151: Iced
Posted: February 21, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Earth, goals, home, nature, Photography, pond, snow, Walking, water, weather, winter | Tags: Freezing rain, ice, nature, postaday2011, snow, winter 32 Comments
(Queen Anne’s Lace on ice.)
It’s back! Winter has returned, and not in a very nice way. It started with snow late yesterday afternoon. Sometime overnight it turned to freezing rain and sleet. Then back to snow this morning.
(The pond late yesterday afternoon.)
I went out for my walk early today. I didn’t stay out longer than the commitment-required minimum of 30 minutes. The radar is showing more sleet/freezing rain on the way. I’m hoping it will turn to snow before it arrives. But just in case, I decided to keep my walk to a minimum so I could get back inside and warm up myself and the house before the next round of winter precipitation arrives.
(Ice and snow in the trees.)
It’s very crunchy outside. That’s better than being slippery. Still, everything is iced over to some degree. Putting up the flag on the mailbox, for instance, was impossible as it is completely iced over. Hopefully our mail person will have the good sense to take the mail that’s in there for pick-up without the flag to notify them it’s in there.
(An ice drop.)
I did not go into the woods, although it looks very pretty back that way. The tree branches are being weighed down by the ice, and everything is crackling and crunching. Getting bonked on the head by a falling tree or branch would not be a good thing.
Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them.
~ Vincent A. Simeone
I’ll leave you with a few more photos of Nature’s handiwork. I want to get this set up to auto-post later today, in case we have a power outage.
(The crown jewels.)
(This morning’s view of the pond from the cattails.)
(Icy drops.)
(Snow, sleet, and ice on the holly.)
And one of man’s handiwork:
Life in the Bogs 
Although I am feeling beleaguered by winter now, I must admit your icy baubles are quite beautiful.
Thanks, Karma. 🙂
Oh my gosh … I love your crown jewels. Freezing rain brings fear to many, but not someone who loves to photograph nature. (this latest storm totally missed me .. I just have refrozen dirty snow.
Oh, I fear the freezing rain, Bearyweather. I know how destructive it can be. Still, it does have a certain beauty to it and I never could resist that.
I agree with Karma and bearyweather…beautiful shots of the ice drops! I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you have a specific macro lens that you use?
Thank you, SuburbanMisfit. 🙂
I do not have a macro lens at all. My camera is a Kodak Easyshare (of the point & shoot variety). I’m hoping to jump into the DSLR pool sometime in the next two years (and then I will have learn about lenses and more!). I do have the ability to shoot in RAW format and use some manual settings, but the manual settings are fairly limited.
Damn, Robin, the photos are STUNNING! Thanks for sharing them. Hope you still have power!
Thank you, Kathy. We were lucky. The power did not go out. 🙂
Oh, how I wish I could have gone on your walk with you! What is that in the 5th picture? That is just gorgeous… almost like pretty beads, just waiting to be made into a necklace or bracelet.
Crossing my fingers that your power stays on.
Thank you, Michaela. 🙂 If you ever find yourself in northeast Ohio in the winter, I’ll be glad to have some company on my walks.
The 5th picture is a cluster of dried Joe Pye Weed flowers covered with ice. They reminded me of beads too.
Still waiting for my computer to load the pics (ah, dial-up) but I think we escaped with an entire day full of rain, thank goodness!
BATR: I didn’t realize you were on dial-up. I apologize for all the photo heavy posts, and really appreciate the fact that you take the time to visit. I do resize the photos in hopes they won’t take so long to load for those who are on dial-up or a slow internet connection. Perhaps I ought to work on that some more.
so very cold, but such beautiful shots. i’d be hard pressed to claim a fav from any of these. i do think it’s the first time i’ve seen a photo of iced queen anne’s lace.
Thank you, Sherri. 🙂
Some great photos to capture the frigid out of doors, hope that spring time comes sooner than later for you. Darn, it looks cold!
It IS cold, Bo. Not that you’d know that since you’re enjoying warm air and sunshine. I may be flying out of here soon, just to warm up. 🙂
Wow, look at that ice. These are my kind of photos. Love the crown jewels, really neat. Stay warm!
Thank you, Martina. 🙂
Such beautiful examples of nature on ice. The buds and leaves enclosed in cold look like they’re frozen in time, waiting to spring back to life when winter ends.
What a lovely description of the iced-in flowers, Aubrey. Thank you!
And thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂
Robin, I know you’ve had enough of the cold weather and snow, but you’ve got to admit, these are absolutely stunning photos! You can look back on them during the middle of your hot summer time and “remember the days”!
Thank you, Joanne. 🙂
Yes, the ice and snow will look wonderful once the hot & humid days of summer settle in.
Everything is so pretty covered in ice – too bad it feels so yucky to be out in it! I keep seeing plow trucks driving around the city, but none of them are actually PLOWING anything – it’s a mess here!!
It was a mess here too, Holly. Usually when I see the snow plow there is a ton of snow being kicked up by the plow. Yesterday it looked as if it was plowing nothing.
“It’s very crunchy outside.” Indeed! Winter may be cold and hard to take at times, but your pictures reveal the stunning beauty it holds. Love the Vincent A. Simeone quote – I’ve never heard of him before. Beautiful post!
Thank you, Barbara. 🙂
Winter surprised me again today with even more beauty. I am so glad I decided to take on the challenge of going outside every day.
Mother Nature wearing her finest Diamond encrusted jewellery, my goodness, Robin, I love your photo’s usually but these are awesome.
Cold freezing temperatures are painting magical diamanté droplets throughout, placed there as if to ‘dress’ for Winters return…
Not nice as you say, an unwanted drop in temp, especially by moi’ who’s a lover of warmth and comfort..brrrr. I hope the Power stays unaffected. xPenx
(many thanks for your wonderful comment, ’twas lovely, my friend x)
I love the way you described the ice, Pen. Thank you. 🙂
Seriously, those close up shots are amazing! I can just imagine them all blown up on canvas on a white wall, they’d be gorgeous! The snow truck is particularly beautiful 😉
You should definitely put together a gallery wall/area for all your art, it’s soooooo pretty!
Thank you so much, Meredith. 🙂
M has been working on doing just that this winter. He’s been matting and framing and hanging pictures all over the house.
I am wishing for snow looking at all of your close ups! Beautiful!
Thank you, Morgan. 🙂
I’d gladly send you some…