Upon my visit to the lake this morning to conduct the day's research, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hypothesis provided by Mel, former head of the North Sand Lake Ice Reconnoitering Association, was indeed correct. Strong winds did in fact blow in from the northwest overnight, forcing the water, and sheet of ice resting above it, towards our part of the shoreline. The tectonic plates of the ice were shifting, pressing against each other violently, creating natural, angular ruptures in its structure.

The most fascinating part, aside from watching in real time as the tension between plates forced pieces of ice to crack off, falling down into the frigid water below, was the decibel level at which this natural phenomenon was occuring. I could literally hear the pressure of the ice cracking and snapping from the deck of the cabin, so I plugged in an extension cord and hauled my recording gear onto the ice to capture what I heard, incoporating the sounds into some of the new music I have been writing.