Timeless Landscape

It is time to get away from snow and frost and get back to the surreal landscapes of Arizona and Utah. This photo could be any of a thousand places but it happens to be on east side of Capital Reef National Park. I would call this a typical photo of the southern part of Utah but I could take a very similar photo in Arizona and unless you knew better, you could not tell which state I was in when I took the photo. Utah Valley is warming up and the glacier in our front yard is rapidly melting. I will very shortly be on the road again taking more photos and visiting places like this.

This is not a duck

This is not a duck, it is an American Coot, (Fulica americana). It does not have webbed feet and the bill is vastly different than that of a duck. We found this lovely bird swimming in a flock of ducks. Likely he or she was trying to fit in and not look conspicuous.

A Harrier

We went out spotting birds in the snow and freezing air and spotted this harrier (Circus cyaneus) right at the limit of my longest lens. We got a better view with a spotting scope but this was the best of a series I took. Birds are interesting subjects for photos and it can be challenging to get them in the best of conditions. I appreciate really long and really sharp lenses in these situations. This was taken with about a 1200 mm equivalent.

King Frost

I said I had a few more photos of snow and ice left from this winter season. Maybe I will scatter them into the mix when the temperatures are much warmer in the Summer. I love the crystals that formed so unexpectedly when there was a freezing fog. Every thing in nature seems to have a beautiful side if we just open our eyes to what is going on around us.

Frost on the Thistle

The endless variety of snow and frost patterns are quickly drawing to a close as we move swiftly into the Spring season. I have a few more beautiful pictures of snow and frost that may still be put online but soon we will have pictures of spring flowers with blue skies. Looking out my window I see that the snow was rapidly melting. Although, the trees have yet to start to leaf out, it is only in matter of time for winter will be entirely gone for another year.

Is Water a Mineral?

This is druzy snow. Druzy is the glittering effect of tiny crystals usually on a base of another mineral. Here, the fog in the Winter has coated the existing snow bank with large ice crystals. Is water a mineral? Water in its liquid form is not classified as a mineral but naturally occurring ice is a solid and therefore classified as a mineral. A mineral, by definition, occurs and is formed naturally. Manmade ice or other crystals are not technically minerals. Water and mercury are the only two naturally occurring, inorganic substances with a definitive chemical formula that occur in a liquid state at normal temperatures. - See more at
http://www.minerals.net/mineral/water.aspx#sthash.GU8JhwNg.dpuf

Cold Toes

I am not sure if ducks technically have toes, but they are certainly freezing whatever it is that they have for feet. I don't think I would be quite so comfortable and able to sleep standing, balanced on one foot in ice. I also don't know whether to feel sorry for them or appreciate their fortitude. Either way, this is a remarkable display of a lack of concern for snow and ice.

Frost and Snow

We have seen a definite warming trend and it looks like Spring is just around the corner. We had one more experience walking in the fog and icy cold of the Winter but that gave me a wonderful opportunity to take some memorable photos. This field of grass exhibits the contrast and subdued colors of a winter scene. It is a dramatic portrait of snow and ice without the intrusion of its common association with winter sports and outdoor activities.

Frost on the Fence

It seemed like every few feet there was another fantastic view of the world of frost. Today, it is over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and all the snow is rapidly melting. I doubt we will see another day with frost like this for quite a while.

Frosty Chain Link Fence

The combination of freezing temperatures, absolute calm air and fog produces huge frost crystal that decorate a chain link fence. They are as fragile as anything I have ever seen. The slightest breeze makes they fly into the air. Apparently, they are good to eat since the children were scrapping them off and eating them. I can't say I tried them however. I was too busy taking photos and trying to stay warm.

Frost on a Branch

We went for an outing to look for birds and found the world filled with the most amazing frost crystals. These extraordinary crystals were formed when there was a dense fog and freezing temperatures. The light conditions were not optimal and it was very cold, but had the sun come out, the frost was so light and fragile that it would have disappeared in an instant. These particular crystals were about three inches long. The slightest breeze caused showers of crystals to come off of the trees and fall like snow. These crystals were very near to Utah Lake on the Provo River Trail.

Foggy Crystals on Snow

The last few days we have had very foggy, freezing weather in Utah Valley. The freezing fog has created delicate crystals on the deep layer of snow in our front yard. I found that these delicate crystals were hard to photograph because of the camera refused to focus on the surface of the brightly lit snow in the afternoon when the fog had lifted. I finally captured a few shots and found that by converting the images to gray scale, I could see more detail in the frost. Yes, these are very small crystals, probably about a half and inch long and they completely cover the surface of the snow.

Brittle Bush in Bloom

Today in Utah Valley, we woke up to a cold, freezing fog. I guess I decided to take refuge in the flowers of the desert. This is a brittle bush, one of the perennial flowers that bloom in the low desert beginning in February and March. I miss the desert but the variable weather of the high mountains is almost more compensation.

California Poppies and Cactus

While we sit practically snow bound in Utah Valley, down in the low desert they are getting well into Spring. Soon the desert wildflowers will bloom and cover the brown hillsides with gold. This staghorn cholla has a carpet of California poppies to liven up its neighborhood. On the opposite side of the weather universe, I look out the window at a row of huge sparkling icicles dripping in the afternoon sun. Hmm. Which is nicer, gold or ice?

A Time for Ice

There is a time and a season for everything under heaven and this is the time for ice. Conditions have to be just right for icicles to form. The snow has piled up unmelted on our roof for a couple of weeks and now the temperatures are high enough during the day to start the snow melting and then freezing when it trickles down from the gutters or the roof. I am interested in the branching near the end of the ice. These ice formations remind me of helictites in the caves I have explored. I am guessing that the same forces that form these branches in icicles also contribute to the helictites.

Icicles Out My Window

I doubt the novelty of Winter will ever wear off. After living in the desert for over forty years consecutively, I am really enjoying the snow and ice. Yes, there are limitations and annoyances about having cold, wet snow all around, but the benefits of seeing the beauty of it all far outweighs the inconvenience. The weather has apparently ideal for growing huge icicles on all the houses. The ones out my window are about three feet long but we have seen some over four feet long. I am sure that few people here in Utah Valley feel like icicles are much of a benefit, but I am fascinated with their form and the mere fact that they exist. The weather might warm up in the next few days and I expect that they will disappear.

Almost Snow Bound

This is what the snow looked like with our house after one day of snow. Today, it has been snowing all day and it is even deeper. As one of my grandchildren asked me yesterday, "How do I like my first real winter in Utah?" I said, "Fine, thank you. I like snow." It may be cold but the views are spectacular.