Clumsy is the perfect word to describe my husband and my adventure out onto the ice today. (how’s that for a grammatically weird sentence?) Maybe it wasn’t that bad, but how would we know? We know nothing about walking on ice. We did it once 4 years ago, the last time the waters around Stockholm froze. It was snow covered and there were plenty of other people walking. Then we did it for a second time last week. Once again, it was snow covered and there were others on the ice. So we planned it again for this week. The plan was a long walk on the ice, as long as we could go, and come back.
Well…
Let me just preface this with a couple of thing: One, It has been below freezing here for more than a month. The ice is probably a couple of decimeters thick, which is more than recommended when you’re going to walk on it. Two, there were people on the ice already, but most were cross country skiers.
We were on the ice for a few minutes when we started to hear some light cracking. We paused and looked at each other. Daniel figured it was safe. I wasn’t so sure. I asked him if he was nervous, he said yes and we quickly made our way back to shore. We stood there, on the dock, for about 5 minutes while we watched a couple walk right past us and continue on. So we figured we were being silly. The ice is THICK and has been for a while. So back on the ice we went. We were calmer and walked for a a little while. We went about 10 minutes, taking pictures and filming along the way when we started hearing the cracking again. We paused and decided it was time to go back. So we walked back, slightly nervous but pretty confident anyway. To be safe, we didn’t walk right next to each other to avoid putting too much weight on any one spot.
About halfway back Daniel stopped for a second to turn around and say something to me, and right at that moment, right below out feet, we heard a big CRACK, and we both swear we felt the ice start to buckle below us. Maybe it didn’t move. Maybe it was our imagination. But it was loud enough to scare the bejeezus out of us. I ran off to the side, around where we were, and hurried on. The last few minutes of trying to get to the shore felt like hours. But we made it there safe & dry. I was shaking, so we decided to take a nice long walk along the walking paths there to calm ourselves.
Who knows, really? We don’t know anything about walking on ice, so maybe it was safer than we thought, and it’s supposed to make those noises. But we weren’t going to take any more chances than we did. Especially since we didn’t have those ice pick thingies you’re supposed to have to help drag you out of the water if you fall through.
Goodness, I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it!
But I can promise you that we won’t ever be that clumsy again!
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I like the ice effect! How did you do that? Also, if the ice is cracking, get on your belly and crawl. It will spread the forces.
Thanks Praveen! I used Photoshop’s chalk brush with the burn tool. And I know I’ve read about the lying on your belly thing. But I was so scared I couldn’t think straight! My only though was “GET ME OFF THIS ICE!!!”
ha - great illustration and story
I haven’t walked on the ice much but I would be nervous too. I like the detail you put into your hat.
I moved to Sweden about two and a half years ago and I am still not brave enough to walk on the ice, the thought of falling through terrifies me! I’m in Södermanland so I don’t know about nearer Stockholm but it has warmed up by about 20 degrees in the last week alone. You are braver than me
:horrified_sb:OMG… I think I would have soiled myself. (But it makes a GREAT illo and a great story! Wonderful!)
Beautiful! Great colors and love your facial expression. How good you can process the experience through your art!