On the Ice

On the walk yesterday, I stopped on the dam at Gorgeous Gorge.  I wanted to see if the dark spots in the ice were there again this year.  Pretty sure it's warmer water coming up from springs at the bottom of the gorge and making 'holes' in the bottom of the ice covering the pond.  From the tracks it looked like deer might have scratched at those areas to open up drinking holes.  Hard to tell since the ice is pretty soft and deer tracks looked like they were in slush than atop a hard surface.  That's when I realized Whip was out on the ice checking out all of those tracks.  Yikes!  If the ice gave way I didn't know how I could help her out.  I kept walking and she trotted over to the bank so she could join me.  On today's walk, I went out the same direction.  I was again near the dam when I realized I hadn't seen Whip since we had left the field.  I whistled for her.  There she was on the opposite side of the pond running full speed down the length of the ice.  She didn't even slow when she hit land but kept on running down the path.  Hmm - ice must be thicker than I thought.