Touched by the ice queen

Yesterday and through the night we had an ice storm. The ice hitting the window sills sounds like an old fashioned typewriter in surround sound. After breakfast we crunched through the ice coated lawn to see the damage that the ice had done and to try to protect the new pine we planted. One of my favorite trees had branches splintered all over the ground. All morning we heard the cracks of thunder, followed by the brushing of pine needles and raining of ice as these majestic trees lost limbs under the burden of ice.

The large limb on the right is about 10 inches in diameter. This tree occupies a central location on our front lawn and was about 50 feet tall.

Like a dainty gloved hand, the branch of this deciduous tree reaches out.

The ice queen left us with some amazing sculptures in the cattails and goldenrod.

The cattails bow their weary heads to the ice queen.

It's funny how something as hard and sharp as ice can bend trees into the most beautiful rounded shapes.

In the midst of all this ice a new family member was born, baby Evan. Here's the Christmas hat I knit for him. It's so tiny it almost seems doll-size. I'd forgotten how small newborns are.


And for the new baby girl soon to come down the road from us, a sweet little fleece bear hat and booties.

And for us, a plate of homemade toffee with toasted almonds and chocolate on top...mmm, my favorite. Good thing I only make this once a year!