Ice is beautiful but potentially frightening at the same time. The outdoors are bejeweled with freezing rain. We are lucky as the amount of precipitation is slight so it adds a only slight, shiny glaze to plants rather than a potentially heavy and dangerous coating. The Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) branches are enveloped in ice while the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) are dripping tear-like ice sickles.
Seed pods from the butterfly bush (Buddleja) appear to have rain drops frozen in time. Spruce (Picea) cones are covered in ice like the maple but with extensions that appear gelatinous-like. Birds are attacking the feeders more actively than typical, however, slip off the icy surfaces even though it would appear they should be easy to grip. And in the evening, the effect is stunning.
