Ice Flowers

After tidying up some things in the yard yesterday in preparation for an upcoming storm, I wandered over to the lake...and then to the large pines where I picture in my mind a resting place for the deer...and then up along the stream.  I am always drawn to water.  I could not imagine living in a place where I could not walk to consult with a stream or look for guidance into a still pool of water. 

Not far from the edge of the stream I caught a glimpse of a sparkle in the corner of my eye.  I found these amazing ice structures.  I have been puzzling how they came into being.  They look like they bloomed from the earth.  It is as if the Earth, missing her flowers, created something out what she had available around her. 

I looked carefully to see if the ice had formed on some kind of grass or other plant life, but no, it is ice with specks of earth.  Aidan thinks they looks like claws.  I see flowers from some other world.  Can you make out in the picture above the large gracefully arching structure?  This seemed to confirm that they were not made from something dripping above but a rising up and bending over.

It was cold today but when we got home from our little handwork session I grabbed my phone instead of getting cozy in the house.  It was cold today and will be getting colder - for temperatures to dip below zero in our area is pretty rare.  And snow is coming.  If I didn't find them again today I knew they would buried and lost.  I am so glad I found them again to share with Aidan and then the pictures with the rest of the family and now with you.