Ice gallery

The woods beyond our field are a frequent destination for my walks.
And, beyond them, stand the pines--where what had once been a Christmas tree farm, has now matured into a dense pine wood, with trees 30 feet tall. The few sunlit areas remaining between them are home to a nice tangle of multiflora rose, nature's barbed wire.
Unless I'm dressed for battle, I prefer to walk around these woods--
Last week, I walked through.


The red carpet of needles plunges deeply where a backhoe's steel fingers have left its bite, scooping a young tree years ago. Partially filled in with needles and cones, and now the winter's runoff, these large, round basins display unusual ice art.


The stiffness of an occasional leathery oak leaf, gives form to the pockets of air trapped within. Light and shadow play beneath the surface.


Back in the oak woods, the ice is thin and brittle, each surface in the many layers reflecting silvery leaves. Magnifying their details.



All is still in this frozen gallery.
I will return and admire the next display.
This is our vernal pool.