Frosty Morning

Post date: Dec 30, 2015 8:56:26 PM

For the past couple weeks the low temperature each early morning has been in the 20's and teens (Fahrenheit) with frost greeting us when we go out to do the morning chores. We had a bit of rain last weekend and sometime Sunday night/Monday morning we even had a skiff of snow. Monday morning's choretime revealed only a very thin layer of gray, soggy snow so no pics. This morning, however, was especially beautiful with a thick coating of frost on many surfaces. The first photo below shows the middle barley pasture; you can hardly see the green for the frost on the little plants. Also you can see a bit of the Electrostop fencing. Second photo - I love this one - shows ice crystals on a dormant grape vine. Crystals are so fascinating! And how can water be so one way as a liquid and so different a way as a solid!

When the sun comes up over the hills to the east of us, the frost simply sparkles, beautiful! The photo below doesn't do it justice but you can see shadows on the frosted grass.

The llamas and sheep sleep out in the open, even though they have shelters, and get frost on their backs. Of course it is especially noticeable on the dark colored animals. The fact that the frost doesn't melt right off is a testimonial to the SUPERB insulating properties of wool and llama fiber! The sheep below is Amelia, a black Navajo-Churro ewe. The llamas below that are Buck (black) and Alamo (brown with white socks). They all have their heads down eating their breakfasts.