This seam of crystals divided the pond in two.
I am glad they are just ephemeral ice. No one will want to own them or steal them or mine them. They are just there for the passerby to enjoy.
As I looked at the sparkling, cold, and very solid ice, I speculated that all the frogs, turtles, and snakes must be safely hibernating for the winter. Then I looked down at the clear ice near the edge of the pond, and look who I saw!
He turned and swam off, but I snapped a shot. I am glad I had the camera set to record in camera RAW, because my other settings were still for bright light, like the last photo! I was fumbling with the settings while taking a couple more steps, and another turtle swam off before I had all my settings adjusted! Were they looking for access to the air? Should I have opened a hole in the ice for them? These were good-sized turtles, maybe 8 or 9 inches from the front of their shells to the backs, so they have already survived several winters with iced-over ponds. Surely they have some way of getting air?
The ripple between reality and reflection:
Nikon D5100 f/11 ISO 800 1/250sec 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012
The texture of this old log caught my attention. I admired the contrasting texture of the water all around the log. I loved the reflection of the log in the water beneath. The ripple between reality and reflection completed it for me 🙂