River ice in the making. (Karen Wils photo)

ESCANABA — Waiting on sunrise —

Wearing warm flannels and wool —

Watching weary water,

Slowly give way to shimmering ice!

Watching water turn into ice is something almost every Yooper has done. And yes, it is much more exciting than watching paint dry.

It’s soothing! It’s traditional.

The natural elements create a physical change right before our eyes. Liquid becomes solid. Autumn becomes winter (the first day of winter is Dec. 21).

And the cycle of the seasons battles on!

Here in Upper Michigan, we are never far from a Great Lake, river, pond or creek. The streams and the Bays freeze differently but both put on an awesome show.

Water does not freeze without a fight. There are tears. A frosty mist hovers over the lake. It is like the lake is weeping and saying farewell until we meet again.

The first ice forms from the shore or bank and then stretches out like arms across the water until the pond or bay is frozen from side to side. Temperature and turbulence are the most important factors that will determine how fast and how smoothly the water will freeze.

Some people call this science but here in the U.P. we just call it magic, because ice-up comes differently every year. The tiny creek near our camp twists and turns over roots and rocks. It freezes in layers. Brillant bubbles of air are often trapped like shiny ornaments of ice. Diamond ice glistens where there was just yesterday a waterfall.

My Dad grew up in Gladstone, and I remember him talking about the early ice up at the head of the bay. “Rubber ice” he called it. He was already skating on it even though he could see the minnows scooting beneath the clear ice (do be cautious on ice at all times).

Sometimes it is amazing just how much the calendar seasons and the church seasons are similar. The pre-Christmas season of Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. December is also a time of waiting for the ground to be white with snow and the lakes to be covered with thick ice so that winter sports can begin.

Ice is important for the environmental wellbeing of fish and plant life below. An ice cover stops evaporation. Ice protects shores from the waves of some storms.

In this crazy modern world, when people mention “ice” we think of immigration and Customs enforcement. Yooper ice is a peaceful thing. If people paid more attention to the gentle transitions of nature and less attention to the “rat race” of every day living, we’d be happier.

If you get a chance, watch the water turn to ice, hum a song, say a prayer and be grateful for the simple pleasures of the U.P.