Friday 13 February 2009

Strange formations


This came out a rather odd photo! I loved the way the ice had formed around a large stone in our pond. The pale ice was left over from previous cold weather but a sharp frost the night before last made a ring of straight lines. The moss and leaves added colour.
I only explain this because othersie it could have been seen as almost anything!
I thought nature didn't like straight lines, but the ice is definitely sharp edged and even. It reminds me a little of a ruff around the stone. Which then made me think of all the clothes we used to wear - no wonder we thought the summers were warm! Liberty bodices (anyone remember those!!). Strong navy blue knickers, and believe me, in those days, knickers were knickers! And, dare I whisper it - combinations! How my poor mother managed to wash all this lot, I do not know. And when I went out I had leggings - the sort that you pulled up like trousers, with slits up the sides that had lots of little fiddly buttons to do up. And they were thick. And tended to be itchy! Honestly, children these days don't know how well off they are! Comforable clothes, throw them in the washing machine, no ironing! I learnt to iron on my father's separate, button-on shirt collars and cuffs, and woe betide me if I got creases in the corners of the collars.
That's a long way from this photo, though. Looking forward to melting ice and the coming Spring! :)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Gilly, I just stumbled upon your blog. What a great pic! I loved reading your memories of your childhood clothes...I had big navy knickers too and I was a child of the 1970s! Hope you're having a nice day, love Tina :)

much2ponder said...

I loved taking this little walk down memory lane with you. My husband and I are involved in reenactments of the pre-1840s, Fur trader era. I know about some of these cloths items as they are part of my outfit. I was imagining you as a little girl trying to pull it all on and button it up, button after button. A test in patience I'm sure. I was always in a hurry as a child and to have to do all that would have driven me crazy. Now I dress up on purpose, go figure.

Love the picture of the rock too and you are absolutely correct...I was pretty clueless as to exactly what I was looking at until I read your description.

Marja said...

Nature creates great art. I love the ice spreading over the mossy stone.
Here its is already a lot colder soon we are gonna swap and the good times for you will come. Take care

Carolyn said...

Straight lines in nature will often have something to do with crystals - of ice in this case. I think of little molecules of water nestling together in the most comfortable way they can during a slow freeze.

The leaves, on the other hand, probably come closer to fractal geometry. I like the computer-generated fern leaf and the Romanesco broccoli here.

Your photo really could be imagined as a number of things which it is not.

awareness said...

When I first looked at your photo, I thought it was an ocean creature, or seaweed of some kind. it's an intriguing picture. I really like it.

as for the knickers and all those buttons? I had a pair in the 70's as well... :) I loved them as a fashion statement and wore them with a pair of black boots. friends thought i was nuts. they probably still think i'm nuts. lol!

theMuddledMarketPlace said...

...remember ironing those starched linen sheets?

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Fabulous photo. you should have it framed!

cheshire wife said...

Nature gives us some wonderful photographs. I think that I remember liberty bodices as a child and what girl does not remember navy knickers!