Ice Forests

After being trapped inside all week, I jumped at the chance to run up to Costco on Saturday. Scot and the girls came with me, and we were able to hit Old Navy as well for some new t-shirts for Scot. In Costco we did very well with our one cart, making everything fit. I felt like Curious George bagging groceries like a jigsaw puzzle artist.

The drive there was awe-inspiring. Looking out the window at home I couldn't see the delicate ice sculptures of the trees surrounding us so I was so surprised by what I found just a half a block from our house. Driving through a wooded corridor I felt like I'd driven into the wood of the White Witch. I half expected to see a faun trotting away or Reepicheep standing on a tree branch. Houses and pavement kept my reality in check: I could not imagine mythical creatures crossing double-laned highways or flagging down semi-trucks.

I know this picture does not come close to showing the beauty of the ice. One moment each tree looked like it had hundreds of white christmas lights strung on every branch; the next instant each would be covered in prisms.

The weather finally warmed up this morning--not a lot, of course, but enough to start melting the ice just enough to slide off the tree branches. On our way to church this morning we got pelted by every overhanging branch. Hundreds of 5 carat icicles shattered on our windshields, with some as large as real carrots. Glad we weren't walking!
At home I couldn't figure out what was making long ski-like marks in the back yard, but it was the ice falling off the power lines.

Post Script: Scot finally got his birthday dinner on the red plate. We enjoyed a great spaghetti & meatball dinner with the Ritzmans this afternoon. The kids enjoyed playing dinosaur monopoly and eating Henry's leftover banana cake. After everyone went to bed Brian & I enjoyed a little high-def Super Bowl action. All I have to say is, "wow."