Thursday, January 25, 2024

Icicles and Icy Hands

We continue our little walkies in almost all conditions. We likely won't today, of course, after the overnight ice storm. Usually, I find something to point my camera at on our outings, but on this past dull Tuesday there was nothing that moved me. The only shot I got that day was with my cell when I decided to take a picture of icicles at the grocery store.


Aside: this isn't our usual store, but I was here looking for my default breakfast cereal: Quaker Harvest Crunch. It's just granola, and I like it. But it has disappeared from the two stores where I normally shop. It wasn't to be found here either. Blast it all! What is up with that?

Having that one icicle photo, we walked around our little downtown the next day, yesterday, and I found a few more icicles that I could show you. I processed each of the three photos differently, especially the first one. Just having some fun.




One problem with photographing in the cold weather, aside from the obvious one of working the camera with my bare hand, is my other hand. While I can stick my right, camera hand in my pocket between takes, my left  hand is always out there, holding onto my cane. Even with gloves or mitts, that hand gets pretty darn cold without any temporary respites from the bitter cold.

Sue was determined to solve the problem and found battery-heated mitts on that South American Jungle (get it?) online store . The mitts also have handy-dandy accoutrements, so I can dangle them from my sleeve for when I remove them to take a picture. This should beat trying to stuff them in my pocket and all too often dropping them in the snow in the process or having things like car keys or phones fall out when I remove gloves from my pocket.

Like with a 2 year-old, my mitts are attached, but I will likely be keeping
the left one on to constantly hold the cane.

The mitts were delivered only late yesterday, so they haven't yet been field-tested, and they probably won't be today. I think they'll work, but I'll have to get back to you on that score.

Happiness is warm hands.


26 comments:

Marie Smith said...

I bought hand warmers. The heat is almost instant and so hot, even on low. I put them in my favourite mitts. No cold hands!

Barbara Rogers said...

Loved the ice cycles! And those mitts definitely should help, even if on or off for short times.

Jeanie said...

The heated mitts sound like a good idea. I get those handwarmers and put them in my mittens. They work like a charm and fast. Those are some serious icicles!

Kipper said...

How does it feel being married to a genius? 😂🤣

Tabor said...

That is handy dandy. I must look into those when we get winters again...if we every do!

Ed said...

According to the news I heard, Quaker has a massive Canada wide recall going on right now, including all flavors of Harvest Crunch cereals according to the first googled site I checked. You may be out of luck for awhile.

Dianne said...

United States too has a Quaker recall happening now.

Liz Hinds said...

I saw those accoutrements when I was looking for glove string but couldn't work out what to do with them. Now you've shown me, I realise they might be ideal for my gloves too.

MARY G said...

Oh my! Fellow cane user wants a report on the mitts in detail. I wear my camera under my coat, unless I have a long lens on it, but that makes the coat leak cold drafts. I have a smaller Pentax with a wrist strap, that I can fit into a pocket with my hand, but I still have to play with the buttons and things, freezing the fingers. There is no perfect solution. Unless your gloves solve a bunch of problems at once.
Those icicles are cold, brrr. So, what was the edit? Don't see it.

MARY G said...

Ac, moved to monochrome?

Anvilcloud said...

@Mary. Yes to mono. The black wall one was close to SOOC. The other building had more done to it, but I agree that it wouldn't be apparent, which is probably a good thing. 😊

RedPat said...

What a good idea even for the camera hand. I always come back from a walk with a cold right hand fro using the camera.

Margaret said...

That's an excellent idea for cold weather climes. Several employees at my grocery store have heated puffy coats. They are in and out of the store to deliver pick up orders. (like mine!)

Boud said...

I really like the photo with the dark wall and red window frame. That's a keeper!

roentare said...

Photography really takes you to places lol

Cloudia said...

Nice gloves! And I really like your exhibition of icicles. Brrrr! That weather would definitely kill me. I think a lot of Quaker products were recalled because of some issue. So hopefully your favorite will be back. I buy giant tubs of organic rolled oats and make oatmeal every day for pennies!

Catalyst said...

Oh, yes, they'll work! I'm glad I'm not there though Prescott Valley looked like Seattle today!

peppylady (Dora) said...

I just don't like being cold. Then on the other hand I don't like being hot either.

Red said...

Quaker products have been recalled because Salmonella was found. I also looked for harvest crunch.

Debby said...

Sue takes awfully good care of you, doesn't she?

Jenn Jilks said...

Good luck with them! I have idiot mitts attached to my sleeve.

DJan said...

That scene with the red brick wall looks like the icicles are on a laundry line. I like them all!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

As a fellow photographer whose hands are always chilled, I admit to being a bit envious of your new mitts, AC. Now, what about cold feet when tramping around in winter?

Granny Sue said...

Those mittens look like they might be just the thing. I have Reynauds syndrome, and cannot wear gloves. I can only wear mittens and basically wear them like socks with my thumb tucked in with my hand. However, the other day when making the snowman I pit on pair of plastic food handlers gloves, then my mittens, worn properly. And wonder of wonders, my hands stayed warm! Now I wonder if I do the same with gloves...

I enjoyed these icicle photos. I have been fascinated by icicles since I was a child.

Kay said...

Yay for Sue! Those look wonderfully warm. Hmmm... You look like you're losing weight?

Jenny the Pirate said...

Those are clever! I hope they work in the field. I have had many struggles over the years -- in any and all types of weather -- with how to carry with me the things that I need while keeping my hands available for shooting. In pretty cold weather I can make do with fingerless gloves. I had to go and buy some at the dollar store when we were in New England in the fall of '19 ... they've come in pretty handy, haha xoxo