FROZEN

“Ice is an interesting subject for contemplation.”
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Of all the climatic perturbations that nature has inflicted on us in New England, ice storms are my favorites.

Unfortunately they are often disasters with power outages and trees lying across roads and sometimes across roofs. But ice is a form of sculpture and its forms are anything that can come in contact with freezing rain. On the other hand, the ice does not usually last very long for once the rain stops the sun comes out. Since freezing rain is not very cold neither is the ice and with sunlight it vanishes quickly.

But then I never had to travel very far. The spruce tree (below) was in my front yard. The valley views were on the Mass Pike which was familiar territory. And, as I have already mentioned, ice would stick to and cover anything although it never did turn me into a statue since working in the freezing rain was pretty hopeless.

There is another gallery dedicated to ice storms, but this one will do for now.

After ice storms and often more beautiful is frost: humid air and the right temperature and you have pointilism combined with whatever is in the way.

There is no question that my favorite frost picture is Ferns With Frost At Sunrise. I found it early in my view camera shooting career on an early morning drive through the back woods of northern Vermont. The ferns were perfect in their fall dress and the sun was at the right angle at the right time. Luck comes to those who look for it.