A winter view of the Sauk City, WI Lussier County Park floodwaters shown in Washed Away.
I came to this location simply to park my vehicle. I intended to stop at the Crystal Lake Wildlife Area of Lodi, WI, but the drive there was impassable due to flooding and washout. For such a brilliant day, all I saw upon arriving at Lussier was this lonely barricade, overtaken at some point by the floodwater it was supposed to mark off. I rendered the final two shots of my roll before reloading and heading to the wildlife area, where I was impressed by several tents located far into the frozen lake.
One pair of ice fishers was enjoying their day as I searched for photos. We left each other alone, but I respected the level of dedication they needed to traverse the failing road, and to establish themselves on the open ice. I didn’t grasp it at the time, but the ice was a different form of barricade to me. It was my sole focus, and I regarded it in passing. Next time, I hope to view such an icy expanse the same as those fishers: as an invitation, as a clear path to the gifts of the day. Educating myself on safe ice travel may help advance that mindset, but I find it worth stewarding in the meantime.
Minolta XK
Minolta 17mm MD W.Rokkor-X f/4
Eastman 2369 – ISO 100