Friday, January 20, 2017

Frosty Beauty



 A few weeks ago we had an "Arctic Blast" of unusually cold weather overnight.  Temperatures dropped down to the single digits and a rare fog hung over our valley, obscuring the foothills.

( All photos in this post will enlarge if clicked on)

The early morning dew froze in beautiful crystalline beauty on the prairie grasses and shrubs....



....and made the cottonwood trees appear lacy and sparkly as if they belonged in a fairy tale.



Although my fingers were soon frozen by the unusual cold, I had to venture out to take some photographs of this beautiful hoarfrost.


Its icy coating made everything in our community look magical!


It was an exquisite winter wonderland delight, and made me joyful to be able to experience it for the hours it lasted.


Our weather is now back to normal with warm sunny skies, for the most part, and patches of melting snow giving well needed moisture to the exceptional nature that surrounds us.


"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
 places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and cheer 
and give strength to body and soul alike."

John Muir

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13 comments:

Ruth Hiebert said...

Hoar frost creates so much beauty.These pictures are fantastic.

Linda W. said...

I love frozen fog - it always makes everything look so beautiful!

Lady Fi said...

Awww - so beautiful!

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

Oh my, such delight! I love capturing moments like this when nature's delights rapture the heart on every view! You took some gorgeous pictures of the hoary frost, love the lighting you had too. Beautiful! We have had a very cold winter here, but are in a warming spell now, making for very icy roads, not so fun. Have a blessed and lovely weekend!

Vee said...

What afabulous quote! Such beauty in your corner! Fog is definitely not my favorite thing...it rates right up there with snow squalls and ice storms...it is treacherous, yet mysterious and, if one does not need to drive in it, truly lovely.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

John Muir's quote is perfect for your lovely post, Pat! There is so much beauty in your area. I'm so glad it's not wasted on you. The frosty photos are so pretty and magical indeed. ♥

Mary K. said...

Pat this is photography that takes my breath away! I love to see photos where nature affects the landscape like that. Your close ups are spectacular. Thanks you for these works of art!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What a lovely little taste of winter! (I could do winter if it only lasted a short while like this ;>).... your pictures are stunning.

And the John Muir quote is absolutely true and just what I need these days.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen hoarfrost, but it is magical. Thanks for sharing the photos, Pat.

Lowcarb team member said...

Simply beautiful photographs, especially the last one.
I'm glad you were able to capture the beauty to share it here.

All the best Jan

The Gathering Place said...

Winter can be cold and sometimes miserable, but there are some beautiful images with all the frozen bushes, plants, and snow covered trees. Your photos are always lovely.

Photo(Geo)grapher said...

Nice photographs of winter landscape

Ida said...

These were beautiful!