Photo courtesy of Brenda Vick It was so cold earlier this week, that staff were able to get pairs of wet blue jeans to freeze in a standing position outside the Wabasso Rehabilitation and Wellness Center. Activities director Brenda Vick said it took about five minutes for the jeans to freeze in place on Monday. The jeans stood on their own for a couple of days, Vick said.

WABASSO — It was an experiment that caught people’s attention. This week, two pairs of blue jeans could be seen standing up all by themselves outside the Wabasso Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.

“It caused some double-takes,” said Brenda Vick, activities director at the Rehabilitation and Wellness Center. “(Residents) were kind of surprised.”

Vick said she took advantage of the extreme cold earlier this week to make the unusual display. She brought a couple of pairs of old jeans from home, and soaked them in hot water. Then, she brought them out into Monday’s sub-zero temperatures. The jeans froze in place, while residents watched.

“It took them five minutes to freeze in an upright position,” Vick said. “It was kind of fun to watch the (ice) crystals form.”

Vick said it took two people to hold each pair of jeans as they were freezing. “I held on to the waist, and another girl held the legs at the bottom, so they would stand,” Vick said.

The pairs of jeans stood up on their own for two days straight, she said.

“It was kind of a fun little project,” Vick said. It also brought home the importance of staying safe and warm during the recent cold snap.