How much fun can you have with an icicle?

The obvious answer is of course that it depends how warm it is.....

When staying in a little town in the French Alps this winter, we noticed one morning a bunch on stalactites (I remember this from school as they were 'holding on tight') hanging down onto our balcony.

Never one to miss a bit of stupid fun, we broke one off and played with it till it melted. Aware that we were like two kids who amused and delighted ourselves with a bit of jagged ice, got me thinking... As adults, we hardly take the opportunity to touch and explore something new - or to play. It's really a pleasure - even if it all ends in a soggy mess. The icicle was really a cool subject for some B&W photography too.