I've had numerous occasions where I was sitting on a folding chair and had a wave come through and give the momentary sensation of falling, where you hop up and look to make a bee line to the shore. I've had equally as many instances where I would either be walking or standing on the ice and see and hear the crack come racing across the pond (usually right between mt legs).
After the first few times of each, I became accustomed to the sights and sounds of the life of a frozen pond.
One of my best laughs came a few years back on a pond in Wayland, MA.
I was fishing on over a foot of ice, and a mother, child and dog start out from the shore. They begin to parallel the shoreline about 15 feet out. Now it was a sub-freezing day, so new ice was being formed, and the pond was making noise and moving sporadically.
I was trying, unsuccessfully, to tell them (from a distance with hand gestures) just how thick the ice was.
One particular crack sent the whole group running for thier lives, like the pond was actually opening up to swallow them.
Then there are those that will call out from shore to ask how thick the ice is, and those that will walk right up to me and ask "So, how thick is the ice?"
I will inform those that wish to know, but I will also laugh at those that aren't prepared for the conditions to be faced.
This means people like a middle-eastern couple that had never seen a frozen pond/lake before, and ventured out to take some pictures.... while wearing dress/casual shoes! They had to shuffle-step the entire way out. (This happened 2 years ago on Winni near Moultonborough)
I'm not laughing at them, but at the situation as a whole.
Now if I can only get a nice "derby" fish, I'll be real happy!
