Monday, January 6, 2014

Ice Garden...

On December 21st, south central Ontario was hit with a wide spread ice storm, resulting in trees, branches and hydro lines down all over the area and beautiful young trees split beyond survival. This of course left many people in the cold and dark of a blackout, some for only a short time...others who have still not had their heat restored!

We were relatively lucky in that although we lost power for 70.5 hours, we have a gas fireplace in our family room and a gas stove in our kitchen, thus giving us one warm room to camp out in, as well as the ability to make coffee and hot food.

Although the cost of such a storm is astronomical, today I want to share the beauty that is also a part of nature's fury. So, grab a hot drink, sit down and enjoy the tour of my ice garden...












64 comments:

  1. It was beautiful, terrifying and awe inspiring, wasn't it? My power was only out for 30 hours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true Anne Marie! I'm still so grateful for all the crews who worked so hard, and long, over Christmas to get us all back on the grid! I hope the people out in the Maritimes have their power back soon!

      Delete
  2. Beautiful pictures! The iced chair is my favorite. Right now, at 8:45 a.m., our temperature in Eastern North Carolina is 65 degrees - but it's supposed to drop to 18 tonight! Weird weather.... I noticed that your copyright is still 2013. :o) Happy New Year to you, your hubby, Casey and Dime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jean. It is pretty crazy weather worldwide these days...unsettling to say the least. These images were taken in December so it was still 2013 when I shot them.

      Delete
  3. Your pictures are a winter wonderland. Hope you stay warm and safe. The Florida weather is on a roller coaster. Warm one day and very cold (for us) the next.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ruthanne. I see on the news that you may be in for more cold weather in the next few days too. Craziness!

      Delete
  4. Linda ice storms can be so destructive but yet there is also such a beauty to them as well. Years ago when I lived in Washington state, we had an ice storm. We had already planned a family trip to Hawaii, but the storm came a few days before we left. We lost electricity and had no other heat source. We were freezing! Luckily we went in to town and stayed with my mom who's electricity came back on. We had a lovely warm time in Hawaii. We got back home and they had just got the power back on where we lived a couple of days earlier. So glad we were gone then. But it sure looked pretty seeing all the icicles dangling from the trees, fences, etc.
    Keep warm!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true. Mother nature can sure dish it out...but if you can look past the destruction there are also some really beautiful sights to be seen.

      Delete
  5. Oh my. Can't imagine what the families without power still are going through. We are all so spoiled. Your ice garden is beautiful though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kris. And yes, for those with no power and no way to keep warm or cook hot meals it has been horrendous!

      Delete
  6. Winter often is beautiful and terrifying. I used to live in Minnesota and we would have some wonderfully beautiful blizzards (as long as you were inside safe.) I always found them invigorating alto I can't say that I miss them them now living in the high dessert of western Colorado. I always worry about the people hit by such blizzards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true. I'm not a big fan of winter at the best of times, but the storms we've been experiences globally in the last while are quite worrisome!

      Delete
  7. Beautiful photos - thank you for sharing. Nature is AWEsome...:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow this is crazy. hope you didn't loss power...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Margaret...unfortunately we did, for three full days!

      Delete
  9. Wow! Beautifully amazing shots! Thank you for sharing them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So very beautiful. I hope you & everyone else are managing to stay safe & warm

    ReplyDelete
  11. We heard about your troubles on the news. I agree, it IS beautiful and I love your photos. Hope you are staying warm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. It seems there are terribly cold temperature in widespread areas of N. America right now...can't wait for Spring!

      Delete
  12. We were spared the ice! It is pretty to look at, but it must have been a challenge to be without power for that long!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes...we fantasize about living on a tropical beach, but then there are hurricanes...We seem to be having more extreme weather globally!

      Delete
  13. Beautiful nature photography of Mother's Nature's gems ~ xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gorgeous scenes and images, Linda! I hope you stay safe and warm there. Have a happy week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Eileen. I hope you have a wonderful week too!

      Delete
  15. I love to look but not too close. It's so cold here but with nothing to photograph that will show it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you...it looks pretty, but we'd rather not have it either...we're longing for warmer weather!

      Delete
  16. You're a woman after my own heart! I would have spent the time taking photos, too! They are simply wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. As a photographer, I just can't let these opportunities pass!

      Delete
  17. Wow...these are so very beautiful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I bow to the beauty of Nature ... who else could creat such beauty and what is Mother Nature trying to say. I am so sorry you have to live through this and especially for those who are still with out power. We should count our blessings. I love that you were able to look beyond the horror of such a storm and capture the magnificence of it. Beautifully done ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Andrea. I agree, although it was awful...much worse for others than for us...you have to be able to see the beauty in it too.

      Delete
  19. Wow - what stunning icy beauty! Keep warm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! We're all under this crazy 'polar vortex' right now...staying inside today!

      Delete
  20. What majestic, beautiful photos. Harsh conditions to survive in but you can't help but admire the beauty from afar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true...I've learned to accept what I can't do anything about...just get the camera and see the beauty in it if I can!

      Delete
  21. Your pictures are chillingly beautiful especially since it's in the single digits here today.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Patricia...I can relate. This 'polar vortex' is affecting a lot of us right now...burrrrrr

      Delete
  22. Well, you sure were able to put all that aside to see the wonder before you! These are all just amazing, I find mother nature can be so beautiful even in fury!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kim. Fortunately some beauty came with the fury...I couldn't change it but I could photograph it!

      Delete
  23. ice is so beautiful...i wish it didn't have to been so destructive. beautiful photos though that capture the beauty of nature!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kelly. So true...if only we could have the beauty without any negative effects!

      Delete
  24. Very beautiful photos, I think are many possibilities to make stunning shots. The other side side is the poor nature.

    ReplyDelete
  25. So beautiful and terrible all at the same time. I love your images - they tell quite a story. We've had ice storms before (not as bad as your storm) - and I remember the creaking/cracky sounds all of that ice makes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sheila. Those sounds associated with the ice are very interesting indeed, and with the extreme cold we've learned of a phenomena called 'frost quakes'...very loud cracks that are actually waking people up from our sleep!

      Delete
  26. Amazing photos and can't image being without power!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Margie. We do take electricity for granted don't we!?

      Delete
  27. We have lived through such storms… devastating beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Amazing nature can be so beautiful and destructive at the same time. Your pictures are beautiful. We only had 8 inches of powder snow, but the winds made it bad. Three days later and the roads still aren't clear due to wind blowing ir right back on the roads. We have had some sun and last night on the news they showed BIG icicles hanging from buildings. I've also seen pictures from Chicago, New York, etc of ice sheets falling from high buildings. Hope no one is hurt from this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Susan. It's been pretty crazy weather all over and like you suggest, some of it can be quite dangerous.

      Delete
  29. Stunning photos linda! It must be unbelievably cold but the photos look like an ice wonderland. In the UK we just seem to have rain, storms, flooding and grey skies. I have been watching the news over the last few days watching in amazement at the the weather in the U.S and Canada. I don't think I could survive such cold!! Hope it warms up soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It seems the weather is crazy all over!

      Delete
  30. Wow! I know the ice storm was technically not a good thing but it sure made for pretty pictures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jen. I figured since there was nothing I could do about it I might as well grab my camera and enjoy the beautiful aspects of the storm!

      Delete
  31. I'm cold now, LOL. Beautiful shots, Linda! It's important to find beauty amidst the storm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks June. I agree totally which is why I grabbed my camera and enjoyed the moment!

      Delete

I love to hear what you think . Thanks for your comment .

I've had to add moderation because of a lot of spam, but your message will be posted soon. Thank you!
Linda

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.