Thursday, December 11, 2008

12 of 12, er 10

So I'm a bit early. My blog, my schedule don't you know. I worked hard on this yesterday traipsing around town checking out the scene. This is the first time I've seen the trees stay coated with freezing rain. Other times it's melted right away, but not this time. I saw dozens of branches down due to the weight of the ice on the limbs. Anyway welcome to our winter wonderland.

Iced fruit.

Bicycle cemetery.

See how the trees are all frosted? And when the breeze picks up, you can hear them all tinkling.

Sun and palm trees are not a hard sell these days.

Doesn't this house look surprised? Or shocked at what happened to its pet tree?

I felt like I was walking around in a painting.

The parks are deserted.

There was a good half inch of ice coating everything. Red certainly pops in this landscape.

This is right outside my door in the front yard.

This is the tree they have up outside the market. A truly flocked tree, no?

My favorite shot at the end of the afternoon when the sun finally popped out. It took me over an hour to dislodge the car from its icy prison and then I put it in the garage. I think it will stay there for a few days until they get the city cleaned up. Hope you enjoyed these arctic pictures!

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

It all looks soooo lovely. I'm jealous, all we ever get here is rain :-(

Anonymous said...

The scenery is beautiful. We get one or two ice storms a year. When the Sun shines on the trees they glisten. Cold is bad and snow is worse but the worst of all is the Ice covering everything in a prison of diamonds. Lovely but very damaging to trees and shrubs. ed

TJ said...

Thank you so much for sharing! I won't be seeing any snow here in the land down under but you sure did help my Christmas spirit. Great photos!

Kevin said...

I love Montreal in the winter...sigh

Lemuel said...

The pictures are beautiful! But as those of us who live in such climes know, this stuff is very treacherous!

I loved the surprised house. It does indeed look like it might be saying "O no!"

Franciscus van Munster said...

It looks totally beautiful... especially from a distance of several thousands of miles

Snooze said...

Those are gorgeous. It can be a pain getting around in winter, but really, there's nothing more beautiful than fresh snow.

dpaste said...

I thought the iced fruit photo would be a self-portrait.

I love when ice covered trees chime in the wind. But as Lemeul pointed out, those who are familiar with this weather can't help but know the cons that go with the pros. Brrrr.

And I'm totally reporting you to the 12 of 12 police.

CoffeeDog said...

Brr...I am not fond of snow!

A Lewis said...

Sometimes, 10 (inches) is just as good as 12 (inches). And you've clearly put forth 10 really great ones.

Rox said...

I like the pics. It's too bad we live in the same arctic reality though! LOL! We are having a chinook here today, -4C so it's warmed up considerably. Gives them time to move the snow.

Polt said...

What an imagination: the shocked house and the bicycle cemetary! :) Outstanding.

I love winter and snow, but I hate it when ice gets on everything! Driving becomes very treachorous. As does walking. Glad you didn't have any trouble. :)

HUGS...

ty bluesmith said...

that's really nice work. i love winter.

Lyvvie said...

I don't miss it! I like my frosty winters minus the snow. Probably just jinxed myself though.

But it is pretty.

Anonymous said...

I'm with Franck... beautiful from thousands of miles away.

And your observations were dead on, from the surprised house to the popping red in the snow. reminded me of The Red Balloon.

don said...

OMG! Do we live in the same country? I am having my morning coffee by the open window and you are photographing the ice hotel. Vive la differance. Take a pic of a St. Hubert for me. All we have here is Chalet Suisse. Yuk.

TED said...

I love Canada: you've even taught the trees to urinate.

GayProf said...

No power losses? That is good.

Patricia said...

Ice storms are always so dangerous and yet so beautiful. Everything becomes crystal and light. It also often serves as a reminder to see the beauty in the smallest things. I remember the last ice storm we had, I spent hours ooohing and ahhhing over chain link fences that were coated in ice. Magical.

Devo said...

My fave is the surprised house! They're all gorgeous though. That's the least it can do is be beautiful with all the cold and poopy roads.

ME said...

That is a lot of snow! But it sure is pretty.

Mel said...

Growing up in the South, we used to get more ice storms than snow. In addition to the tinkling, you could hear branches cracking under the weight of the ice, and after a bad one it would look like a bomb had gone off. My favorite part of them was breaking the ice sheath off of pine needles to suck on. The needles would impart a slight piney flavour to the ice that I found pleasant.

Mark in DE said...

Quite beautiful!

Mark :-)

Anonymous said...

We used to get those kinds of ice storms when we still lived in NC but there wasn't the snow. And I hate to admit it but those are beautiful photos! I love the first few hours after a snow or ice storm, when everything is silent and white and pristine. Then I'm over it in a day. We, thankfully, have nothing down here which is a bit surprising but I'm not complaining. Those who live with it regularly know how much it sucks.

Birdie said...

The gray has socked in here in Indiana and won't leave until March, with a few exceptions of sun. Snow tonight, but no ice yet. Yes, it is beautiful, as long as you don't have to drive.

Gorgeous photos! Like David, I thought of you when I read "iced fruit." Great minds think alike.

Anonymous said...

I always love the snow storms that cling to all the trees and their individual branches! And I love your characterization of the "shocked" house looking at its pet tree. The windows and door have a way of taking on the facial expression!

J-o-h-n-n-y said...

I love snow but not ice...my favorite shot got to be the 'Bicycle cemetery.'

Thanks for sharing...

Patrick said...

It's pouring rain here in Harlem right now, which makes being inside extra cozy. I love these, and just as I was thinking the red was popping, you mentioned it. I always love that crystaline look and sound to ice-covered trees. Love the surprised house. I wonder if it always looks like that, or if the snow on the roof somehow changes the look?

Anonymous said...

Great pictures. Makes me glad I live where I do but even this isn't enough for me.

I have been told I have no soul because I have a burning, consuming hatred of snow, ice and wind. Cold I can deal with but couple it with any on the above listed and I cannot stand it.

I plotted out all the places I've lived on Google maps, and there's a general southward movement over the years.

anabel said...

I love all the pics. It made me nostalgic for the walks I would take in Idyllwild during and after snow storms. The silence was so profound. Rain makes noise but snow floats so silently when the wind is down.

I've had that same feeling that you described of being in a painting.

Sigh...

Java said...

The freezing rain, ice on everything, trees breaking- that's the kind of frozen precipitation we get in South Carolina more often than anything. It happens maybe once a year.

I especially like the surprised house. I, too, wonder if the house always looks surprised.

evilganome said...

Beautiful pictures. And it does look lovely, but I also have to admit, I am happy that I am not sliding around on those icy sidewalks.

We'll be getting ours soon enough.

Anonymous said...

BTB, I should mention it hit 50F today and sun is shining. I live on a hill so I'm not worried about rising water levels. Thanks Global Warming!

Scooter said...

You're photos are always so amazing...one of the reasons I love your blog. Thanks for sharing your day with us! :)