I went out yesterday with the intention of taking more photos of fungi. I got sidetracked. (That happens often… I’ve written of this before.)
hoar·frost (hôr
frôst
) n. Frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface. Also called white frost. (source)
The sun played hide and seek through a broken bank of clouds in the southern sky. Breakthrough moments when the sun hit crystals of ice were breathtaking.
The thermometer claimed it was colder than my last walk in these woods. There was some proof: Puddles were frozen all the way to the bottom. The snow was powdery, not melty. And, of course, the rime.
Still… I felt warmer. There was no wind. The warmth of intermittant rays from a distant sun may have been purely psychological. Still… my gloves stayed in my pockets most of the time. Even the chickadees were fooled into making their springtime fee-bee song.
I took a lot of photos near these frosty rushes while Lolli dug a hole. She’d still be digging now if I hadn’t finally gotten my fill of ice covered everything in and around the puddle.
A woodpecker drummed nearby… but never let us have a glimpse. Crows mobbed a hawk or owl in the distance.
My friend Norbert blogged about what great weather he had for Christmas in sunny southern California. A crystalline morning like this I wouldn’t trade for the world!
Nice hoarfrost!
Holding your breath? 🙂
@ Nina: how did you know??
Without the wind, even the weakest sun makes the days feel warm. And sometimes it works the other way too–the temperature is warm but the wind/humidity make it feel brutal outside.
Carolyn H.
Oh, so pretty!!! I am enjoying your posts and learning lots at the same time. What a treat!
Winter is my favorite season – in part because the light is angled and the contrasts are stark, making for lots of terrific photo opportunities… as you’ve discovered. I’ll be back!
Cool frosty pictures Jenn! Have you ever been out there when the wind picks up and starts to blow all the frosty sprinkles off the trees? That’s pretty too–having all those sparkles in the air.
I love reading your posts, the pictures are beautiful and the information is so interesting. Thank you for sharing it with strangers!
Beth