Only the second real hard Hoar frost that I can remember, and the first that Sarah had been able to witness, we both dressed for the cold and set off around the village. It is an amazing sight to see, everything white and frozen. But the extent of frozen taking to a higher level, on closer examination the leaves,branches and virtually everything else had a needle like coating. Some of the leaves still had some vivid colour and these stood out on the almost bare branches, most were falling with the added weight of the spiky ice jackets. The leaf litter covering the ground was brown and wet from the defrosting ice and giving a contrasting colour scheme when a ice laden green leaf hit the floor.
Every branch just glistened with the icy spikes. Yet some ice formed more like small crystal beads. A feather lodged in a tree had now become more of a jewelled brooch, whilst the berries took on a frozen punk look hairdo!
I hope the next Hoar frost graces another work free day, I'll be donning the thermals and getting out there again.
