Something I’ve never really encountered before, even when I lived in downtown St. John’s in my early 20’s, was a fear of icicles.

The peril of icicles.

I guess back then I didn’t have young children, so I didn’t have nightmares of icicles falling from a height of 40 feet or more and impaling my children’s heads and little bodies.

That must have been nice.

Recently, my oldest son and I were out walking home after school one milder than usual day when we noticed a large chunk of ice sitting about two feet away from the front of our car. We chatted about how it would be horrible to have something like that fall on your head! Then we turned down the street to walk downtown. I asked him to join me for a walk to the coffee shop and he was happy to trot along behind me.

We had only just turned down Victoria Street, when I heard a thump and a big yowl from behind. I turned to see Caleb crying and holding his head. Two neighbours stopped by to see if he was OK.

“An icicle hit me on my head! My head will be split in two!” He cried.

The neighbours chimed in. “I saw it from across the road. The icicle landed right on his head.”

“The poor dear. Is he ok? Icicles can be a real danger around here. But don’t worry, they’ll all come down over the next few days.”

The last neighbour’s remarks were not comforting at all.

We skipped out of the coffee shop and went back to our house to nurse his developing goose bump. Thankfully, that he had his thickest wool hat on and there was no cut.

But it could have been that ice chunk that was in front of our car. The ice chunk that was the size of a ten-year-old and probably the weight of a small scooter.

Now, when we’re out walking, my son is in the habit of dragging me into the middle of the road so we won’t have to walk on the sidewalks under the icicles. He drags me out and I try to talk him down from his worry, but of course, I get it. Who wants an icicle on the head?

One of the neighbours told me there are signs up in places warning drivers not to park their cars in certain areas due to the likelihood of getting their windshields smashed in by falling ice.

Oh, the peril!