Making the best of it all

December always promises much activity and obligations. This year was no different. We had Christmas parties, school celebrations, and travel to visit family and friends. We kept the calendar full of distractions from the situation all through December and January.

One of the blessings of living out at the farm was that while the house was small, it is on a large piece of land. That allowed for plenty of outdoor time to catch up on chores put off for the future. Another blessing is of nature. We enjoyed the beautiful sunsets that we cannot see from our house in town. The sunsets at the farm are extra beautiful because there is a pond for the light to reflect the sunset's beauty.

We were thrilled to have a snowstorm come through. Something we don't get much of in the south. It was the first time we witnessed the ponds freeze. The storm came in fast and hard with biting winds. As a result, it created some of the most magical displays of glittering ice sculptures and "feathering" on exposed plants' stems. Several rare phenomenons of nature appeared after the storm. The pond froze ice in the shape of a "bulls-eye" pattern. In other areas, ice bubbles formed and suspended under the glassy layer of the ice. Something I have never witnessed was when the pond began to thaw. One could sit outside and hear the most supernatural and mysterious vibrations from the ice, beginning to crack ever so slowly in a circular pattern. It was like listening to a dull echo of supernatural, celestial bubbles. The fascinating noises and chirps are the result of the ice shifting as it begins to thaw. Since there was little snow to absorb the lake's surface vibrations, the "singing ice" was particularly audible and distinct. It was indeed a once in a lifetime gift to hear and bear witness to. For that experience, we were grateful to have been at the farm to have the opportunity to experience such an enchanting work of God.

Below is a slide show of some of the gorgeous sunsets, sunrises, and magical spectacles of ice wonders we encountered.