thawing on a warm February day

Behind my house, there is an abandoned railroad, which, with all the flowers, reeds, pebbles, birds, and occasional rabbits, is a wonderful treasure box for any photographer with an inclination to nature and miniscule things. Several days ago, when the formerly-frozen temperature rose up close to the teens (in celcius), the seemingly perpetual snow and ice started to melt quickly. With the advent of afternoon sun after an overcast morning, the thaw sped up. I grabed my camera and went out to this my favorite field, in search of cool things to photograph. Soon I found pieces of remaining ice, oddly shaped along the contours of the pebbles they had been sitting on. This particular piece caught my eyes with its animal-like shape and its contrast against the fresh, vibrant, alomst appetizing (think of plump berries...) colors of pebbles that had come to life with moisture and light.