The Sounds of ,,,,,,,,,,,,, Ice?

Category: Artic Living | Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:34 am

Think about it. The sounds of ice. What does it sound like, and how does it make you feel.

Think of a hot summer day, your thirsty. You need a cold, cold drink! So you get your favorite beverage, go to the fridge, open the freezer door an take out the ice cube tray. Now you take a few or alot of those little ice cubes an drop them into your drink. Do you hear the hiss, the popping, the cracking. You just know that drink is now going to taste so good. All because of ice.

Now think of that drink filled with ice cubes and put that on the scale of a huge lake or the fjÃƒÂ¸rd. The hissing, the cracking, the popping. Its magical. Its refreshing. Its spring!

Here in the Norwegan Artic we hear those sounds all thru the turning of the season. From winter to spring. When I'm out walking with Balder, down the road just taking in the fresh air, the sounds, the smells of salt an fish from the sea, escaping from below the ice. I come alive. I come alive just as the earth does and bloom right along with it. With each crack that pops from the sea, with each hiss of air escaping from below my smile grows with the knowledge that soon this frozen wilderness will come to life once again. The water sounds from under the snow makes me laugh. The little bridges made by the melting of the ice so the water can run off into the sea.

All this is because you just can't hold back the circle of lifes cycle that is always turning away from you but always, always returning. The old norse legend of the winter snow giants an the summer dwarfs that are at constant battle with each other over if the Artic will be always in winter or always in spring. Each wins half the time. The winter giants win when the sun goes away for a time and the summer dwarfs win when the sun stays out all the time for a time. Inbetween is the struggle between the 2. All I can say is the dwarfs better win soon! And they will.

On my walk I noticed the ice is bulking up in areas on the sea, and large cracks are spreading farther an farther out to the middle. So Balder an I leave the road an go down to the sea.

Ofcourse yours truly has to test out the ice an see if its getting really thin or not. It is! It cracked when i stepped out a little onto it. But what i want to show you is under the ice. It was hard, and you can barely see it but there is no water! This is a very, very good sign indeed. The tide has shifted an is heading out to the ocean.

This is great! Spring is really on its way now. When the water starts to go low tide the ice cracks, and hisses, and pops and starts to talk to us to tell us get ready, were going to break up the ice now. I can tell you I really smiled big time when i seen no water. So I walked down to the end of our main road down to the mouth of the pole. The place where the water turns an goes out to the ocean. There I was shocked because just a week ago there was no "nes" or a strip of land that juts into the sea. You can see the "vika" or little bay taking shape into its small bowl mouth. The ice has already broke up there an will works its way down to our area probably with the month.

Balder an I walked all the way out to the tip of the nes and took a picture of the way back to the road. But you can see the water is there, but so is the ice, but barely. Won't be long now until we pull the boats out of the boat house an take off into summer!

Ahhh! I love the magic of the Artic. The land of fairytales an legends. The place where the land talks to you, and the ice speaks plainly. The land of sailors, vikings and farmers. The only place I call home.

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Droopy wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:41 am:

You make frozen fjords sound almost desirable! I like it when the small rivers suddenly start running again, after having made no sound all winter. And I like to listen to the snow thawing. It's a sound like nothing else, and promise green times to come.

eileen wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:37 pm:

Gosh I was enthralled with your description of the ice cracking and melting Biita but also with your fantastic photographs.

"Ahhh! I love the magic of the Artic. The land of fairytales an legends. The place where the land talks to you, and the ice speaks plainly. The land of sailors, vikings and farmers. The only place I call home."

This paragraph sums up the love you have for your country so well!!

toni wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:33 pm:

Wow, what a great description of the end of winter in the artic.

You are so connected to that land, it is good you found your way 'home'

Frank wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:13 pm:

I'm very jealous right now Biita. 'Sounds' (and looks) absolutely fantastic!

Palm Tree wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:41 pm:

You have an amazing gift. the way you use words actually takes me on your walk with you and it is like I am walking there with you and Balder.
Sounds wonderful to life there.

Biita wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:08 pm:

Thank you all, i was really hoping i could help everyone understand that with the cold and ice the beauty is still there and in constant change. Its never boring here thats for sure,,,lol. You never know whats going to happen next. But if you look and listen to the land,, it warns you....

Netty wrote on Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:52 pm:

I love to listen to the lake when the ice starts to go out too Biita. Your pictures are fabulous!

DaphDaph wrote on Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:24 am:

Thank you for sharing your walk Biita. I felt like I was with you on the walk.

glendann wrote on Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:57 pm:

Your description of the sounds and of the way everytthing starts to thaw out little by little is a beautiful way with words .I walked with you and heard those sounds as I walked along with you and Balder took photos and saw it all through your words.

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