We had an Arctic blast in Northeast USA recently...actually, across much of the USA. The icy chunks that appeared in the nearby bay were startling. Just months before, swimmers and birds had entertained themselves in that very area.
I had never seen ice in a bay or ocean before. Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water. I looked it up. In order for salt water to freeze, the temperature has to be 28.8°F or lower. I just looked up ambient temperatures for the community at the time. The low was 10°F, and it stayed that cold for at least a week.
My daughter took her dog down to the water and he seemed to revel in the cold. I didn't go with them. As a matter of fact, I stayed in. She was disappointed that I didn't want to take my daily constitutional around the neighborhood. Between the long, heavy winter coat and the cold, I found a simple walk tiring.
I wondered if my response to the cold was subjective or was validated by objective criteria. Once again, I looked it up. Harvard Health suggests the 'older' folks not do their regular workouts outdoors when the temperature is under 32 F. Apparently the lower temperatures put a strain on the cardiovascular system.
The National Institutes of health states on its website: "Cardiovascular-related mortality peaks during cold winter months, particularly in older adults". The site goes on to explain that rates of "myocardial infarction and cardiovascular-related mortality" go up as temperatures fall. The increased mortality and morbidity are associated directly with an advance in age. There is more arterial stiffness, increased tendency of the blood to clot, and higher blood pressure. In people with chronic conditions (it seems everybody over the age of 75 has at least one chronic condition😁), the cold has an even greater negative effect.
After reading about the physiological effects of cold on the elderly, I decided I wouldn't be taking a walk if the temperature was under 32. Actually, 35 seemed to be the cutoff for me, subjectively.
Here is another icy picture. Note the dog ears in the bottom of the photo. My daughter captured all these icy pictures. She gave them to me and invited me to use them in a blog.
I'm sure the dog would have jumped in if my daughter hadn't restrain him. Here's a video that shows just how eager he was. I think the swans were irresistible.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n5yGZneRRco
The pictures I'm posting below are for the LMAC Image Library, LIL. Besides winter pictures, I've added several seascapes. I also have included pictures of the family pets.
If you would like to contribute to the LMAC Gallery, or borrow from it, procedures for doing so are outlined in this post by @shaka. Anyone on Hive may contribute to the library, and anyone on Hive may borrow from it.
The LIL Gallery is an intrinsic part of the LMAC community. We hold monthly contests that attract artists and amateur artists. Not only do participants join in the contest, but they also often post freestyle collages. We curate all collages that follow the rules. You can find those rules in this blog post.
Once pictures are posted in LIL, they are in the public domain.
I hope these images are useful to the community.
| Thoughtful Dog and a Frozen Bay | Dog, Ice, Bay, Pier |  |
Swans in the Bay | Swans, Bay, Ice, Grass, Nature |  |
| Frozen Bay | Ice, Water, Bay, Winter, Nature | |
| Icy Bay With Dog | Dog, Icy Bay, Pier, Nature, Winter |  |
| Attentive Dog by a Frozen Bay | Dog, Ice, Bay, Pier, Nature |  |
| Dog and Two Swans | Dog, Swans, Grass, Pier, Bay, Nature |  |
| An Icy Bay | Ice, Pier, Bay, Water |  |
| Dog and Swans | Beach, Shore, Water, Dog, Swans, Sky, Nature |  |
| A Walk Along the Shore | Shore, Boardwalk, Sky, Horizon, Bay, Boats, Nature |  |
| The Bay Fringed by Sea Grass | Bay, Water, Sea Grass, Horizon, Sky, Boats |  |
| Boats in the Bay | Birds, Boats, Bay, Nature, Water, Sky Horizon |  |
| Seascape | Nature, Shore, Bay, Water, Sky, Horizon |  |
| Seascape | Bay, Water, Sea, Shore, Nature |  |
| Dog Playing | Dog, Ball, Animal, Pet |  |
| Cat Sleeping | Cat, Pet, Animal |  |
| Sleeping Cat | Cat, Pet, Animal |  |
| Sleeping Cat | Cat, Pet, Animal |  |
| Planters in Winter | Snow, Planters, Winter |  |
| Snow-covered Seating | Snow, Winter, Couch |  |
| Lonely Chair in the Snow | Snow, Winter, Chair |  |
| Truck in the Snow | Snow, Truck, Winter, Night |  |
| Footprints in the Snow | Snow, Winter, Footprints |  |
| Snowy Street | Street, Snow, Houses, Winter |  |
| Snow-covered Street | Snow, Street, Cars, Houses, Winter |  |
| Snowy Street | Winter, Street, Snow, Cars |  |
| Rusty Truck | Truck, Rusty Truck, Cutout, Transportation |  |
| Snow-covered Truck | Truck, Snow, Winter, Cutout |  |
| White Dog | Dog, Pet, Animal |  |
| White Dog | Dog, Pet, Cutout, Animal |  |
| Cat | Cat, Pet, Animal |  |
