A nICE day

Heavy frost a couple of mornings ago whispered to me that I needed to visit my favorite local landscapes with my camera.  Well, the prompting came more as an excited shout - or was that my own voice?

To Snoqualmie Falls I drove (just 3 miles from home).  I knew what to expect, so I was prepared with outer-wear. Sun above, and near-flood-run-off  produced roaring waters in the right place:

 The Falls always makes its own weather.

When the atmosphere is cold enough, the spray turns to ice pellets.  Surroundings become encased in ice:

 Even the grass underfoot gets special attention:

This is not a shot-turned-sideways.  Force of the Falls'

wind made icicles form horizontally:

It is pretty late in the year, though technically still winter, for this extreme cold.

I was dismayed to see rhododendron buds caught in the icy grip:

The phenomenon of the Falls' power in creating "weather" showed blatantly that morning.

Within 10 feet of the guard rail, rhodie buds were tightly-closed, as above;

Eight feet further, and shrubs were sprouting color.  Another 10 feet beyond, and the rhodie blossoms were nearly in full bloom, though I didn't take a photo because they were not covered in ice.

Back in the parking lot, I happily shed my heavy, hooded jacket, hat, and gloves, which were soaked.  The sun was shining.

I looked back to take this one last photo, and immediately there was a resounding crack.  A huge limb broke from this very tree and tumbled down through stiff branches. I had been hearing the gun-shot-like cracks (indicating ice-laden branches just couldn't take the weight any longer) while I was photographing, and about the time I returned to the car, the slippery pathways were closed to Falls-viewers, due to the dangers underfoot and from above.
I had been alone most of the time I was there.  How lucky for me was my timing!