Lyth Valley and the Coniston Fells Clear, cold nights with temperatures well below freezing are conditions for hoar frost to form. A pale moon lingers in a morning bright and still and the Lyth Valley lies before us, a beautiful winter scene. Frost highlights the patchwork of field and hedgerow and in the distance the Coniston fells look wintry.
And so to SIzergh where reeds beside a lake flagged at the approach of winter and today they glitter with hoar frost. Beyond the reed bed there's an alder, its crown thick with catkins of deep purple.
And so to SIzergh where reeds beside a lake flagged at the approach of winter and today they glitter with hoar frost. Beyond the reed bed there's an alder, its crown thick with catkins of deep purple.
Hoarfrost and rime ice may look similar but they're formed by different weather conditions. Rime ice is consequent on freezing fog. Hoarfrost forms on clear cold nights when water vapour sublimates gas to solid. Hoarfrost crystals are transparent and forms resemble needles, cups and plates. They're fern-like, feathery - the temperature at which they develop determines the form and if temperatures continue low the crystals will continue to grow. Geometric, plate-like forms show accretions of growth over sequential sub-zero nights. Hoar frost crystals form on leaf, stem and seed-head, on the top-stones of walls and on fences.
The icy lake reflects sky-blue and the rosy crown of a willow. Tracks of birds are etched into the ice. It's bitterly cold out of the sun and robins come to our feet food-begging and I have a bag of oats in my pocket just for them. My friend dreams of sitting on a sunlit bench in the vegetable garden and drinking hot coffee. We hear voices calling 'Charlie, Charlie.' A child hopes that Charlie the guardian of the plot will come to greet her. He finds us and my friend warms herself with coffee and welcomes Charlie the black cat who snuggles down on her lap. Two robins came for oats and return once Charlie has moved on to the next visitor. Charlie and the gardeners do hospitality outdoors at Sizergh.
After two weeks of freezing cold Thursday 15th is bitter but spectacular. Friday is dreary day with snow thawing into thick slush that causes traffic chaos. Saturday sees melting snow compacted into ice, and freezing rain. Black ice, invisible black ice, a thin sheet of clear ice or glaze. I venture forth, realise it's a bad idea so I hunker down and immerse myself in that glorious winter's day at Sizergh.
After two weeks of freezing cold Thursday 15th is bitter but spectacular. Friday is dreary day with snow thawing into thick slush that causes traffic chaos. Saturday sees melting snow compacted into ice, and freezing rain. Black ice, invisible black ice, a thin sheet of clear ice or glaze. I venture forth, realise it's a bad idea so I hunker down and immerse myself in that glorious winter's day at Sizergh.
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