“What is reality? An icicle forming in fire.” Dōgen
What is Reality?
Category: Ice
Melting Attachment
“Melting our attachment to self is the most powerful medication for bringing mental and emotional imbalances in check.” Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
The Lititz Chainsaw Massacre
It was 50 degrees and climbing this morning when I headed to Lititz, which has been called the coolest small town in America. The Fire & Ice Festival begins tonight and I wanted to watch them carve the ice sculptures and take some photos.
As usual I got there way too early but eventually they began to massacre the blocks of ice with chainsaws, then use other tools to chisel out amazing detail. There was a large ice chair, a John Deere tractor and this one which will be a newspaper boy.
In hindsight I should have paid more attention to the background, used a very wide aperture, shot in manual and got closer ignoring the ice chips shooting everywhere. I knew they would be carving 72 more sculptures but I had no intention of waiting.
Being a perfectionist bordering on obsessive (see blog name) I have to learn to enjoy the experience, good photo, bad photo or no photo. Author Edmond Mbiaka wrote: “When it comes to perfection, the most that we could possibly do is to continuously push closer and closer to it. It is truly something to aim at, just to see how close you could get to it.”
I knew I should have got closer!
Thoughts on Ice
“He who cannot put his thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of dispute.” Friedrich Nietzsche
The Scream
I could have screamed, you could have screamed, we all could have screamed but Mom’s is closed for the season.
Update: Not only is Just Mom’s not closed for the season but I found out they serve homemade ice cream as well as a full menu of appetizers, lunch and dinner.
Kaytlyn D. of Douglassville, P.A. gave the place a five star review and said: “Excellent food. Excellent service. New addition is beautiful and clean. All hoagies/sandwiches and pastas are better than most in restaurants in the area. If you’re lucky enough to get Tarkus behind the bar, ask for a dirty martini.”
I’d ask for a dozen dirty martinis but I quit drinking about fifteen years ago. What about the ice cream Kaytlyn?
Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Anything that is Hot and / or Cold
Transitory Life
“We fall like light on water and water turns to ice.” Laurie Anderson
