For several days now, we have been socked in under a layer of frozen fog here in the Willamette Valley, and although this has been a somewhat cold and dark mid-winter experience, I have been noticing some breathtaking frozen formations on the trees, plants, leaves, spiderwebs, and even tiny water drops of fog. I often find a lot of cheer in taking the time to notice these things when Winter is sitting so heavily upon us and I’m missing the sunshine.
My son and I went out for an evening hike on Mt. Pisgah, and the fantasia of frosty displays were pretty magical. Oak leaves, fir boughs, lichens and spiderwebs were all glittering with a frozen layer of ice. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and I felt lucky to be out there seeing it on this particular evening.
It was easy to pretend we had happened upon a fairy forest as we walked along through the still, silent fog.
The lichens were coated in ice, appearing as though they were lace made by Queen Winter’s delicate hand. Little beads of water dripped from the ends where they had started trying to thaw, but just couldn’t quite get there by the end of the day.
We hiked a good loop around the North side and came up over the crest and down just as the sun was setting through the icy haze. It was good to see a little sun, even if it was on it’s way down behind the Coast Range. It was a heartening reminder that it’s still always there, and that we will surely be seeing more of it soon. In the meanwhile, we settle in under the blanket of Winter and dream big dreams.
Ooohhh!! 🙂 Wonderful!!