Sunday, December 22, 2013

An icy Christmas

We had an ice storm a few days before Christmas followed by a frosting of light snow on top.  Here ice encases the branches of a lilac bush next to the house.
The bird feeders were busy with birds but wore a glaze of ice and icicles that grew through the day as the freezing rain fell.
A fringe of icicles formed on the tractor.
Ice coats the east fence of the garden and the lilac bushes in front of it.
The dormant grape vines are encased in a layer of ice and icicles.
Looking down the rows of grapes to the remains of last year's tomato patch.
The west side of the garden fence is encased in ice with the frosty forest behind it.
The rain that preceded the ice did melt much of the heavy snow that had lined the lane, but left the lane a sheet of ice.
The bee hives are protected from wind but are surrounded by the ice covered weeds.
A closer view of one of the hives with a fringe of icicles on the bottom of the hive stand.  The reduced entrance into the hive is covered to prevent mice from making a home in the warm hive for the winter.
The straw bales protecting the hives surrounded by a landscape covered in ice.

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