Monday, December 1, 2008

Ice and Snow


When I started this website I hadn't planned on it being so "photocentric" (Is that a word?). But the more I take pictures, and the more I look for the right light, the right angles, the right moment, the more I realize I'm totally hooked. I can't go anywhere without my camera anymore and, while I don't necessarily take award-winning pictures, I'm almost always pleasantly struck by what comes out of that camera.

I complain almost non-stop anymore about winter, but when I look at the pictures I take (or "Photo-Ops", as I like to call them) I have to admit that there's something really special about how winter looks around here. Even the little things can be pretty spectacular:

A most remarkable web!

An icy chandelier

This is what I saw when I woke up this morning.


And this is what it looked like in daylight.


The wind came out of the north-northwest and plastered this window with ice, even though this window is sheltered under the deck roof, while the window to the east of it is much more exposed. That window was almost clear of ice. Then, just around the corner from the easterly window, there is a small window that is COMPLETELY covered in ice. I have to wonder how it was that the icy wind didn't catch all three windows equally, though I probably won't ponder the why of it for too long. But it does seem counter to the laws of nature, even considering the easterly positioning of the clear window. (Not to belabor this, but the ice-covered window around the corner is even more easterly, and totally hidden from the north-northwest winds.)

Of course, much of what happens in winter seems counter to the laws of nature. Especially MY laws of nature.



Even on the dimmest, darkest days of winter there is beauty to be found. The sun is pathetic in winter--a mere shell of its former, summer self. More days than not, it hides behind a hazy veil. But when it does come out in all its frigid glory, it's as if we've been given a gift:

11 comments:

  1. That snowy spider web is an amazing shot! Sorry, I have no theory on the icing of your windows, I'm as perplexed as you are! I enjoy your blog and have added you to my Blog List.

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  2. Thanks, Cedar. I enjoy your blog very much.

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  3. Great winter photos - that spider web was fantastic! Are you sure you won't miss the snow when you head downstate soon.... :-0

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  4. Hi Shelly, yes, I love the spider web, too. Good thing I'm not a clean freak--I might have just swept it away!

    No, by the time we leave we'll have had enough snow. I'm hoping we have a white Christmas downstate, though! And then it can stop before we have to drive south. And it can stay away while we drive through the mountains. . .

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  5. I love the snow shots, especially the spider web. The one with the sun barely visible is also pretty cool.

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  6. Bill, Thank you so much. What a nice surprise! Your website is great. I'm going to be reading a lot of good blogs, I see!

    Denise, thanks for your comments. I like the hazy sun, too. It was a really dreary day until then.

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  7. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon (I always seem to be at the tail end of comments!) and say that i LOVE the snowy spider web. What a unique and beautiful shot.

    The rest of your wintery photos are equally beautiful. Please keep sharing! :)

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  8. Alex and Alicia. . .I love having you, and better late than never! Thanks for commenting.

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  9. I love these photos...ALMOST makes me miss the snow & ice....LOL! You might enjoy this blog: http://vespalx150.blogspot.com/ Read back through some of last year's blogs for some great photos.

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  10. Welcome, Froggi Donna. I love your motto: "I want to be an outrageous old woman who never gets called an old lady. I want to get leaner & meaner, sharp edged & earth colored till I fade away from pure joy."
    It's one 0f those quotes I wish I'd seen first!

    I've been busy reading your blogs and enjoying them totally.
    I love the link you sent, too. I'll have to show it to my daughter. She loves Vespas and has always wanted one. Some great photography there, too. This is what I love about this blogging community. We find each other and share what we've seen, opening up whole worlds we might never have been aware of. Thanks so much!

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