The ice acted as a lens to highlight the patterns and variegated colors in the rock.
This section reminded me of a grove of birches, with luminous white bark
I noticed these cracks in the mud a short while ago after some snowmelt and sunshine. I thought they looked quite lovely when I stopped and examined them up close.
The layers and facets in this icicle remind me of both wood grain and crystals, when you move in close:
The shadows, and the icicles make me think of gnashing teeth
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I couldn't help but think of turkey track shapes when I saw this snow accumulation on a balsam fir
Here are a whole lot of them:
I'm always fascinated by the color of natural woodland ponds I come across in winter landscapes. There's always a murkiness, a lack of clarity, that piques my interest.
I've tried to find out "why" and I'm not 100% sure I've hit on the correct explanation, since most seem unverified and colloquial. The most plausible version seems to be that it's due to the ability of hardy algae to photosynthesize in weak, barely-there winter sunlight, unlike bacteria and plants that have a dormancy phase. Proliferating algae continue to give off oxygen that is important for other pond critters to breathe, so are a vital component to the life of a pond, of its 'metabolism' - it's not a bad thing. In other seasons of the year, their numbers are kept at bay by other competitors for the same resources.
https://www.pondworksonline.com/blog/2016/2/17/winter-algae-in-your-pondI find these obliquely exposed growth rings on a branch fascinating, informative, and beautiful all at the same time.
A vertical wall
Of white appeared overnight -
Winter draped her cloak
Hushing our world to silence -
Shattered by snow plows.
Ratio of snow
to branch surprisingly un-
balanced, and heavy.
Will power be lost?
Will the whiteness bring darkness
As tree limbs succumb?
Ah, bliss! The 2 year long journey to re-align my jaw, teeth and bite has come to an end at last - I was fitted with my custom night-time retainers this month. This marks the end of the long realignment process. Oh yes, there were definitely times when I wanted to throw in the towel, especially when the anticipated duration went beyond my expectations, but well, I got through it. Knowing I had paid a chunk of change up front made me determined to see it through.
My bite feels awesome, thanks to the amazing new tools available these days. The old way was to get the patient to bite down and chew on articulation paper, then drill away the marked bits, until there were no unevenly appearing marks. But this method couldn't tell where a person was biting first, which would affect everything else.
T-scan technology, using paper thin sensors that are connected to a computer, records the point of first contact in a bite, as well as the exact amount of force used on each tooth. It produces incredibly useful graphics on screen to guide the dentist doing the contouring of the bite. I was so pleased that my orthodontist shared the whole procedure and outcome with me so I could learn how it worked.
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| https://www.bitterrootdental.com/technology/t-scan-bite-analysis/ |
Tiger stripes from light and ice over a rock
I loved how lightly the snow coated this rosette of lichen, turning it into a bouquet of pastel colors.
The snow coating on the hemlocks and pines was fragile too, just a light touch
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Look at the gorgeous colors, textures and variations of fungi on this single downed branch - exotic and exquisite. A lovely splash of color in winter's monochrome cloak.
This is the only time I wore a wedding gown ... it was for a fancy dress parade, when I was probably aged 7 or 8 (and I didn't win this contest!).
Little did I know then that I'd marry and choose not to have any pomp or ceremony, not wear a white dress with a veil and not become a MRS one day! I was 'into' rejecting the mainstream, and along with it, cultural expectations of what a wedding was. Authenticity was the name of the game. We married on a Friday the 13th, flouting superstition.
At the impressionable age that I chose this costume though, a traditional ceremony was my fairytale dream, and I wanted to pretend I was a bride!
I LOVE this perfect illustration of the effects of direct sun on the earth. Never underestimate the effect of aspect - it was one of the factors we were taught to consider when studying geomorphology, erosion and vegetation in our college classes almost 40 years ago.
Do YOU look towards the sun and all its benefits? Which way do you face?
I took these photos around 4pm about a week after the solstice (i.e. longer hours of daylight). Still, it's disheartening to have the sun settling down for the night this early; it may be pretty, but early darkening is so hard on the psyche.
Any activities undertaken after noon are clouded by the early cut-off of light; one generally returns home in darkness. Not very uplifting, and a tough time of year.
Help! Someone get me out ... No special effects used here, just a sheet of nature's glass that melted in my hands and dribbled down my sleeve to my elbow as I took this selfie.
How does one introduce a new year into one's life?
However one records it, it's just another chunk of measured time. It has no real significance, in and of itself. So for us, January 1st was just another day for an outdoor BBQ in December (no snow, and somewhat spring-like!)
It was a lovely evening to be outside, and I got to appreciate the shadows from the comfort of our deck.
I had 45 minutes to spend in a parked car while I waited for an appointment to finish. I decided to stroll around to pass the time, and was delighted to find some picturesque patterns and plants.
Hooded mergansers!
A late migration? Or an
Early spring return?
