Wednesday 29 December 2010

Mist and Thaw

Monday night, and the rain arrived. Warmer , wet Atlantic air came, pushing the freezing east winds backwards and bringing us a thaw.

Still icy fields had lost their shield of snow and the trees dripped. Mists rose from the wet land and the sun hardly showed its face all day, so dark it seemed after the white snow brightness of the days at Christmas.

In the lane, puddles appeared , yet shaded corners still held on to sheet ice and small heaps of melting snow.



Damp coated ponies watched out of the mist.



The trees on Stonechat Hill blurred, almost invisible, into fog and sky.


On the high heath, puddles stayed frozen.......


but lichen, young heather and moss shone out; green survivors from underneath the snow.


Down the puddled lane.....


...feather on a twig......


and a field submerged in mist.


An eye in the lens.....


......... raindrops.......


....and through a window, a lone, hungry rabbit ventured out to feed on soaking grass.


4 comments:

Morning's Minion said...

The reflection in the puddle is very intriguing. We live at a great distance from each other, yet looking at your photos I think winter has the same feel--some snow, chilly mist and fog, animals huddling and waiting for warmer days. Humans doing our chores and scuttling back inside to the fire.

WOL said...

Glad you have begun to thaw. If you get tired of the wet, please send it our way. We are bone dry here and are under Severe Danger for grass fires. It's going to be a blustery day tomorrow 40-50 mph (65-80 kph) wind gusts, and 15-25% humidity.

We are also under a "small child alert" -- any child who weighs less than 4 stone should be roped to something heavy -- like a car or a tree before they are allowed to go outside -- LOL! - just kidding, --kinda. . . I have very vivid memories of walking home from school at age 6 and 7 through weather like we are going to be having tomorrow.

Bovey Belle said...

It's been very much the same here - I have never been so glad to see grass and feel a warmer air on my cheek than these past few days. It is now officially warmer OUTSIDE the house than it is IN!

Goosey said...

Lovely atmospheric pictures and just what I remember a wintery New Forest to be. We went to Fritham pond before Christmas to walk Wrecks but got caught up with the hunt so it shortened our walk somewhat! We will go back though.