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Tahoe Nugget #39:

Journey of Discovery: Hoarfrost, Rime & Ice

The western mountains represent large-scale, dramatic topography, but if you take your time and look closely, sometimes nature in its more delicate forms can grab your imagination. Sierra Heritage Magazine has published my first photo essay in their February 2006 issue. The magazine is a glossy, coffee table-type affair, so I'm flattered that they liked image #1 enough to use it as the cover shot. Titled "Starburst," this unusual pattern was created when airborne dandelion seeds settled like parachutes on a thin film of water covering a sheet of ice. When the water refroze overnight, the fluffy threads were locked into place.

The Discovery Series includes many images from all four seasons, but these samples are from the Winter Series. I call image #2 "Snow Angels Singing" and image #3 (hoarfrost ice crystals over pond ice) "Birds Taking Flight."