The creek (that is really a ditch) has been covered in ice thick enough to walk on for months now. In the last few days it has begun to break up, clink and clank its way into life, yesterday great shards of windowpane ice could be seen floating past. Ice floes break up in between, snow drifts drifting, picking up speed and wagging their tails through, making that singing crackle-crick, jingle, tick-tock of melting ice, like cooling metal, the hiss of cooling iron. A tinging and crickling. A crackle with a song in it. Then the jostle and click of ice shouldering ice shoving and pushing in a crowd trying to get head way.
Of course Sheila lifted her head at the sound of it, headed off and had to be persuaded not to shoot straight over the cliff and down the bank to the ice water.
I made a wee pen for Marcel the Happy in the corner of the sheep’s field, he has a mini culvert for shelter and some company. Only for the day though, at night it is back into the barn for him.
We had not bargained on Daisy who was allowed out for a wander yesterday as the ice has melted. I am terrified of this big gangly cow slipping on ice she is the clumsiest cow I have ever seen so she has not been allowed into the fields for a while. She was out having a mooch when I brought Marcel over to his new pen. She trotted across as fast as she could, her stomach heaving low and loose from side to side and immediately the cow tried to lick the lamb through the fence, she wanted to inhale him, again. With her tiny mewling noises and coy looks.
Marcel obliged with some loving. But I am not a zoo, he said. You can all go about your business!
Bad news on the bee front though. It reached 56F here yesterday, warm enough for bees to come out on toilet breaks, but when I went down to check them it was grimly silent. With a sinking heart I took the hive apart. The bees were all dead. Scattered across three plentiful trays of honey. They had piles of food. They had broken formation to eat and must have been caught by a sharp drop in temperatures, unable to huddle back together for warmth, they had frozen. And only recently. So, so sad. Evidently the Italian bees often come out when it is not warm enough and often hives are lost because of this. Though it was a brutal winter. None of this is much consolation. But this year I cannot think of one thing I did not do. The extreme cold beat us. I am going to give it one last try with my Russian Queen and her hive who arrive in May. Hopefully the progeny will be tougher in these Illinois winters. I need to have bees that are bred for this tough environment. Russians surely must know about the cold.
But the sun was shining yesterday and it was warm enough to work without a jacket or gloves. Everyone took a minute just to stand in the sun, even Sheila. We all stood a little straighter and even though it was all slosh and deep water sitting on frozen ground in the fields, there was warm sun.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
98 responses to “Ice Cold Water”
Like magic…
magic gremlins.. c
Your onomatopoeic opening is delivious. I’ve saved Marcel and Daisy kissing for a new desktop. I’m so sorry about the bees. Can you still save the honey?
Love,
ViV
OK, I found onomatopoeic in my Collins dictionary, (its good to learn a new word when one is 68 years old), but “delivious” I cannot find. ?? I shall Google … Joy
Oops! Delicious…. My neologisms are always accidental slips.
Good morning! So sorry about the bees. Can they be moved to a warmer location for the winter, if there is such a place? I know zippo about bees, so that may be a stupid question. 🙂 Daisy and Marcel are precious. Definitely put a smile on my face this morning as I drank my morning cup of Earl Grey. I agree about the comments section. It is hard to read other comments. Is there a way to up the contrast between the blue background and the words? I so enjoy reading the comments! Have a great sunny, melty day.
I am blind no longer! Thanks!
You are welcome..
Good morning, so sorry about the bees. So far it looks as if the comments have been fixed from this end–unless something dire happens when I post them.
Your auditory description of the ice starting to melt in the water was beautiful. I wanted to run along with Sheila to see what the “ice music” was all about.
Pity about the bees, but as you say the Russians should be better acclimatised to the cold, or so I would think… can’t wait for Friday to hear the news if calf is on time or not…
as long as she holds off, the bitter cold comes back tomorrow.. c
I wonder if Daisy remembers her milking parlour escort? Wow Marcel, head-butting Aunties and Granny on one side and huge Daisy and Ton on the other – make a run for the black leather couch inside. 🙂 Sad about the Bees here. Laura
More snow here tonight, miss c, and likely heading east.We were spoiled with two days of 70 degrees and a glimpse of green in what passes for a front lawn for me. Weeds can be lovely. Your writing never fails to make me happy.
So sorry about the bees C. You’ve worked so hard with them. Hopefully the Russians will do a bit better. I love the last shot of all the sheep, Daisy and Marcel the Happy. Wonderful perspective!
I am so sorry about your bees! It has been a brutal winter, indeed.
so sorry about the bees. i thought after you reported them to be alive and well last month that they made it but i guess the recent cold weather did them in. i hope the russian bees will be hardier. you need honey! we are in for another storm and single digit weather tomorrow. it is going to be in the 60’s here today. what a winter!
we are about the same, must be a huge storm to be hitting us all!.. c
Your bee story sounds oh too familiar. We lost our last hive in April two years ago. They were all out enjoying the sunny warm day, and died that night when the temps dropped to the twenties. I still have not re-stocked my hives. I have been visited by a bee or two while out cleaning the coop or feeding horses during warm days, and I warn that bee to go back and tuck in. We are not out of it yet.
That is too bad about the bees. I’m going to do my best, as I do every year, to keep bees happy in my yard. I’m not ready to keep them just yet, when the kids are gone. AND this post reminded me of Anne of Green Gables, very lyrical writing. xo
I haven’t been over for a visit in a bit, and your blog is just gorgeous! I love what you’ve done. As well, I’m very sorry about the bees. I wonder what this winter has done in hives spread across the country. Fingers crossed with the Russian bees!
I’ve been away over the weekend, and now my mom is a follower and has Marcel the Happy on her desktop! Lovely to see everyone out and about enjoying the sunshine. It will be 70 here today for the third day in a row. I, too, am so sorry to hear about your bees, but truly it sounds like you did all you could do. Mother nature has been fierce and cruel indeed to the midwest this year. Y’all have had a truly punishing winter. Here’s hoping the Russian bees live up to their reputation, and that they are as warm weather hardy as cold weather.