Crispy Crunchy Cold

Early this morning the thermometer on the hill east of the Village read -3. Last night was the coldest night of the winter, but tonight is going to give it a run for its money.


Though my upper lip went numb within ten minutes, I had to go down to the river to check the ice. As you well know, the Hudson is the River that Flows Two Ways. On winter days, if you catch the tide coming in, the ice flows up river. And ice is noisy. Scratching and grinding against raw edges.

If you are lucky enough to be down there when the Coast Guard Ice Breaker is chugging up the shipping channel, you'll catch the wake rolling under the ice. Oddest thing. Even the biggest expanses of ice appear to flex and bend over the crests.

Not today. It was beautifully quiet and not a thing moving. The shipping channel was iced over and deep blue and the choppy tidal edge was locked in place too. It'll be early next week before the scratching and crunching begins again.

Get yourself down there and enjoy the silence. And I'll bet there'll be ice boating at Rokeby this weekend!