The Artistry of Ice

The greenhouse in the early morning hours with the sun shining through its ice-etched door.

A closer look at the artistry of ice on the greenhouse door.

Beatrix Potter, the 19th century English author and artist who penned the wonderful Peter the Rabbit children's books once said of winter, "There has been some lovely weather -- to look at."  The weather is indeed wild, at this time of the year, with strong, cold bands of north winds, careening through brown and snow dusted fields or "sloshy" with a cold fog hanging on in the dark woods and shady valleys. Most often, by the end of January, winter can resemble a welcomed house guest who has stayed long past his welcome.

A frozen road obviously less traveled.  No, this is not where I fell I knew better than to even attempt to venture down this.

A patch of ice hidden under a tangle of vines, leaves and grass. 

Yesterday, while walking the dog, I slipped and fell on a patch of ice hidden under old leaves.  I sat at the side of the road gathering my composure and taking inventory of my sore knees and back while the dog sat down next to me with a sympathetic look and waited patiently until I gathered my shattered nerves as I looked for sturdier ground with sufficient traction.  We then walked, a bit more gingerly, home to the warmth and sanctuary of the indoors.  Ice--who needs the stuff?!? It only creates havoc in the form of aches and pains, school closings and traffic jams!

Layers of thin ice upon thin ice.

I spied this frozen fountain in front of a home as I was driving by--pretty cool!

Bubbly and smooth ice, all at once, on the road.

A peek through the trees of a silver-iced pond along my country road.

Yet, in winter there are also bright spots in the form of icy signatures written on windows, glassy lakes and frosty walkways shining back into the face of the yellow winter sun.  Brown ice bubbles up on the side of treacherous roads while crystal clear ice takes over the dog's water dish, transforms a fountain into a still-life portrait and is a water color painting spread over frost-tipped grass.

Some nighttime visitor who frequent my yard along with those devil deer.

Perhaps I would venture out over the ice on this wooden dock but, as pretty as it looks, I think  icy ponds, as a rule, are not safe to walk on here in Northern Virginia.

Ice gathers up the untidy garden with footprints and deer tracks and leads us into a wonderland of poke-a-dot patterns and paisley prints especially in the dawning hours of a new day as the sun breaks through the bare trees.  Take a moment and try to enjoy the ice, instead of cursing it, as it is a venue of outdoor artistry, right at your fingertips--knees and back, too, if you are not careful!