ice

[OT from cottage renovations]

after yesterday's snow, today it was ice.  in the morning there were layers of ice and snow, the latter sometimes lighter but often heavier.  a carefree carfee lifestyle doesn't eliminate the shoveling chore; there was access to clear for carbound visitors as well as some shoveling for a neighbour whose wheelchair has 4 wheel drive but no plow attachment.  since I hadn't any plans to bike anywhere it productively filled the daily exercise gap. 

after sundown it all froze hard and one could walk across the Circle without any chance of breaking through.  any surfaces that haven't been cleared by now won't be for a while. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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the Circle

these branches were encased in ice, buds and all. 

Japanese maple

dogwood

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Hickory Road

pod and vine take on different aspects underneath the ice. 

morning glory

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Chestnut Road

you can't have Valentine's day without roses, and you can't have roses without stems. 

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Railroad Street

I'm not sure how these branches came to develop these neatly shaped holes in their ice shrouds, right at the join. 

trains in the snow

[OT from cottage renovations]

snow on the ground is kind to the trains; reflected light comes up softly from underneath and the visual distraction of ground clutter is cleared out, leaving the crisp arc of the rails. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Railroad Street

P880-14
last stop inbound


P875-14
taking them home


P029-14
Amtrak's Capitol Limited

photo platform for this last image was provided by the County Depf of Transportation in the form of a snow-and-ice pile incidental to clearing our station's parking lot.