No Fire, Just Ice

A smelter waits.
2/19/22 (dwm)

 I was expecting to see some hot iron, but was too early at Olbrich Gardens yesterday.  There was a healthy crowd of people and families gathered inside designing a mold to shape the liquified metal in the morning, while outside crews were setting up the furnace so they could fire things up later.

 My goal was to get pictures of the red-hot iron poured into molds, but it was too cold for that.  I was dressed warmly, though, so instead I walked, camera in hand, looking for pictures.

 Madison hasn't had seasonal snow so far, a dusting blew in on a snow squall Friday night which made things look festive.  The blue sky and bright sunshine created an interesting canvas on which to work.

One of the molds ready to
be poured. 2/19/22 (dwm)

Juxtaposing the sunshine and the actual temperature meant sunglasses and extra layers.  While the sun makes us happier and feel good, in winter, no clouds lets warm air escape leaving us with chills.

It was going to be a few hours before the artists' foundry was warming the great lawn outside the Olbrich Garden conservatory, so I headed toward the Thai pavilion.

The Thai Pavilion at Olbrich
Gardens. 2/19/22 (dwm)

 Looking across a small stream that empties into Lake Monona, the pavilion stands amidst hardy Wisconsin plants that resembles tropical gardens in the country from which it came.  There is a strong connection between Thailand and Madison, primarily a large number of students attending the University of Wisconsin from their country in southeast Asia.

 Yards away from the pavilion there is a stand of Paper Birch trees.  The contrast between trees and the sky was amazing.

I've admired some of the birch tree photos I've seen, but failed to capture their frailty and grandeur at the same time.  

Here are a couple attempts at finding the tree in a forest:

Paper Birch trees at Olbrich Gardens, Madison. 2/19/2022 dwm photos

Thirty minutes walking around Olbrich in 15 degree temperatures was enough.  I returned to the car to head home, but before I made a left turn onto Monona Avenue, I went straight where I parked in another parking lot, this one at the Olbrich Beach park.  

Sunshine illuminated the frozen lake which gave the avenue its name.  Small shanties stood quietly while offering shelter to anglers trying their luck.  I watched a pair of fishermen drill a hole for a line and was a little surprised to see the drill had to travel at least two feet to find liquid.

A long pressure crack twenty feet off-shore created a three to four foot high mountain range, which gave the place character and something to frame shots of the lake and downtown Madison.

Lake Monona frozen solid.  2/19/2022 dwm photos