Enjoying A Frosty Homestead

I have been seeing posts showing beautiful pictures of frozen landscapes. Since moving to western Washington from eastern Washington I have missed having snowy winters. But overtime I have come to love frosty mornings and finding new and unusual ice features such as bells over a creek.

The first picture shows a native riparian lupine on my homestead covered in frost. I just love the pattern the frost crystals form on the leaves.

If you want to learn more about native plants on the homestead check out my blog post on boosting your homestead with native plants.

Frosty Homestead Sunrise

Western Washington is often wet and grey during the winter. But on those rare sunny but cold morning I always try to get out to enjoy the land. In this picture you can see out over my homestead looking towards my neighbors barn in the distance to the left and Mount Rainier on the right.

Frozen Pond in the Early Morning

Last fall I built a pond on my homestead that is already bringing new life to my property. It has also become a place for my wife, son and I to go and enjoy the natural beauty of our land. Here you can see it on a frost morning with ice covering much of the pond.

Patterns in the Ice

When the pond froze over the ice formed these really fun patterns while remaining clear. I really love the look of this frozen pond.

Ice Bell Over a Creek

But when the water is moving too fast for ice to form on the surface fun features called ice bells can form. This was taken on a creek that I used to spend time at before I moved. Thousands of tiny drops of water collect and freeze on the overhanging vegetation until a bell forms. I don't see these features often but I really love them.

Frost Flower

Here in western Washington one of my favorite things to find when out on early morning hikes are frost flowers. These form when the water inside a stick or other piece of vegetation freeze and push out through pores and cracks. The result is these amazing frost flowers.

They don't last long and are gone by lunch time but if you get out early enough on a frosty morning you may see them out in the forest.

Hope You Enjoyed These Pictures!

Thanks for checking out my post and I hope you enjoyed these pictures. Being able to spend time outdoors connecting with nature is a big part of why my wife and I love homesteading. I'm glad to be able to share these pictures with you all.