Christine Kelly

I was walking on a path behind the college when I took this series of ice shots. We had had a lot of snow.

As I stood there happily taking my shots, a snowplow began to make its way along the path. I quickly realized that unless I was going to dive 30 feet down a hill to the lake's edge - this plow would leave me nowhere to be. In the nice weather - I easily could've run up some stone stairs which lead to this beautiful old terrace - but the stairs were packed with hard, unmoving snow, and it was like walking up a very steep, snow packed hill.

I looked back at the plow, which was still hurtling along. I could either wave and hope he sees me and then hope he stops - and even if he did stop, I don't know how I would have gotten around him to walk outta there anyway.

So I did what I could only think of to do and jammed my boot toes tenuously into the packed snow on the stairs. I barely had a grip, and there really wasn't anything to hang onto - save for an iced-up stair railing. It was a complete moment of balance. I wanted to fall forward on the stairs instead of balancing like this, but I knew if I fell forward I'd lose my toe grip and probably slide into the plow's path. This had freak accident written all over it.

Needless to say, my toe's held, and the plow passed by - now the essence of speed an asset - but what really annoyed me is that as I hung there in the balance I looked right at the plow driver - and he kept driving, staring straight ahead. I don't think he even noticed I was there.

---

View Project: