It is about this time of year when I remember that it is winter and I should be out experiencing things winter like.
So I pack Joãozão and a box of film into the Saturn that seems to be ok now head out to the lake country with little errands along the way – drop off the colour film at Woodman’s, head over to the post office.
The lakes because this time of year there is all this extra real estate with them freezing over and while it has been done before, I wanted to continue to photograph the ice fishing chalets as a social experience rather than a cataloguing.
Starting out my goal was Powers Lake as it is always secluded and pretty empty, I was imagining a ghost town of chalets. I became more ambitious and far ranging thinking Lake Geneva for its vastness then the Williams Bay section of the lake and finally – why not – Delavan Lake.
Settled on Lake Geneva parking downtown which always remided me a of down and out
British sea coast resort, Most shops were closed, there was a melting snow sculpture exhibit at the Riviera pier where one tried to picture what they were before they started to disintegrate. I was helped along by the placards which weathered the environment better than the sculptures.By the public beach warnings of thin ice but further out the chalets, the ATVs and at time full size pick-ups. Wandered up the road until I found the place where the tyre tracks lead out and ventured onto the ice.
Ah that first step, with the snow I couldn’t tell were land ended and water began. The area with it shades of whiteness looked more pristine than the corn stubbled fields I had passed.
Grey day tricky lighting due to all the white, I for some reason brought a light meter then proceeded to ignore it, mimicking my working method of the time I was wandering the British seacoast.
It was trying to snow with varying degrees of success. I was in an ice prairie theme park that was nearly deserted.
Great time photographing the chalets, the tracks the cleared spots on the ice where there was once a hut, the ice fishing flags making sure that I used the length of the lake as a near infinity setting.
Started at the “outskirts” - individual chalets with considerable space between them toward the middle of the lake – then headed into a more “urban area”. Here there were the trucks, some temporary tents, one gent sitting out in the open on a bucket and less of the constructed buildings in the more isolated area at times it flet like the ice version of cottage country. One person had built a snow man family outside their building.
Feeling pretty pleased with myself as I was out making snaps again and for once I didn’t forget to get out on the lakes.
With my feet finally waterlogged, headed back, picked up the film, and went home to prepare for the week. Threw the my courier bag down leaving the numbering of the film until later.
Later came, I went to the bag to retrieve the box of film and couldn’t find it. Thinking this a product of my week-day multitasking, I search the house, the car, the garage. I turn the bag inside out pretending that I am a TSA agent looking for airplane contraband. I clean my room.
I cannot find the box of film. I try to mentally retrace my steps thinking of where I saw the film last, where I changed rolls, could it have hit the snow and me not hear it?
Didn’t sleep.
3 comments:
CLARKE!!!!! you must be more careful. I don't like reading about all the great wanders you have that never seem to end well. Have you always been such a calamity of errors or do you not write about all the times things go well? It seems like you are always dropping and losing things that are much TOO....COOL, for lack of a better art word, to lose or break. I am now frustrated on your behalf.
but but but, i was out and about, i was on the lakes, i was using the winter not as a time of waiting until things improve but in a positive way. i didn’t fall through the ice.
one knows fully well that only on television is anything all good or bad, it is the balance and how far it tips one way or the other.
and my constant attempts to multitask when on this side of the gulf of st. lawrence means that things are going to happen. if there were more time there would be less problems but that is pretty much universal.
besides what about the following day?
Alright, maybe it is the way you make it sound, or the way we read stories. I am reading and reading, things are going well, all of your but but buts are what make the post interesting, and this is NOT TV or a movie so I think all is going as it ought, and then.....a clarkism happens that makes the whole story seem tainted. You are right, perhaps it is not, I am glad you did not fall in the ice, and I am sure it was very nice to be outside (really??) but still, the ending line of the post leaves the reader a little worse for wear.
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