Thursday, February 19, 2009

Further proof that Wisconsinites are crazy ;)

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

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Wonder why all those snowmobiles are parked on the frozen lake. Yes, that is a lake, as far as you can see, clear over to the tree line. And there is a snowmobile path growing straight across the lake.


And honestly, I don’t remember the exact temperature when we were out this day but I know it was frickin’ cold. Probably either near negative or in the negatives.


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But this is what brought us out, and all those snowmobilers. Do you know what’s happening yet? Well, a big hole has been cut in the ice, a platform assembled, and that guy is scraping off the forming ice to make sure we have water. He did this several times while we waited. It was freezing quickly!


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Soon, people are all lined up to the platform and the crazy people are jumping in that freezing water! Are they nuts? This guy has a cigar in his mouth, can you see it?


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Ker-splash!


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Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty jumped.


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They just got a tiny bit wet. ;)


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Don’t you just love the water draining from the tip of his hat? The guy in camo was there to help people back out of the water. And there were two ambulances standing by.


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Now here’s some brave girls! I loved their expressions and how they all seemed to be “in it” together.


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And some more brave girls! Look at those expressions! That water is cold! Remember it will freeze if not kept moving.


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Apparently frogs like freezing water.


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There were 144 plungers, and they weren’t entirely nuts. This was an Angel on My Shoulder fundraiser and they raised over $29,000!


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They don’t look cold at all, do they?


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When it was over, the jumpers went to warming tents and hot tubs. And the snowmobilers went back to the trails.


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The snowmobile with the flag is the trail patrol.

46 comments:

  1. I don't get it, that's for sure!

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  2. I'm so glad to see it was a fundraiser. Because I was truly thinking they ARE nuts!!

    But brrrrrrrr I'm cold just looking at those pics!!!!!

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  3. They do a Polar Plunge at Virginia Beach each year for charity. Of course, our water is not quite that cold Brrrrrr!

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  4. How well you have captured their emotions! And what a game! Crazy, really!!
    I was feeling cold just by looking at them. :)

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  5. Wow, that takes some big kahunas (or some shrunken ones)! Really awesome action shots, I love the first guy diving. Your fingers must have been freezing too! Happy PSF.

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  6. wow..they are nuts!! I don't think I could do that.

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  7. Crazy is right! Is that, by any chance, Lake Winnebago?
    Lisa

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  8. Stark raving mad, the lot of them! I bet they felt lovely and tingly afterwards, though!

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  9. oh. my. god. crazy. people! that first photo of the guy diving in - what a shot!!! i would so love to do that sometime. as long as a hot shower was less than 10 feet away!!! so glad they raised all that money tho

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  10. Oh My God. NO WAY could I do that!! I am very glad that it was a fundraiser. Me....I couldn't even stand out there and take pictures. Not when it's that cold. Just can't do it. But, I do commend you and I love the way you've captured the emotions of everyone!!

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  11. I totally love your images. Am linking u.

    What's crazy gives life variety and extraordinary spunk! I wld join them if I were one of them!

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  12. I LOVE this!!! These photos show the American Spirit!! Look at all those HAPPY faces!! They might be crazy, but they are being crazy for a cause & they are sure having fun doing it!! Thank you for sharing these photos cuz they definitely made my morning:)

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  13. Fools, I tell you! But generous fools ;0) Great shots, Lisa!

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  14. with that new skinny body i am surprised that you weren't there in your two piece!!

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  15. Not to save my own life could I do that! LOL Those people are pure crazy. I love that it was for a good cause but I've gotta say - I'd rather have just written a check LOL We have a polar bear plunge here every New Year's Day but our water is only about 52 when that happens - and that's too cold for me too!

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  16. there is a polar bear plunge happening soon, down here - to raise money for special olympics. Crazy. but fun.

    all nice shots.

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  17. No way, I don't care how much money they paid me. I would rather donate from the comfort of my oh so warm home, LOL. Great shots.

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  18. I just love this post. I love that you raised money.
    I don't know if I could ever have jumped into that cold water. I like to think I could do it. but in the end I don't think so.

    very cold

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  19. Kudos to them. I would never venture into the cold depths like that. I prefer to be warm and dry. Great photos; I especially like the 'guy with the cigar' photo

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  20. I sure as heck would have rather been the one with the camera, not one of the ones jumping in ;)!
    I sure as heck would not have been one in a Bikini, shucks,....!
    That guy with the cigar is way cool :D
    I guess he does that stuff all the time :D

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  21. Oh Heck No! lol! It's a wonderful idea for the Cause, but I don't think I'd ever be brave enough! lol! I love that you were able to be there and capture the moments! The expressions you got to see where hysterical.

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  22. I love this kind of thing. The effort that people make to go, in costume even, is so impressive.

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  23. OH no I'd have a HARD time getting up the nerve to launch into the cold freezing water. Good on them for raising the $$! Super great shots as usual!

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  24. Oh.My.Goodness!!!! That must be the craziest thing I've ever seen. Good thing it was for charity, or else I would expect them all to be commited! LOL!

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  25. Your post title SAID. IT. ALL. ONLY in Wiscowsin.

    Shot #2 was pure perfection, it REALLY needs to be published!

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  26. The fun of being the photographer....you don't have to jump!!!

    These are awesome, Lisa. Feel like I've been there.

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  27. funny so funny!1 here before your pics came all up I thought oohh yea looks like some ice fishing!!..I was a little off on my guess!! they are a wild bunch there!!

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  28. Makes me think my day of ice fishing was "mornal." Even though I didn't catch any ice.

    Great shots.

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  29. First.....BUrrrrr! Second, the first diving shot and splash took my breath away. What a great capture.

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  30. What fun! What craziness! What a good cause! I loved looking at these ... they really do look like they are having fun ... but I would never want to do this. Just looking at them gave me the chills! Awesome photos! I'm sure they wouldn't jump again if the shot wasn't good the first time!

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  31. That's crazy!!! In Belgium we have a group of people who call themselves Ice Bears, and they go out in the sea or in the river ( but the sea or the river are never frozen like yours) in the middle of Winter.

    Up until now, I thought they were crazy!

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  32. OMG, that is crazy. I'm so happy it was for a fundraiser, but still. Nope, no cold water jumping for me. Now, I can better understand how my summer teaser really was a warm water wonderland........................:)

    I know you're trying to keep warm, and from the looks of it, you have some great people to help you.

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  33. You guys up there are nuts, no doubt. They have the Polar Plunge on Lake Monona (where I wouldn't go in under any circumstances, but I guess it can't catch fire in February). What cracks me up are the ice fishermen who are out there when everything around them is melting. Did you get a few inches or more of snow today? Looks like good covering up all the ugly melted stuff.

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  34. I loved this post! Your photos are great.

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  35. They really are brave people to jump into the freezing water! I would have freeze first while waiting for my turn...lol

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  36. I suppose for the right reasons I might be persuaded to pull that kind of stunt. But then you've got those Polar Bear Club guys who do it just for fun.

    That is crazy!

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  37. They have to be nuts! But it is for charity..... :)

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  38. Wow! You folks in Wisconsin are as crazy as us Kanooks! :) Love the photos! Can't believe how brave those guys and gals were! Brrrrrrrrrrr!

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  39. I'm still going to say they're crazy! I would pay to NOT jump in!

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  40. Wow ... I don't think I'd be eager to do many of those things, but I have gone water-skiing on January 1st to earn myself a Polar Bear patch in my younger dayz.
    Hugs and blessings,

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  41. THIS is why I love Wisconsin so much! We don't do these things for us, we do it to keep the rest of you scratching your head and wondering what we're up to. ;-)

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  42. I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH WINE OR BEER THEY DRANK BEFORE THE PLUNGE!???
    ONE GROUP I KNOW DID IT FOR CHARITY AND TO KNOCK ONE THING OFF HER "BUCKET" LIST MUST BE THE PESHTIGO BLOOD!!!!

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  43. call me crazy but i do this every year!
    its super fun but super cold but hey! its for charity!:)

    i used to go to lake Michigan but its really gross in Milwaukee so i go to lake Winnebago!

    yay polar bears! =D

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  44. [...] blog has all kinds of amazing photos. And I never know what I am going to find when I visit — people jumping into freezing cold water, swing dancing, a collection of some of her most stunning photos from a year of blogging. One of my [...]

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