I have no idea how the ice in this image got to be the way it is. It was raised above the relatively flat background ice by a half inch and was about 9 inches long. ?? The ice had formed on a deeper channel cut some time, a long time ago, in the marsh beside the Kennebunk Bridle Path to drain it for hay production. There were extended pine branches over it, so it is remotely possible that this is a blop of snow that feel on the ice and became one with it overnight…but, and this is very likely a fatal but…there had not been any snow heavy enough to have burdened the branches. ?? I got nothing else.

I do know that, in random testing (myself and two daughters who happened to be home while I was processing the image), 2/3rs of human beings immediately see it as a Chinese Dragon, while 1/3rd of human beings get stuck on the man carrying a flag that makes up the hind end and tail of the dragon, and have some difficulty refocusing on the whole shape. Perhaps that can be explained by how recently each individual has been to a Chinese restaurant, but that would require further study.

Canon SX40HS at 290mm equivalent field of view. f5 @ 1/125th @ ISO 200. Program with iContrast and –1/3rd EV exposure compensation.

Processed in Lightroom for Intensity and Sharpness.