ICE AT THE FALLS

A week ago, with blue skies and sun prevailing, and the temperature about 18 degrees, my husband and I knew exactly what would be happening at Snoqualmie Falls!  It had already been more than a week of such cold conditions, so the Falls would be in its own ice-encased world.

The Falls always creates its own weather, due to the tremendous amount of falling water and the resultant spray:

Half a block away in the parking lot, the flora had no ice on it at all, but here it appeared to be applied by a power spray machine, which I guess it actually was, by the Falls itself. 

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 Going there on such a day is like stepping into a snow globe, turned and shaken.  We and cameras were pelted by ice crystals as we picked our way carefully on the slippery walkways.

My husband noted these twigs, which were no thicker than twine, were made to

stand upright with the strength of close to 2 inches of ice:

 Things were actually more stunning closer to the Falls, but walkways were closed because of

the danger.  So close to more spectacular shots, but so far away!

SPONTANEOUS REACTION

A few days ago Pat and I were on an errand outing, not a photography ramble.  However, we are always armed with our cameras, even if they are just our Point 'n Shoot ones, as was the case here.

It was early in the morning, and we spotted a dormant Farmer's Market area coming to light as the sun slipped over the peak of the barn. All was frosty, and so lovely that of course, the "list" was put aside and cameras were grabbed.

Looking up:

 I have no idea what this rattly remnant belongs to.  It was the size of a golf ball, but looked like a sunflower, except for the foliage:

In all my forest rambles, I have never seen such a pristine example of snow-berry:

This is what snow-berry looks like most of the time:

The cause of it all:

Looking down:

I love this little piggy-back leaf:

Hand-rail on a fence.  Brrrrr; you'd better have gloves on!

BEAUTY IN A VACANT LOT

Lucky for me, I was stopped at a red light while out on errands on a Bluebird Day last week.

While stopped, I noticed the sun was highlighting weeds 'n such in a vacant lot as it came up over a bank. That inconsequential piece of ground was so bright with sun-lit ice that I had to squint. 

I maneuvered the car over a couple of lanes so I could turn and park.

I did not have my macro lens with me, but

I thoroughly enjoyed tromping through the crusty hoarfrost-encased tangle of weeds:

The next 2 photos are of detested blackberry vines,

now looking at their very best, I think, wearing winter finery!

No more color on this fallen leaf, but I love the puckery stitched details 

of the veins: 

Alder cones, the size of a pencil tip eraser:

 Nature's stenciling:

Hee, hee.  This IS garbage.  I hate seeing litter anywhere, but this color just popped

out of the frosty foliage:

Oregon Grape:

A nearby pond. Cattails shiver while ice-topped water starts to warm under the sun:

Then there is always the view from our front porch after coming home.

Mt. Si is always our faithful weather predictor:

A REALLY FRESH NEW YEAR'S DAY

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yes, it was a stunningly lovely morning, with this sunrise as seen from our front porch.

However, the day only got better.  Thank you, Dear Son-in-law for praising the scenery your family saw as your returned home "over The Pass".  At waffle breakfast at our house, our daughter and husband described the hoarfrost wonderland they had passed through the afternoon before.

So, off my husband and I drove to see for ourselves.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying this magical countryside.

We got there by randomly choosing a farm road after traveling over the Pass some distance.

I did not have my macro lens with me; or rather I did, but it was much too cold (20 degrees) to change out the lens:

All these photos look like a light snowfall had covered the trees.

No.  There was a lot of snow on the ground, but these needles and 

any bare branches were encased in white rather than clear hoarfrost:

Leaving the back roads:

Returning back over The Pass, of course we had to exit the freeway to

pay homage to the home we owned and lived in year 'round for 8 years, 

near the ski area, Alpental:

These were every-day winter scenes for us, which still 

delight us:

A walk down (or rather across) Memory Lane for us.

This is the footbridge at the entrance to the Alpental ski area:

Again,  a HUGE thank you to Jeff for saying at breakfast, 

"Grandma would have been stopping every 5 minutes to take photos."

Indeed, that is just about how it was.

TEASEL TEASE

While doing errands in an area we don't usually frequent, I spotted dried teasel growing up against an immense retaining wall.  The wall was old wood and aged to many faded colors.  I had no camera, and the rain was spitting cold anyway, but for sure the spot went into my mental photo op file.

I returned a few days ago.  Surprise!  Up close, I saw that the teasel heads had their own variety of miniature lichen, covering them like winter caps.

 I finally found one with minimal lichen, for the effect

on which I had first planned: rusty old teasel against rusty old metal and wood: