Silver Thaw

Honestly, we've had the wimpiest winter this year!  No snow.  No frigid temperatures.  Not even any "wintry mix".  But this morning we awoke to one of my favorite winter phenomena: a silver thaw.  Peter and I set off on a walk through the neighborhood.  It was early, so we had the forest of frozen trees all to ourselves.  Every branch of every tree and shrub was covered from limb to leaf in ice.  As if dipped in glass!  And nothing was stirring to break the magic spell.  Only the sound of our breathing and the drip drip drip as the spectacle melted in the warmer morning air. 

If you ever have a silver thaw where you live, I encourage you to go outside and really experience it!  See how the ice transforms otherwise anonymous trees into splendid, shining, fragile things.  The white iridescence around every single branch makes a sea of lace almost too much for the eye to behold.  Today is overcast, but when the sun shines on a silver thaw, the light show is spectacular. Peter challenged me to try to paint an ice-dipped leaf, but this might be one of those wonders of nature that an artist just can't capture.  Maybe I'll give it a try, though!

Here are some images from our walk.  Enjoy!