Last week the temperature fell to 15 degrees, with a strong wind creating a wind chill of 1, and the river responded with some slush. Now it's in the high 20's, much milder breeze, and there's ice extending from the sea wall to way beyond the ends of the piling fields. What gives? Who knows? It wasn't there yesterday, but today, huge floes are crunching against each other, jiggling the pilings, vibrating the bridge as you stand on it. Some of them are covered with fresh snow, which didn't fall here last night but did just a little upstate, where this ice was probably formed. In this morning's bright sunlight it gleams and glitters. Out on the ragged edge where the ice meets the open water, floes break off and head downstream at a great clip, carrying seagulls on joyrides.