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Monday, February 22, 2016

Braving it



When I woke up last Sunday, our thermometer read ten degrees below zero.  Anyone who reads Middle Passages knows that for day-to-day living, I strongly prefer hot weather.  But there’s one reason I’ll cope with negative numbers, and that's the sea smoke that forms when very cold air hovers above warmer water. It’s kind of like steam over a hot bath or a hot drink, and I’d never heard of it before living by the ocean.  Some people call it frost smoke, or steam fog, and I suppose those names are apt when it occurs over the pond down the street on the first real cold day of Fall.  But last week, it was all about the sea.

Knowing the weather prediction, I actually gave thought to getting up at sunrise on Sunday to take pictures by the water, but when dawn arrived, I thought, who am I kidding?  I well remember my frozen fingers when I did that one January morning last year, and that day (you can read about here), it was eight degrees above zero.  Still, later in the morning, when my husband headed out to do errands, I hemmed and hawed about going with him, thinking we’d take a trip by the beach.  Even then I talked myself out of it. “The sun’s high. It’s too late.  Any sea smoke will be gone.”  Lucky for me, he took a swing by the water, and called me.  “You need to get down here.”

Pulling on long-johns and jeans and zipping into my down jacket, I headed out.  I wish I could explain the mystique of sea smoke as it wafts over the ocean.  What are the right words?  Ghostly? Ethereal?  Haunting?  On days like this I long for one of those foot-long camera lenses and the education and skill to take professional photos.  But I am who I am and I get what I get.  At least I have an eye.  And this time, chattering teeth that were well worth the experience.



13 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Surreal and haunting all right! I don't blame you for balking at going out, but glad you did.

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

Nice shots (all except that first one :)

mshatch said...

They both look like paintings rather than photos. Beautiful.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

The photos look so gothic! Really beautiful.

Bish Denham said...

Out of the mist rises a light...

Joanne said...

wow, wow, wow. I'd say you captured it beautifully. Thanks for sacrificing the fingers, toes, and nose for your art. That is insane cold!!!

Connie said...

Great photos! I don't blame you for wanting to stay inside. I would have wanted to do the same.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I really hate the cold too but those pictures are really great. So haunting.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

Oh my, the pictures are wonderful. I am glad you took them, and hope your car was still warm when you ran,while chattering, back to it.

Pixel Peeper said...

There's something about fog that just makes a photographer's heart go pitter patter...

Beautiful pictures! And I can relate to your reluctance to get up and get out to take pictures of it. I can't bring myself to get up early on a weekend to get some fog pictures when the temperature is in the 70's.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Liza - gosh what wonderful shots - no wonder you went down. It reminds me a little of mists on Moors ... the Jamaica Inn sort - that I've just read and have been writing about. I don't know what you'd call it .. ghostly, ethereal, ephemeral, haunting ... fantastic shots to show us. Love the shore line .. cheers Hilary

Robin said...

That first photo is breathtaking. Spectacular. I'm not just blowing smoke up your rear, either. AMAZING.

The second one is really good, but that first one....!

Tabitha Bird said...

Always love your work! X