Sublime

Actually, I doubt if this corny play on words is justifiable. Sublimation is direct transition from a solid state to a gas, without going through a liquid phase and, at normal atmospheric pressure, I don't think water can do that. I guess what's actually happening is that the sun is strong enough to melt the surface of the ice, and then the air is sufficiently dry that some of that water almost immediately transitions into water vapour. Having left the surface that was being warned by the sun, though, the air temperature is so cold that the water vapour almost immediately condenses back into liquid water droplets - steam - that we, and the camera, can see. If not sublime, then at least mysterious

All this is speculation. If there are any real physicists reading this, please correct my ignorance

The barrel is a repurposed oak "whiskey" barrel. The supplier is from deepest Pembrokeshire, so the implication that it originates from across the water may be correct. In the summer, the water in it developed a pungent, unpleasant smell, which is still detectable (when it's not ice!) I don't know if this is some residue of the barrel's former use, or a consequence of it not being perfectly sealed. Although it has a lid, this has a hole that is larger than needed for the downspout that delivers water. The water was populated by 'rat-tailed maggots' - a less-than-charming term for hover-fly larvae, that do indeed look like something from a budget horror movie (if you Google, keep a strong drink handy). I don't know if these guys are the culprits or if there is something more microbiological going on

I need not only physicists but aquatic microbiologists

Nevertheless, today the sun came bright again . The roads are mostly clear. The snow is retreating fast. The sky was blue. The sunset was sublime