The Ice is grinding its teeth?

Since before Christmas, I have been walking later in the evening, in the dark. I would wait until things had settled after dinner head out. I wear a very reflective hoodie and reports are people can see me in their headlights for miles. Everyone asks “aren’t you afraid of being attacked and eaten by ravenous and rabid bears, wolves, coyotes, porcupines and perhaps even deer?” In all these months I have not been attacked by anything. But all these queries have planted the seeds of doubt. The last night I walked in the dark I heard every ravenous and rabid animal within 1 mile of the road. I even heard Sir David Attenborough narrating my roadside demise. Jeezuz!

Thank God the time changed and I can walk in the light. Not towards the light, at least not yet. I try to get back before even the vampires might come out and track me. Walking in the light is somewhat better. I think though that ravenous and rabid animals could still take me out in the daylight. Hell, they might even prefer it. Jeezuz!

Anyway, after my walk, I usually sit in the hot tub and read my book for 15 or 20 minutes. I am almost able to walk again after that time in the spa. Tonight it was a dull, persistent thrum sound that caught my interest. At first, I jumped right to ravenous and rabid creatures (in my backyard this would now include squirrels, rabbits, ruffed grouse and one weasel). The sound was more than that, it was sort of a grinding thrum. It’s the ice. The thrum is the cumulative sound of all the ice grinding together. It is the loudest it has ever been tonight. I’ve read a lot of Stephen King and I know my thrums. This is a bona fide thrum that would make Stephen King proud.

The ice has been moving ever so slowly, building up little structures at the nearshore pressure crack.