Ice is nice

The freeze continues to strengthen its hold, enveloping the forest. Jack, so busy of late, must work furiously through the night to bedeck the every blade and bough, every stalk and stem, with the chalky white flecks of winters glory. A regular viewer of the forest scene would have witnessed his progress and marvelled at his achievements; almost capturing the forest in a moment in time and holding that moment. The hyperborean conditions have reached fantastic proportions, with sections of Red Rise Brook now freezing from bank to bank, 10mm thick or more in places, over moving water too! Those sections not completely covered, are embellished on either bank with a filigree of icy tentacles, blending together, to form a fringe; a lacy ice latticework.

We stopped on an exposed gravel bank on the rivers edge, nestled in wooded shade; the cold bit hard here, penetrating, shielded from the sun. Nearby, I'd conveniently stashed a supply of dry wood during the autumn, wrapped in bark for protection from the elements and stored in the branches of a shrub. We took this opportunity to raise a small fire, boil some water and partake in a warming hot chocolate. Nice.

Sitting next to the bubbling brook, it was noticeable how crystal clear it was, gone was the peaty stain leaching from the rain washed heaths; fast flowing and alive, even with the frosty embrace it remains focused, persevering in its journey to the brine. I'll take as much of this cold weather as Jacks got to give, the frigid beauty which blankets the forest appeals to me.