Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Minus 40 Degrees…A Poem.
‘Tis minus 40 degrees…
Water flowing by the rock,
Mist is rising ’round the flock
Of little ducks. Swimming there,
With winter’s cold in the air.
Swim and dive in water cold,
Under now, their breath they hold.
Popping up, they do not freeze,
Not even in wind or breeze.
Here along the river shore,
The cold I feel, even more.
Yet here they swim, morn to night,
In such cold, ’tis quite a sight.
While I sit, the sun does shine,
Warming this cold face of mine.
In this cold, ’tis nice to see,
Water still, and ducks, ice free.
‘Tis minus 40 degrees…
©2026 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 
It is amazing that the water would not freeze at -40. There must be some warm source of water. Of course in the Far North where I live, the rivers freeze over and become a thorough fare to drive on for a shortcut or fun like skiing.
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The current is very strong in that section of the river, even though it’s not noticeable on the surface all the time. There are even places on the lake, between islands, that don’t freeze due to the strong currents. The ice along the northern part of the lake close to town never gets thick, due to the current, even though the area is wide, only maybe 4 or 5 inches. It’s a large river that drains out of this lake which is why the strong current.🥶
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It doesn’t freeze because it is not consistently cold. We have huge rivers that freeze up at the start of winter, and have huge breakups in the Spring. You live in a warmer climate, maybe not the tropics, but warmer. Probably don’t deal with permafrost either, where the ground is permanently frozen about a couple feet under the ground.
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