Rime ice and needle-sharp ice picks

Framing, rule of thirds, and an interesting subject improves a photo of an otherwise dull railing.

As I approached the town of Innisfail, Alberta, the density of the fog continued to increase.  It started out mildly with ghostly images appearing in the distant background; visibility was hardly affected.  I was halfway to my destination when things started to change.  Bridge crossings appeared out of nowhere, road signs were not readable until almost abreast of them, and it was only the headlights of oncoming traffic that betrayed its presence.  How bad could it get?

I knew the answer only too well.  I had been driving Highway 17 in Ontario through dense fog and could navigate only by watching the red lights of the vehicle in front of me.  One time a car, coming from the opposite direction, was flashing its headlights with great zeal, often a sign that police cars were on patrol.  Warning taken, we slowed down and soon discovered the reason for the ambitious flickering; moose were on the road.  Not a moose, many moose, and we passed one within inches.  If we had been travelling at our previous speed, we would have ended up with a moose in our laps.

Fortunately, such severe fog never materialized, and I reached my destination with no problems.  I was greeted with an amazing spectacle.  The fog had created spicules of ice on many surfaces.  The photo above is the railing of the front porch at my friends' house.  As I walked my dog around the neighbourhood later I was enchanted by the continuing theme.  Rime ice had formed everywhere.  This morning, as I write this blog, the sun has come up and I know that delightful scenes await my camera and me.  I am looking forward to the day.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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