Category Archives: The Liminal Times

A Frozen Bouquet

Some factslaps about “Ice Flowers:”

  1. Formation: Ice flowers, also known as frost flowers or ice crystals, form under specific conditions. They typically appear when the air temperature is below freezing, but the water or ground beneath is not completely frozen.
  2. Process: As water vapor escapes from small cracks or pores in the freezing surface, it immediately crystallizes in the cold air above. This process continues, building up intricate structures over time.
  3. Appearance: As seen in the image, they often resemble delicate flowers or feathers made of ice. They can vary in size but are usually quite fragile and can range from a few centimeters to several inches across.
  4. Occurrence: While they can form on various surfaces, including plants and thin ice, the ones in this image are forming on a frozen body of water, likely a lake or fjord in Norway.
  5. Rarity: Ice flowers are relatively rare and ephemeral. They require very specific conditions to form and can disappear quickly when those conditions change.
  6. Variations: Depending on the exact conditions, ice flowers can take on various shapes and sizes, sometimes appearing more feather-like, needle-like, or as in this case, flower-like.

Seven Hours And 15 Days

Odin, the Great Pyrenees from the Tubbs wildfire, became a symbol of loyalty and bravery during the 2017 Northern California wildfires. His story is remarkable because he refused to abandon his flock of goats when the Tubbs Fire swept through Sonoma County.

As the wildfire approached their property, Odin’s owners, Roland Tembo Hendel and his family, had to evacuate quickly. They tried to take Odin and their herd of goats with them, but Odin refused to leave the goats behind. In the chaos of the fire, they had no choice but to leave him, hoping he might somehow survive.

When the family returned after the fire had passed, they feared the worst. Their property had been devastated, but miraculously, they found Odin alive and still guarding his goats, all of whom had also survived. Odin had not only protected the goats but also a group of small deer that had taken refuge with him. Despite injuries, burns, and singed fur, Odin had done what he was bred to do—protect his flock.

Oh Look, Hey, Here He Comes Now

A baby elephant who was separated from his mother and herd in Tamil Nadu, India, has been reunited with them by park officials. The baby, who is approximately 5 months old, became separated and was in distress looking for his mother. Forest officials located the herd using drones about 2.5 miles away, and bathed the baby, put mud on him to reduce human smell, and transported him on a truck to the herd. Mothers and herds usually do not move when a calf goes missing, but sometimes in areas of animal-human conflict, the matriarch has to choose between the safety of the herd over the individual. Several days later they came across the mother and calf having a quiet nap.