scenes from an ice storm.....

we didn't just get winter gradually this year. it hit us like a ton of bricks. we had very warm weather all through the holidays...to the point of trees budding and crocus shoots starting. but this past week winter started off with a small bang...namely, a rather mild ice storm.
i love this picture...if you look closely in the middle of the picture you will see a very tiny but perfectly shaped snowflake. i think this is amazing. how lucky to capture this.
i bet you'll never guess what this is a picture of...give up yet? it is a water meter.
i love the way the leaf is enclosed in the ice. nature is amazing.