a form of enchantment;

falling, frozen stars,

light as air,

each one sculpted, unique, miraculous.

They gather here and there

with an artist's flourish

and make something new from what was old.

Or, they melt and freeze again,

allowing us glimpses into other worlds

that only winter can help us find.

Whichever way you choose

to view it,

I welcome the snow

and all its wonder.

And So It Begins

Winter is playing a game of peek-a-boo with us,

you know how it likes to keep things fun.

A little frost here to decorate the flowers that remain,

a dusting of snow there that disappears by mid-day...

It knows how downright unenthusiastic we can be

when it first arrives so it likes to keep us guessing,

is it here or is it not?

We become increasingly grumpy and morose

as everything around us shrivels up and dies

once the cold temperatures set in.

Our colourful landscape is stripped bare,

reduced to black and white.

And the plants that once brought us such happiness and joy?

They've turned into scary-looking monsters

that shiver in place and haunt our garden.

But, this does happen every year.

Don't lose heart.

In no time, once our eyes lose all memory

of what vibrant spring, summer and fall colours look like,

all that white fluffy stuff

will appear more and more beautiful.

Of course, there are also winter survival strategies:

You can always pretend it's just not happening.

This liar seagull is splashing around

in -1 C sun-dappled water,

but you'd never know it.

Because it's swimming in the balmy waters

of Lake Denial!

Dreaming of warmer temperatures

and soft, flower-scented breezes works well too.

If you do it right
by the time you wake up
it'll be Spring again!

But, probably the best strategy of all

is to find your inner glow,

(we all have one.)

Surround yourself with the warmth and light
of family and friends.

Laugh, complain,
be daring and go outside.

There's plenty to enjoy about every season.

Fresh Spring Hare

A new visitor to my garden.

Like me, this hare is wondering

where the bright greens

and flowers of Spring

are.

Petal Paradise

Outside there's

white, white, white

snow

everywhere I look.

But inside my house

in the center

of a one-dollar rose

I find tropical

shades of

paradise.

Winter's Bite

Winter has been gnashing its teeth at us!

Wherever the icy rains land

they stick

and freeze mid-action,

creating beautiful, frozen statues.

Branches groan under the weight of their heavy cloak

and power lines crack and fall,

leaving many people without electricity.

So, we create a light of our own,

with stories and games,

laughter and patience.

(The power outage only lasted 26 hours for us.

So all is well, no need for anyone to worry.)

Use Your Imagination

The colour of springtime is in the flowers;

The colour of winter is in the imagination.

~ Terri Guillemets ~

Les Grandes Dames de l'Hiver

The Grand Ladies of Winter

all dressed up

for the Ball

Narnia

Everything presses in on you all at once

The blinding whiteness

The silence

The cold

But mostly...

The overwhelming awe of all that snow

What a remarkable quirk of nature

Let The Fun Begin!

We're still waiting for the snow,

but I have no doubt

it will arrive

shortly.

Oh, The Drama!

Never a dull moment!

I took this shot

right before the sun was swallowed up

by some very dark clouds.

I call it:

Cloudy With A Chance Of Snow

Ice-Tipped Wings

The day is cold and grey.

In the sky,

Playing with the currents of air

Like an untethered kite,

This seagull soars above it all...

Until it spots something more attractive than flying:

Potential food!

It stands by this hole in the ice

ready to pounce should

something swim by

or jump out.

After five LONG minutes of waiting

It throws back its head

and lets loose a wailful cry,

Followed by a disgruntled stomp

to a new location.

With each step, its feet sink deeper into the icy slush.

It stares out morosely at the cold dark water.

"Oh, if only I wasn't trapped here

in this hellish land of ice and snow!" it complains.

And then it remembers its wings!

Lucky bird :)

All that to say: Fresh snow and ice pellets arrived in Montreal today.

Where are my wings!

Snow Ducks

Tired of paddling in the frigid pond

the ducks are on the move.

Spring has tickled the earth beneath the snow

and they forage for the vegetation that begins to grow.

They're funny

these forest ducks,

wiggling their way

around branch and tree,

maneuvering over root and snag.

With bright orange snowshoes

they waddle along

With an occasional stumble and flap

when one foot sinks too deep.

They look at home,

snuggled

in their warm brown

feathers.

Of course they'd like the snow.

It's nothing more than frozen water :)

Patience

Ah snow!

Lit by the sun

against the bright blue sky,
You're dazzling!

I wait

patient as a dove

fluffed and ruffled

quiet and still.

I know you won't remain much longer.

A few days of warm temperatures

and you'll be

a beautiful memory.