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