Sunday, December 19, 2010

Cold as Ice

lakeview
We haven't seen much snow yet, but icy weather has arrived, and my local pond is mostly frozen over.




duck prints
A light dusting on the surface reveals the paths taken by the local duck population in hopes of finding a bit of open water.




duckies
And they found it right by the intake from the area's storm drains. Let's hope that the water remains clean and we have no repeat incidents like we had this past spring.




willow leaves on ice
Peering through the dock rails, you can see that weeping willow leaves continue to fall upon the frozen pond, while other have been trapped beneath its icy surface.




icy shoreline
The shoreline appears cold and a little less welcoming, but always beautiful.

63 comments:

Frank Baron said...

It's the quiet season. The season for pause and reflection. Your pond and its surroundings are surrendering to it. And your photos illustrate it nicely.

Anonymous said...

Frank is quite poetic tonight!

My youngest boy was down at the creek today checking out the ice. He found some thick enough to stand on, but we don't have any layers of weeping willow leaves. (That's a pretty cool image that you captured!)

Dawn said...

My favorite....duck tracks. I always have to stop and admire "feet" trails- love seeing just where it is they intend to go, and actually get to.

Cold as ice....fits perfectly with wonderful captures!

Zuzana said...

Beautifully nostalgic images. I find it so extraordinary that you have such icy conditions with no snow; if it is that cold here it sure would snow plenty.;)
Have a lovely Sunday dear friend,
xoxo

Dawning Inspiration said...

Makes me about shiver in my boots!!!! (okay, slippers... )
Beautiful though is right!

Sueann said...

Beautiful photos! And cold too! Made me shiver for sure!!
Hugs
SueAnn

JAGDISH BALI said...

Good work done. Using quiet time well.

kazia said...

Winter is beautiful but from afar :D

Brian Miller said...

brrr...shivering...nice pic of the ducks...

Shrinky said...

Oh, those tracks are simply wonderful, aren't they? From my blog visits, it appears most of the world is frozen over right now.

Wishing you a wonderful Chrismas Hilary, filled with laughter and love.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

You manage to make even cold and ice and leafless trees look beautiful. You have a gift.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

It is always beautiful at this blog too Hilary. The first photo is my fav - so inviting, calming and peaceful.

Out on the prairie said...

They were racing motorcycles on one of the ponds near me so the ice is ready to snow surf and skate on.Those little leaves can sometimes stop you in you tracks skating.Lovely shots to show your area.

Anvilcloud said...

Looks like you guys have been escaping the storms further to the west of you. Us too.

Lori said...

How is it that you can make even ice and cold look beautiful? Happy Sunday Hilary. XX

Anonymous said...

What gorgeous shots! I particularly like the bird prints in the snow. It's doing the same here in the UK, only we don't cope as well as you Canadians do!

CiCi said...

The photo looking through the dock rails is amazing. Scrolling down to that picture gives the sensation of it moving.

Steve Gravano said...

Beautiful series again. My favorite is the shoreline and pond through the trees. For me, it's the epitome of Franks comment.

ellen abbott said...

That last one is beautiful but looks oh so cold.

DJan said...

Yes, it's winter in a few days! And I also love the picture of the duckies all a-swimming.

Pauline said...

splendid photo story :)

Leah J. Utas said...

Love the leaves in suspended animation.

June said...

I love the duck tracks, a sign of life in the frozen dead landscape.

Anonymous said...

It looks deliciously cold and lovely.

Rebecca said...

beautiful even though everything is bare it's beautiful

Russell said...

I agree with Frank. It is the quiet season and I like that part of it.

I have often said there is nothing good about ice. But I stand corrected. There is a beauty to ice and your photographs capture it.

Truly an interesting dichotomy - the bleakness of the ice and cold contrasted with the peaceful quiet of it.

Very nice post.

Tabor said...

So cold so early it seems. I feel sorry for the water birds that stay near our place when the river freezes. I actually saw a heron fly over the dock yesterday. Wonder what he eats in this weather?

Kristina P. said...

We have been having an unusually warm winter for Utah. The last 3 out of four storm have resulted in rain, not snow. I am loving it!

Maggie May said...

You take such clear pictures. Love the ducky footprint. I'm sure if you put paper & paint down they would make a best selling picture!

We are really snowed up in Britain at the moment but we are suffering mainly from icy roads & treacherous pavements where I live. My ice-grips on my shoes were pretty effective today when I went to church but they are not too comfortable in shops and places where there isn't any snow/ice.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Joanna Jenkins said...

I yiyi, it's too early to be that cold! But it makes for beautiful pics.
Merry Christmas, jj

Saz said...

lovely pics Hilary....love the tangled wood

luv saz x

Bob Bushell said...

It was the ducks, in the water, kind of.

Friko said...

Magic, sheer magic.

I know we all complain about harsh winter but is there anything more truly beautiful?

Elizabeth Grimes said...

I just love the stories you tell with your pictures. I was wondering about the ducks, then in the next picture, there they are. Found their water. Makes me smile. :)

Anonymous said...

I love the duck tracks! Great photos Hilary! I hope you get a little fluffy snow to go with that ice, just to cheer things up a little! Happy Holidays to you!
xx

Maria said...

Perfect picture postcard shots! We have dry cold out here in north India. Sunshine in the day and icy cold at night.

Grayquill said...

These are the months I am glad to be a human with an insulated home.
Great pictures...but why wouldn't they be? Hilary took them.

messymimi said...

Your beautiful pictures make me wish i could be there.

Rosaria Williams said...

Hope the ducks find open water for their movements. They have ways to get around and survive, I guess.
Beautiful images.

Anonymous said...

Nice pics per usual! The first one reminds me of the scene from "It's a Wonderful Life" where he saves his brother after falling into the icy waters. Hope you are having a festive season!
:) The Bach
Lord Thomas of Wellington

Cricket said...

Wow, you've got the ice up there, all right. We've had lots of cold - 20s and so. Not too much ice though. Honestly, a lot of the water around here is probably too polluted to freeze yet. It still looks nice, but in winter, I really wonder.

The ponds used to freeze when I was a kid. Not anymore, and certainly not enough to walk on, I wouldn't, anyway.

Foreigner? Naw... just kidding. How about one of my favorite winter songs, I'm not sure why: Cracking by Suzanne Vega.

Reb said...

Oh, I was cold before I looked, now I am freezing! Love the ducks.

ds said...

Love love the photo of the willow leaves; they look as though they are swimming...

VM Sehy Photography said...

Love the duck prints. It's so much fun to find perfect tracks in the snow.

Slamdunk said...

I can almost here the slight crunching of critters as I look at your images.

There is a park center near us with a glass observation room overlooking birdfeeders and a pond (frozen now). Your images reminded me of what we see there--it is a peaceful place.

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Frank. You sure do wax poetic sometimes. You should be a writer. ;)

• KC, he is. :) Thanks very much for the kind words. I'm glad you liked it. :)

• Dawn, thanks very much. It is fun to follow tracks. We don't get too many around here - mostly birds and rabbits. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Zuzana, thank you kindly. I guess it's just been a dry cold. We'll get ours though. We always do. :)

• Stacey Dawn, yup, I'm shivering at the moment too. Thanks for the kind comment. :)

• Thanks, SueAnn. I'm glad you like them but sorry for the shivers! :)

• Jagdish, thanks kindly. Much appreciated. :)

• Kazia, that's certainly a good place to be. ;)

• Brian, I just pulled on another layer, myself. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Shrinky, thanks very much for the kind wishes. I hope the very same for you and yours. :)

• Linda, thank you so much for that. You're too kind. :)

• Bonnie, thank you kindly. It means a lot to me that you enjoy your visits. :)

• OOTP, oh yes. I imagine those leaves could be quite a problem to a skater. Be careful if you take to the ice. Thanks very much for the kind words. :)

• Anvilcloud, yes. It was pretty bad there, wasn't it. We were very lucky not to have to endure similar. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much, Lori. You're too sweet. :)

• Lynne, thank you. We all cope as best we can. I'm a wimp when it comes to winter but the season isn't changing anytime soon. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• TechnoBabe, thank you. I'm glad you like it. :)

• Thank you, Steve. I like that one too.. the pic and the comment. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks, Ellen. Yup, it sure is cold. :)

• DJan, that's true. It isn't even officially winter yet. Now it seems longer! ;)

• Thank you, Pauline. :)

• Thanks kindly, Leah. :)

• So true, June. Always nice to see you drop by. :)

Hilary said...

• Many thanks, Lady Fi. :)

• Much appreciated, Becca. :)

• Russell, thanks so much for such kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. Day like these along with my camera sure help me to get through winter. :)

• Tabor, I would imagine there's some parts that are not frozen over, still? Failing that, he might have been on his way further south. I've seen herons as late as early December, but never after the snow flies or ponds freeze. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Kristina, you're on the lucky end of precipitation, eh? You don't need to shovel rain. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Maggie May, thank you. I think that would be a blast to collect duck prints in paint. Good idea. :) Good to know that those grips are working for you. Are they really difficult to remove when you head indoors? Stay warm and safe out there! :)

• Thanks, Joanna. It was much colder over the past couple of weeks than it's been this weekend. Still cold enough to stay frozen but comfy enough to enjoy being out there. Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas to you and yours, too. :)

• Thank you, Saz. That's my favourite too. Good to see you. :)

• Thanks for stopping by, Bob. Gotta love a duck. :)

• Thanks so much, Friko. I'm so glad you enjoyed the pics. It sure can be a magical season. :)

• Elizabeth, I'm glad I was able to answer you duck question. ;) Thanks for the kind words. They're so appreciated. :)

• Thanks, Rainy. A bit of snow (easy on the shoveling) might be nice. Thank you, and all the best of the season to you, too. :)

• Gaelikaa, thank you very much. I have to admit that I don't think of India as icy cold but I guess some parts are. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Grayquill, thank you so much. And yes, I'm glad for heating and insulation too. :)

• MessyMimi, thank you. :)

• Rosaria, so far the ducks are doing ok. Usually they keep it open for themselves just by their numbers and constant activity. I think the sudden cold took them by surprise. But yes, they do manage. Thanks for the kind words. :)

• Bach, thanks very much. I'm glad you like the pic. Happy Holidays to you and Lady Cat. :)

• Cricket, it's hard for me to imagine it being -20 and no ice. We did have a pretty cold snap here for about a week or longer but the wind was worse than anything. That's so strange for your ponds to keep from freezing. Thanks for the soundtrack. Yours are always good choices. :)

• Thanks, Reb. That icy cold is pretty suggestive, eh? :)

• DS, thank you. Leafy layers in the ice always have an interesting effect. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• VM, thank you. It is indeed fun. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Slamdunk, the sound of critters crunching seemss a bit alarming to me. ;) That observation room sounds like it might be a decent spot. I'm not sure I'd prefer indoors to outdoors but nice to be able to observe the birds, no matter which. Thanks for your kind words. :)

Indrani said...

It is unusually very cold in Bangalore this year, but I know it will never snow. :( You have such a beautiful atmosphere there. Great shots.

Cricket said...

Heh, heh. Whoops... "- 20s" in my comment should have been "20s." Still cold enough that there should be some freezing. Even so, if it were 20 below (F) and the ponds still didn't freeze, I think we'd need the EPA out here pronto.

Suldog said...

I love footprints, of any kind, in the snow. They show life moving forward. Nice.

Kat said...

I love those little duck prints in the snow. Great shot! :)

Daryl said...

It feels that cold here in my office today .. lovely photos all ..

Unknown said...

The quiet and cold come through here so well, Hilary. We are rebiuilding my blogroll slowly again with a new system and I've just added you! :)

photowannabe said...

The wind is blowing and the rain is falling while I'm looking at your pictures. Brrr, it makes me feel even more chily. We don't get snow but it sure feels like we could. Of course we're wimpy here in California.
Love the still quiet shots, especially the duck tracks. Its always a pleasure to stop by your blog.

Redbush said...

Lovely photos, Hilary! I especially like the duck tracks. I hope Benny stays safe until the pond is totally frozen over.

holdingmoments said...

That looks very cold.
Most of my local lake is frozen over. The poor birds are finding it very tough at the moment.

sage said...

beautiful photos. We haven't had much snow here in Michigan, either. But it's been cold. I saw a pond today that was partly open and hundreds of geese were there.

Paul C said...

I enjoy how those very late leaves provide such an artistic impact.

SandyCarlson said...

I like these photos very much. We don't have much snow either. Our southern friends seem to be getting it all!

Unknown said...

You capture the essence of things so well , Hilary.

Were you keen enough to try and capture the eclipse ?

I hope that you are surrounded by love , enjoying the time with family.

Cloudia said...

You take me to such magical places. So different and Christmas-y


Aloha from Hawaii

Comfort Spiral

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Rajesh said...

Wonderful set of images.

Hilary said...

• Indrani, like I said to Galiekaa, I have a hard time imagining that it gets cold there but I suppose that snow really is out of the question. You'll have to continue your travels for that. Thanks for such kind words. :)

• Cricket, that explains the lack of freeze a bit better. It was a tad unnerving to think of water staying liquid at those temperatures! Thanks for the revisit. :)

• Suldog, so true. It's a fine way to think. :)

• Thanks, Kat. :)

• Thanks, Daryl. Grab a warm sweater and a cup of something good and warm up!

• Michael, thanks so much. I'll have to be by to check it out. :)

• Sue, windy rain sounds good about now. I wouldn't mind being a wimp if I had California weather. ;) Thanks so much for the always-kind words. :)

• Thanks very much for the kind comments, Redbush. Always very much appreciated. :)

• Keith, it was cold for sure. It's warmed up some since. Your birds always find themselves within your camera's range. They must be keeping pretty active. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thank you, Sage. We usually have a large number of ducks and geese here all winter. We just don't have as much open water as usual here either. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Paul, thank you. They're always interesting to encounter, aren't they? :)

• Sandy, thanks. I don't mind the lack of snow TOO much. Well, at all, really. ;)

• Thank you, Deb. Such a lovely thing to say. Much appreciated. I was up until 3:30. I did OK with the early shots but the full eclipse eluded my camera skills.. or hand shakes. I'll post some on Thursday. Thanks for the kind words, my friend and right back at you. :)

• Thank you, Claudia. I feel the same way about you and your photography. Thanks kindly. :)

• Thanks very much, Rajesh. :)