Be Clear and Get to the Point

An icicle is a long pointed stick of ice that forms when drops of water freeze.  Icicles are long and skinny because the tip is growing faster than the base.

Icicles hanging from your roof is a signal of a greater problem with your home.  If you have large icicles you should be concerned.  Big hard chunks of ice on the edge of your roof are known as ice dams.  Icicles mean you are losing some heat and it could mean you have poor ventilation in your attic. 

When heat leaks from your attic, the under layer of snow starts to melt.  Ice dams are formed, when those drips of snow move down and meet the cold air along the eaves of your roof.  Icicles form on days when the outdoor air temperature is below freezing but the sun warms and melts the snow or ice.  More icicles form on the sunny south-facing side of your home than on the shaded north side.  

It is not recommended that a homeowner remove icicles because it could cause damage to the drain spouts or your roof. There is always a risk factor to the house and the person when you try to knock down icicles. Icicles can fall and hurt people and animals.  The icicles are rarely sharp enough to penetrate your skin or impale you, but they can cause bruises and even broken bones. 

Often during freezing rain storms, icicles will also form hanging off of tree branches.  In the right conditions, icicles may also form in caves.  In this case they are also known as ice stalactites.  In 2017 it was reported that an icicle 30 metres high and 15 metres wide was discovered in the Northwest of China.  This large icicle was made by snow melting and dripping down the side of a cliff. 

These are the sayings I found on the bookmark called Advice from an Icicle.

• Keep your cool

• Be clear

• Don’t be a drip

• Know when to chill

• Spend time just hanging

• Avoid meltdowns

• Get to the point!

Here are my comments about each of these sayings.

• Keep your cool - Remain calm

• Be clear - Make it easy for people to understand what you are saying or doing.

• Don’t be a drip - By definition a drip is a boring person. Makes me think of the definition I learned for an expert.  X is an unknown quantity and a spirt is a drip under pressure. 

• Know when to chill - Know when to take a break

• Spend time just hanging - Spend time just hanging out with your friends. 

• Avoid meltdowns - Find ways to reduce your stress levels to help avoid having a meltdown.

• Get to the point! - Determine the main idea.

Have a great day everyone.  Be clear and get to the point. 

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays