A Bit of Ice

In central Arkansas, winter precipitation is more likely to take the form of freezing rain rather than snow. Such was the case this morning. The temperature is hovering just below the freezing point (currently 30 degrees) and a light rain is falling. The ground is still warm enough that the streets are not icy, but shrubs and trees, and the utility lines, have a light coating of the frozen stuff. It's supposed to warm to above freezing later in the afternoon, but will be very cold again tonight. If it doesn't stop raining, we may have a real Winter Wonderland in the morning. I just hope the ice doesn't get heavy enough to break any power lines.

A lonely, dried out and ice-covered leaf still clings to my Japanese Maple tree.

My wind chimes, which were ringing in the light wind earlier this morning, are now sounding distinctly off-key due from a light coating of ice. These hang near my front door right under the eaves, in a position that manages to catch water as it drips from the roof. I've tried moving them to prevent this happening, but the move also prevents them from catching the breeze. Since they have an extremely pleasant sound under normal circumstances, I've decided to leave them where they are and accept the occasional freeze-up.