This morning’s walk was frigid indeed, as the temperature has dipped down close to the single digits. Still, even as a walker seeks to keep warm, it is impossible not to appreciate the brittle beauty of a quiet countryside sheathed in frost and glittering under the stars.
The Yantis Loop pond is largely iced over. A small group of ducks huddled close together in one of the few remaining patches of open water, totally surrounded by ice. The boardwalk around the pond is covered in a thick blanket of ice crystals that sparkled under the crescent moon and the dim light of a nearby street lamp. As I walked on, the wooden slats creaked loudly in the cold air.
The only thing missing from the scene was snow. We’ve had a few flurries so far this year, but nothing has stuck. Nor is any snow in the immediate forecast. Instead, tomorrow we are to receive our first allotment of sleet and freezing rain, which are the twin banes of the central Ohio winter.
Webner House 