When the Sun Shines

Lake McDonald is large

(over 10 miles long & 1 mile wide)

this year it's surface is near frozen

(rarely happens)

being frozen

made for easy walking on it's surface

of course I stayed near the shore

morning surprise

an ice crystal world

 

 

this time they were kissed with sunlight

 

 

such a pretty winter day

 

~

*

 

Ice Crystals

got down to 4F/-15C last night

I woke to a milky gray day

no sunshine

a forest cloaked in ice crystals 

that look like fairy wings

I love how the lichen on the branch adds 

a bit of color

a wing of crystal

on each and every 

spruce needle

~

sometimes the magic of winter 

is in the tiny details

~

*

Snowflakes and Ice Crystals

gently resting

snowflakes

 

emerging

from the underground

 

winter garland

for the

Queen of the Fairies

behold 

forest treasures

crystals

lichen

and 

winter blue light

~

it has been a super cold winter

i believe we have had 6 deep cold spells with nights 

in the minus 17F to -28F

(-27C to -34C)

makes for clear blue skied mornings

(at times)

that freeze ones checks in mere moments

 

I think of it as a sincere winter

~

*

Walking on Water

on the first day of the year

we walked

on frozen water

this narrow canyon

is actually a creek

under this snow

is ice

and under the ice

is flowing water

we could hear it singing 

as it wandered downstream

our journey took us

to frozen waterfalls

with trees high above

the waterfalls had space to walk behind them

a bit magical to experience

water still flowed here and there

adding to the artful forms of ice

after shared snacks and drinks

we turned and wandered back

through the crevice

across another creek

up through a snowy forest

and 

to our cars

 

a wonderful way to begin 

2017

~

*