Happy Holidays

Fritz

Fritz is a 'fraidey-bat. He used to be a creature of the night, patrolling the back alleys and shadows. Recently, though, something sinister has him spooked. Fritz no longer moves freely in the night. He hunches over with his leathery wings wrapped tightly around his body, afraid of every noise and hint of movement. His nerves are nearly shot and he hasn't had a decent day's rest in weeks. What evil could have put poor Fritz into such a state?

Miniature Skulls and Pumpkins

Just added to my Etsy store! Three different sets of mini Skulls and Pumpkins would make a great stocking stuffer or last minute gift item... I will ship same day as purchase, but cannot guarantee Christmas delivery this late in the game...but who wouldn't want these guys showing up in the mail anyway?

Heading South

A late season Robin fills up on berries, preparing to make the long trip south.
Have a great winter red-breasted traveller. I look forward to your arrival sometime in 2011, when you will bring the promise of warmer days.

Frost wins the day

Just as I thought the show was over, I noticed a lonely stump was jutting out of the frozen lake. One side was completely free of snow as the sun melted it away revealing the weathered log. On the shady side, the epic battle continued as Frost claimed victory in this tiny micro-climate. The shaded side was also the side protected from the wind, allowing the crystals to not only grow but to thrive as the vapor-heavy air settled against the frozen side of the stump.

The heavy coating of crystal upon crystal upon crystal gave the impression of a large feathery beast huddled against the stump on the ice. Yes, it is safe to say that the frost won the day today.

Bubbles in the Lake

As the frost cleared, I began to notice large colonies of bubbles trapped in the lake from repeated thaw-freeze cycles.




At this point the jutting crystalline structures on the surface were all but gone. I felt sure that heat had won this battle.

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Crystals on the lake

As I passed a large snag of driftwood I imagined two sentinels guarding a secret world. Today I was fortunate to have access to that world and the struggle between warm and cold taking place all around. The dark frozen surface of the lake was acting as a solar collector, releasing water vapor only to be grabbed back to solid form by the accumulating crystals. Any place that offered a slight break to the nearly imperctible breeze gave rise to miniature fortresses of ice.

Nature is the best sculptress. It is said that timing is everything. Today I was privy to a private showing of some of her most sublime work.

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Frost-Hike

As I hiked in the cold, a miniature struggle was being played out at my feet. The air temperature was a brisk 26 degrees, but the cloudless sky allowed the sun to melt the light accumulation of snow into a fine mist. The invisible vapor was then refrozen, crystallizing on blades of grass. The delicate crystals glistened as I paused to photograph their beauty.

As I hiked onward, I had no way to know the scope of the epic battle taking place on the frozen lake ahead of me.

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As the frost melted...

I began to notice the warmth of the sun on my back as I knelt on the ice, exploring and marveling at the world that had been created below. The dramatic jutting crystals of frost began to melt as warmth collected from the sun above. As the battle turned in favor of warmth, the surface of the frozen lake became crystal clear, revealing other-worldly scenes of air bubbles trapped in layers below the surface.

Below, a frost crystal begins to melt and re-assimilate itself into the surface of the lake.

At the sun's peak intensity, the icy lake began to crack, an explosive and hollow sound that would tremble from one end of the lake to the other. Crows cawed in alarm and the battle of heat and cold continued.
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Edward

Don't get me wrong...Edward enjoys the night very much. He has always had an affinity to lonely streets, shadowy alleys, and the warm glow of a streetlight as the sounds of clinking plates waft sleepily from an all-night diner. My only word of advice to you is there has to be a better reason than hearing a clattering on the lawn before you wake Edward up from a long winter's nap.

thoughts on lighting

I was browsing thru some old pictures and found this one from 2009. I like the warm sepia tone of the yellow/amber light and the contrast to the darkness at the top of the shot. I think a yard display that capitalized on this color theme would be very striking. No reds, greens, or even blue...just the blackness of night and the warm glow of candlelight.