Traceries of Ice and Snow

Winter has made a definitive appearance, with a dusting of snow and a layer of ice coating branches, sparking in the thin sun that appeared briefly this morning. The honeysuckle by the front door is dripping with icicles, and branches are held in jeweled cases.




Somehow, a few flowers have held on through the bitter frosts of recent days and are now glittering; the warmth of the south facing wall must have kept them alive.




Glistening on the nannyberry shrub, icy caps on seeds (?) looking like bird heads, ready to take flight.




The snow also makes patterns on grasses, a welter of expressive marks, here backed by the upright reds of red osier dogwood alongside the pond.




The soft texture of the snow on the frozen pond is a background for the lines of dried cattail stems and leaves, the upright, and the curve resting on the surface.




And lastly, a view of the kale plants after the deer have been in the garden to feast. On Wednesday I dug up the remaining brussels sprouts, picked a huge bunch of kale, and took down the electric fence. It took the deer until Thursday night to realize that they were invited in to finish off the crops, but then they had a nice Thanksgiving dinner.