One of the best things about my neighborhood is a little 17-acre park just down the street. The county obtained the park property as part of their flood control system. It has a stream running through it. Sometimes it looks like this. Most of the time it looks like this.
With the exception of a third of a mile of paved trail
and a few picnic tables
the park is in a natural state.
There is a tree that grew up through an abandoned bicycle.
It’s where I walk the dogs. It’s where I do most of my bird watching.
It’s where I’ve picked gallons of blackberries.
It’s where I go after a hectic day at work to allow my mind to unwind.
I said all that about the park as an introduction to something I found there recently.
We had a couple of days of freezing temperatures over the past weekend.
I went out early one morning to take a walk in the frozen landscape. I found this beautiful ice formation.
I asked my friend the science teacher about it and learned; it is called tissue frost. He explained that it occurs on sticks and small logs on or near the ground. As these sticks decompose they absorb a great deal of water. In freezing temperatures the water on the outer surface of the stick drops below the freezing point. As the surface water on the outside of the stick freezes, it draws water from within the stick, which also freezes and draws more water, etc. As the ice expands it freezes it pushed the frost above it further away from the stick.
What you get is a delicate tissue like curl of frost. They are usually only a couple of inches long but he once found some that where more than a foot long.
Do you have a favorite park you visit when you need some peace and quiet?
This is a lovely park. How good that it is so close to your home.
I have never noticed tissue frost. I’m going to keep my eye open for it.
I think it’s easiest to find early in the morning. Being so fragile it melts quickly.
I never knew that. I love your park, I would spend so much time there. I can’t believe the wildlife don’t beat you too the berries!
There are enough berries for everyone.
How nice, we have a black berry bush here I unearthed this past summer, but before we could get any the birds would eat them all.