Thursday, February 4, 2010

Frostography

This winter hasn't been particularly snowy but it's had its deep-freeze periods.

Below are a few photos of some frost patterns on one of the bedroom windows, as well as a few random scenes from around my local park. All quotes are attributed to poet Robert Frost - in honour of my frost-covered window, of course. Please click on each of them to enlarge.




"Some say the world will end in fire, some say ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction, ice is also great and would suffice."





"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
This is the same ball which appeared in my Mellow Yellow post last month. As time went by, the wind moved it along the surface of the ice and rotated it enough to show off its aqua side.





"The artist in me cries out for design."





"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."
A female Mallard kept a watchful eye on me while foraging for her breakfast. You can see the water droplets on her feathers and a bit of grass in her bill.





"Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."





"The old dog barks without getting up. I can remember when he was a pup."
A couple of weeks back, this adorable 11 week old Husky pup, ran off yelping after some other little bully of a dog (coughBennycough) snarled at him. His owner carried him past the troublesome JRT.





"There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate."





"You can't get too much winter in the winter."
Like I said, we haven't got much snow but that doesn't stop the kidlets from getting what they can out of it.





"Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length."

More photos in a few days.

85 comments:

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Poor puppy, but Penny would have snapped too. I love the frost pics, and happy mama duck!

Sueann said...

Fabulous photos!!! I love the frosted window ones the best! The "yelping" dog is adorable!
I also love the pics you have been doing of the ball on the pond. Beautiful!
Hugs
SueAnn

Shrinky said...

Aw, Benny was only protecting you from the big bad wolf! The frosted windows are esquisite, but the duck one truly does it for me.

Tabor said...

Since I have double paned windows I no longer get frost. I remember looking at it as a kid and being fascinated with the patterns. Nice photos once again.

Steve Gravano said...

The frost patterns are excellent. I too have double pane windows and rarely see frost except on the car windows.

Merisi said...

Magical, truly magical images!
I so enjoyed seeing that ball again, like an old friend, thank you!

Carol Murdock said...

Nature is the greatest artist ever! Great shots of her work!

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Your photos have given me a great start to the day. Oh, how I need to figure out my new camera, although I don't have frost to offer such a delightful montage.

Good day to you.

järnebrand said...

Beautiful photos...! I love the frost, and Frost too... :) Thank you for the inspiration! /Johanna

lime said...

oh there were some of my favorite lines from frost and some that were new to me. all were married beautifully to the gorgeous images you took. love that first frosty pane. the water droplets on the duck make me shiver to consider!

Kat said...

I LOVE those frost photos. Wow! The detail!
And what a pretty husky puppy. :)

Zuzana said...

Beautiful; reinforcing the notion that nature is the best artist. And then it takes a talented photographer, with a sensitive mind like yours, to capture the beauty nature creates.
I love Husky's, their eyes are incredible.
Lovely photos Hilary, as always.
xo
Zuzana

Land of shimp said...

So beautiful, and amazingly intricate.

I like the picture of the sledding best. There's something very hopeful about splashes of color against a winter background. It's as if spring is merely behind his/her time before roaring forth again.

Frank Baron said...

I loved reading Frost. Thanks for the reminder. Some of the best lines, ever. :)

In Ben's defense - that husky looked at him. ;)

Loverly pics. I especially like the windows covered in lacy, filigreed doilies. Isn't it amazing what nature can create from water molecules?

Anonymous said...

I love the frosty shots! Very artistic! There isn't enough precipitation here to make the windows frost up, but it sure feels cold enough. I love the word kidlets, lol. And Benny....lol, poor little Husky!
:)

Daryl said...

I am now hoping for an icy window to shoot ... that pup was not pleased.. that expression is priceless!

Mike Minzes said...

Wow. Great pictures!

Suldog said...

Love that final quote! I'd never heard that one before.

Missicat said...

Beautiful pictures and quotes! Love the fierce little pup!

JC said...

Frost pictures are fabulous!!! Thanks for sharing.

Amy said...

Such beautiful images Hilary! Just the other night my husband pulled Robert Frost off the top shelf and reacquainted both of us with some favorites - synchronicity?

I love the warm glow in the first photo and that puppy is just the sweetest!

cheshire wife said...

Wonderful photos! We rarely get frosted windows here in the UK now a days. Central heating, double glazing and global warming have seen them off.

LadyFi said...

Fabulous frost pictures... and the quotes just make the whole post complete... I love that last one in particular.

Jeni said...

Loved the lacy ice patterns! Really neat. And the verses accompanying them as well as the other pics -Great Job!

Mental P Mama said...

Just as beautiful as ever...I love Mrs Mallard!

Nessa said...

Great pictures.

13 Characters from Rose and Prince Brendan

Dianne said...

the frost patterns are lovely, nature's diamonds

that husky is adorable and well, adorable can be annoying so I'm on Benny's side
a snarl is just a snarl
they need to learn ;)

Dawning Inspiration said...

We haven't gotten to enjoy much frost this year - not that I am complaining too loudly. We still could! Those are so pretty!

Clowncar said...

Those ice crystals are magical. Thanks for the look. We don't get alotta ice in Pueblo.

steviewren said...

I love them all, but the first frosty window is my favorite. It is just perfect!

Karen said...

You should send one of the frosted windows in to a card company! They are gorgeous!

Elizabeth Bradley said...

Fabulous Frostography, the whole package, every photo and every quote.

Cheryl Kohan said...

You sure do know your way around a camera! I agree with Karen that your frosty photos would be great printed as cards.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Hilary: Beautiful captures of the ice formations along with the other captures. I like you female Mallard Duck. They are the only duck that is left around here.

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Nature teaches such humbling and important lessons. Like the modern art expressed by frost on glass, by children frolicking in the snow and the droplets of water clinging to acquascutum feathers.

Loved this wintery post Hilary, thank you so much.

Ciao

Cloudia said...

Bravo!

Like celestial art of frost
this post is a true gem
that blooms just it's day
hooray! Alas!


Aloha, my Friend


Comfort Spiral

Country Girl said...

I love your quotes. And especially love all the frost photos. Gorgeous! And that sweet dog is adorable.

Redbush said...

Oh, what intricate patterns! Jack Frost definitely knows how to create them! Love the adorable duck photo. Ah, the poor puppy!

Lisa (Mountain Photog) said...

Wonderful photos! The frosted window shots are beautiful--so delicate and detailed--and the husky pup is adorable. Love the Robert Frost quotes. As a New Hampshire native I have a special place in my heart for the old curmudgeon. :)

abb said...

Hoar frost??? Could be dead wrong on that. BUT the frost is just beautiful. Haven't seen it since I lived in Missourah 3 lifetimes ago.

Just lovely photos...and so very very true...the three words?

Life goes on.

Michael said...

Those are awesome pictures! LOVE the Husky pic. *Suppressing envy. Suppressing envy*

the Bag Lady said...

Those pictures of the frost are absolutely stunning, Hilary! The others are great, too - that pup is adorable!

Hilary said...

• Gary, thanks. I bet Benny and Penny would get along famously though. :)

• SueAnn, thank you. I'm glad you like the photos. The ball was fun to watch in real time. It was in a different spot and rotation each day. It's gone now. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Shrinky, thanks very much. Yes, Benny was guarding us against a less than 3 month old fluffy, silky, sweet, innocent puppy which was no larger than himself. Right you are! ;)

• Tabor, thanks. I have always been fascinated with frost patterns. I never thought to photograph them before though. :)

• Steve, thanks very kindly. I don't see it very often. This was the first time this year, and it's long-gone now. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks, Merisi. Your old friend has a very bouncy personality. ;)

• Carol, thank you. You're so right about nature's art. :)

• MJ, I'm glad to hear that. Do get your camera figured out. You'll not regret it. :)

• Johanna, thank you. I'm glad you liked the double frosting/Frosting. :)

• Lime, thanks very much. I marvel at how ducks and geese keep warm in the frigid waters. They seem so unaffected and I always feel sorry for their little webbed feet. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Kat, thank you. Isn't that a sweet pup? :)

• Zuzana, nature truly is, but I thank you for your kind compliment. Don't they have such wonderful eyes? So often different colours. They're fascinating. Thanks so much my sweet friend. :)

• Shimp, thanks kindly. You're so poetic in how you describe what you see. I love reading your comments. Thanks for that. :)

• Frank, so true about Frost. I have a volume of his works somewhere in this house. Yes, that husky dared to glance Ben's way with his adorable puppy eyes. Evil critter! Thanks. :)

• Rain, thank you. I almost always use the term kidlets - somehow it just seems right. Sometimes they're fartlets .. depending on how they behave. ;)

• Daryl, the pup really was frightened. He probably never encountered a snarl before. He has probably only ever experienced Oooohs and Awwwws and kisses on his furry little face. He was SO cute. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Welcome, Realliveman and thanks for the kind words. :)

• Suldog, it's a lovely one, isn't it? :)

• Missicat, thanks. That pup was anything but fierce. He feared for his life! :)

• JC, thanks for stopping by and enjoying. And for your kind words. :)

• Amy, thank you so much. Synchronicity indeed. Read something interesting again tonight so I'll be inspired for my next post. ;) Thanks so kindly. :)

Hilary said...

• CW, my windows are not the best as evidenced by the photos but it made for some fun shooting. Thank very much for the kind words. :)

• Lady Fi, thank you. The quotes sure were fun to collect and connect with the photos. Thanks for your kind comment. :)

• Jeni, thanks. I'm glad you liked it. :)

• Thank you, MPM. She's a cutie, eh? :)

• Nessa, thanks. :)

• Dianne, thanks kindly. If you would have heard the terror in this poor pup's voice you would have thought that Benny had made contact. But no. Just a snarl. Ben isn't above making contact though.. the wee fart. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks, SD. I wouldn't complain too loudly about our minimal snow either. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Clowncar, thank you. I'm glad you like them. :)

• Steviewren, thanks so much. I'm pleased that you do. :)

• Thanks, Karen. I'm glad you think so. :)

• Elizabeth, thanks so much. That means a lot to me. :)

• Cheryl, thank you - though I'm still pretty early in the learning process. Thanks so much for the kind remarks. :)

• Fishing Guy, thank you so much. She's a lovely little thing, isn't she? Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Eleonora, you're so right about that. Nature has much to teach us. Thank you for your very kind words. They're much appreciated. :)

• Cloudia, thanks very much. Such a lovely thing to say. :)

• Thanks very much, Kate. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the post. :)

• Redbush, Jack is indeed quite the artist. I'm glad he shared. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• MP, I can't blame you one bit for holding Frost close to your heart. He's given us many fine words. Thanks so much for your kind compliment. :)

• TSannie, the frost was only on the window and not covering ground or trees, so I don't think so but thank you kindly, anyway. :) And life does indeed go on. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Cabo, thank you. Isn't he just adorable - and every bit as soft and fluffy as he looks. I haven't seen him since though. I was hoping to watch that sweetie grow. Thanks for your always-kind words. :)

• Baggie, thanks so much, my friend. And yes, that pup was a real cutie. :)

Rajesh said...

Beautiful shots. Lovely pattern by the frost.

ellen abbott said...

OK, WOW.

colbymarshall said...

Beautiful snow pictures ;-)

Joanna Jenkins said...

Great work Hilary. The frost on the windows is wonderful. I love seeing it-- in pictures :-)

Have a great weeknd.

jj

Linda said...

I love the frostography! Gorgeous photos!

Anonymous said...

That is one cute looking pooch. I like him or her a lot better than the dicey spots. lol

Unknown said...

wonderful pairings of photos with quotations... and that little Husky puppy, what a face!

Suzanne said...

Your photographs are stunning! The "window frost" I believe are my favorites, just for their sheer beauty, but I do love all of the neighborhood shots as well. The husky story was great, because I am a huge Benny fan. Thank you for sharing these.

Thumbelina said...

These are beautiful shots Hilary. Are the quotes your thoughts or from some other literary source?

"The artist in me cries out for design."
My favourite one, naturally. ;0)

Nancy said...

These pictures are just beautiful, Hilary! I love how each one is as different as a snowflake. The poetry will stick with me today. I'm in that kind of mood. As for Benny and the puppy, one must protect one's family...

photowannabe said...

Amazing photos of the window frost. I have never seen such delicate designs. I love the ball that has traveled to the aqua side too. Nature is strange sometimes.
I hope to go out and shot a few pictures this weekend. Its been far too long. the rain and wind has kept my camera inside.

Jo said...

Hilary, I'm not sure how you judge the Posts of the Week, but I have several new bloggers I would like to nominate. In my travels through the blogosphere recently, I have discovered at least half a dozen blogs that are fabulous, well-written, clever, intelligent, original, and so much more. But they are not particularly aggressive bloggers, so the world has not found them yet. Perhaps I can send you their names and you can add them to your list. You reach a wider audience than I do, and I think the blogging world is ready for some fresh faces and original ideas. :-)

Cheers,
Jo

Anonymous said...

LOL @ fartlet! :)

Reb said...

Love the frosted windows. In spite of the really bad seals on mine, they don't frost over here on the ground floor, the top floor - well, they ice up completely.

Love the duck.

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

Hilary, long time!!! I am sorry about being so lousy about my blog-presence! Hope you have been great..wish you a beautiful year ahead (11 months ahead :D).....and your frosto-graphy is precious!!!! simply precious!!!! and the husky dog is beautiful..........

Unknown said...

I'm officially a big fan.

I loved the frost photos,
and while we haven't had the normal snow here in the GTA either, I'm okay with it. I was able to run outside , and I don't have little ones that need outdoor time.
It's all good.

Have a great weekend, Hilary.

Wendy said...

What a gorgeous pic of that duck. I wish they would stay still long enough for me! I'll stick to flowers for now.

Loved your frosted windows. Really pretty. And the husky dog is cute.
Have a wonderful weekend.

SandyCarlson said...

Those ice on the window shots are especially gorgeous!

Unknown said...

Oh, these pictures are so beautiful Hilary! I would have never thought to capture frost! I will next week though. Thank you : ) for this great idea!

Anonymous said...

Hilary,
Oh you have brought back many wonderful memories. While growing up, we had kitchen windows that would show the artword of Jack Frost each wintery morning. I used to just be in a muse looking and studying the beautiful strokes of his brush. And now you've made me remember the wonderful aromas coming from mom's kitchen oven...mmmmmm THANKS!! Have a great weekend Hilary, you're the best! The Bach

Anonymous said...

I so wish for snow here - they say it might rain today... hooray!! Precious dog - I want one ;0)

Kerri Farley said...

Oh Hilary - I LOVE LOVE LOVE your frost pics!! And the mallard and the husky. And the ball = what an artistic shot. I Just LOVE them all! Great post and great quotes!!

sanjeet said...

I also love the pics you have been doing of the ball on the pond. Beautiful!

Work from home India

ds said...

Nobody understood winter quite like Frost (so aptly named, don't you think?). Love, love the photos and the perfect quotes. Thank you!

A Woman said...

Hillary, I finally found the spot to leave comments...I am blonde but not that blonde,must be the learning curve on blogs. Your photography is wonderful. I've so enjoyed them. They add a sparkle to my days.

Your frost series is stunning and I love that you've used quotes from Robert Frost.

Texanne said...

Lovely post. Thanks so much for the sweetness.

Anonymous said...

Oh those GORGEOUS frosted window pictures!
"You can't get too much winter in the winter." If you've been missing yours, it's here in Northern Virginia. Let me know if you want to come shovel snow with me!

Unknown said...

Beautifully captured images and thoughts!

Unspoken said...

Love the winter images. That frost is very cool!

Hilary said...

• Rajesh, thank you very kindly. :)

• Thanks, Ellen. :)

• Thank you, Colby. ;)

• Joanna, thanks very much. And to you too. :)

• Thank you, Linda. I'm glad. :)

• Abe, she's a cutie, eh? Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Jane, irresistible face, isn't it? Thanks so much for the kind words. :)

• Suzanne, thank you so much. I'm so pleased that you're enjoying my photos. And that you're a Benny fan. Thanks for stopping by with your kind words, and please do return soon. :)

• Thumbelina, thanks very much. As mentioned in the post, and later in our email exchanges, the quotes are all those of Robert Frost. Nice to see you drop by, my friend. :)

• Nancy, thank you very kindly. I was in a Frost kind of a mood too so this worked out well for me. And you're so right about Benny. You should see/hear him guard against squirrels! ;)

• Sue, thank you. You're in too warm of a climate to get frost. I'm glad you're enjoying the ball's pond antics and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your wonderful photography soon. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Jo, by now you should have my lengthy email (sent on Friday) explaining my process and asking you to feel free to suggest specific blog posts but not entire blogs. Thanks for asking and please send some great posts my way soon. :)

• Rain ;)

• Reb, I hope you can keep warm despite your faulty windows.. I guess you can't look out at much when you're at the upstairs windows, eh? What a pane! ;) Thanks for the kind comment. :)

• Moi, so good to see you here. It has indeed been a long time. I hope you'll be posting regularly again now. I've missed your beautiful photography. Thanks so much for stopping by at a few of my posts. I'm really happy to see you out and about again. :)

• Deb, thank you. I know what you mean. This winter sure has been different for us, yet so snowy for others. You won't hear me complaining. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend yourself. :)

• Wendy, thank you. I find that flowers often don't stay still enough for me depending on how windy it is out. ;) Thanks so much for the very kind words. :)

• Thank you, Sandy. I'm glad you think so. :)

• LWK, thank you very much. I'm glad I gave you a frosty idea. Looking forward to seeing your shots. :)

• Bach, thank you so much. I'm glad my photos could evoke a happy childhood memory. That so pleases me. Thanks for your always-kind words. :)

• ED, I hope you get your snow. Better still, I hope you get my snow. Then maybe you could put that husky to good use. ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Kerri, thank you so much. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Now I'm anxious to get out and take more pics. Thank you. :)

• Sanjeet, thank you. That's one popular ball. Thanks for the visit. :)

• DS, I totally agree with you about Frost. Thanks so much for the warm comments. :)

• A Woman, I'm so glad you figured out comments. It opens up a whole new blogging experience. ;) Thank you so much for you very kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying my photos. Thanks for dropping by. :)

• Texanne, thank you so kindly. That's so sweet of YOU! :)

• KC, thanks very much, my friend. As much as I'd love to spend time with you, I could do without the shoveling. Let's just hand the work off to a couple of your boys and go get ourselves some belly warmers. ;) Thank you. :)

• Michael, thank you so much. :)

• Amy, thanks very much. I'm glad you think so. :)

Dave said...

What wonderful frost photographs Hilary! I enjoyed them. Ow Benny! Don't be a bully! Pick on someone smaller! Hilary, thanks for your advice on those gulls. You were right as I took your advice and looked up what you advised on Google and saw them in photos. - Dave

Anonymous said...

Isn't nature wonderful? And camera's and people with eyes to see the beauty and capture it for us?

Cricket said...

Startlingly original concept, to my eyes anyway, the alternating photos. Very nice. The crystals are fascinating, aren't they?

Perhaps, I might suggest Emily Remler's version of Snowfall? I really should put some of these on, then look again, someday. I hear things, of course, but it's not the same.

My wife dreams of retiring South, palm trees and pelicans and all that. I don't know that I could leave the seasons. I love them all. Then again, my people are not known for longevity. It may never come up. ;-)

MaggieGem said...

Wonder frost shots! Always a pleasure to see things through your eyes!

Andrey Dorokhov said...

Great pictures! Thank you!

Hilary said...

• Dave, thank you. I'm glad I was able to solve your gull mystery. And Benny picks on huge puppies too. He probably figures that it keeps him from getting clobbered by those big paws. :)

• Moannie, nature sure is wonderful. I'm glad you enjoy my perspective of it. Thank you. :)

• Cricket, thank you very much. Yes, I love the ice crystals. Having a marcro setting on one of my cameras made it even more enjoyable for me. I'll have to find and listen to Snowfall. You have such original music choices. I'm not sure I could live South either... as much as I'd love it for a long time, I'd surely miss the other seasonal changes. I don't think I'd love my beloved summer as much if I didn't have the winter as contrast. And don't you think of leaving this planet anytime soon! The land of pelicans is hot enough. You need not go anywhere hotter. ;) Thanks always for stopping by. :)

• Maggie, thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words. :)

• Andrey, thanks very kindly. :)

Digital Flower Pictures said...

The Husky is cute. We have one that is afraid of cats.

Maria said...

I dropped in the other day but was unable to comment for some reason. I have enjoyed photographs on blogs so much that I am now considering getting a camera and joining in the fun.

Hilary said...

• DFP, I've known a few large dogs who are afraid of cats. Hopefully yours will get past it. Huskies are such lovely dogs. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Gaelikaa, I think that's a great idea. You'll enjoy it for sure. I'm looking forward to seeing you strut your photographic stuff. :)

Louise said...

The frost pictures are amazing. Absolutely fabulous!

Hilary said...

Thanks kindly, Louise. :)