After a heavy fog all day yesterday, we woke up this morning to a world seemingly made of spun glass.

Overnight the temperature had slowly cooled everything outside to well below freezing. As the water-saturated air hit the freezing surfaces, it froze to them.

Drop by microscopic drop, the water in the fog built up into crystals. It took hours.

The droplets froze to anything.

There must have been the slightest bit of air movement, because the crystals grew just on one side. Interestingly, they grew on the side facing the wind, as the water droplets hit that freezing surface first.

As I was heading back into the house to drink some hot chocolate, I noticed a flutter of something in ground cover against the house — a junco was scratching in the litter.

Luckily I had my camera in my hand! I whipped it up and was able to snap off exactly one photograph. Rushed as I was, I didn’t expect much.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I hope 2025 holds many pleasant surprises for you, too.