Ice, pond, night.

Walking on ice, for those who know about it, is easy. The key is to keep an eye on the thermometer and on other people. A few nights' deep frost, and you'll be OK, once you can see other humans' footprints, which suggest that risk of falling though is limited. But once you see car tracks in the snow that covers the ice that covers the pond, you know you - are - SAFE. Totally. Safe. There eez no reeesk.

So walking home from W-wa Dawidy when it's -8C, I take to the lake. The camera is set to a massive ISO 12,800, 1/6th sec exposure at f3.5 with vibration reduction switched on. (It's always on, except when camera's on a tripod. This is all hand-held). Autofocus isn't working in this darkness, so it's manual focus, set to infinity.

Left: the moon is almost full, the sky starry and clear. Overhead a plane is coming in to land. The Sublime Aesthetic comes over me; this is not a scene from my childhood, though it's so familiar. The street lights of ul. Puławska cast an orange glow on the horizon. Tracks of human footprints mingle with those of dogs and hares. It is cold, I can feel it in my toes and fingers, being dressed rather for the office than for a two-kilometre walk at this temperature.

Below: looking across at the backs of houses on ul. Trombity, Christmas lights still up (acceptable until the weekend before Candlemas).

Below: looking back towards the west, ul. Baletowa running across the frame.

This time two years ago:
Sorry, taki mamy klimat - Polish rail in winter

This time four years ago:
Music of the Trees

This time five years ago:
Studniówka - a hundred days before the exams

This time six years ago:
It's all in the mind - but where's that?

This time seven years ago:
Roztopy - the big melt-down

This time eight years ago:
The year's most depressing day