Although technically none of my photos here are of hoar frost, which is thicker and "hairier" than this, the temptation to use the title of my post to make allusion to one of my favorite lines from the movie "Young Frankenstein" was too good to ignore.
For the last few days we've been in the grip of a cold snap, with our temperatures going down below freezing overnight and rising above during the day, resulting in a lovely rime of frost everywhere in the morning. One of the quirks of PNW weather is that when our temperatures plummet in winter, the rain stops and the sun comes out. I ran out on Wednesday morning with my camera to get some pictures before the sun completely melted the frost away, while it was still sparkling like stars. The sparkle was hard to capture, but I tried.
Golden morning sunshine
Tetrapanax leaf rimed with frost and speared through and through by Chaemerops humilis
Agave havardiana
Arctostaphylos
Arctostaphylos shining in spots almost like it's flecked with minerals
Verbascum seedpods
Cacophonous mess of Achillea and Verbasum foliage
The curled-up needles of Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' already look like they are frosted on the underside
Erysimum
Cardoon
Euphorbia
Phlomis
Frost on moss
I've seen deer in our neighborhood lately, but so far haven't seen them in my own garden. But there's evidence they've been around, in the form of cloven footprints embedded in the frozen soil, and at least one Itoh peony that looks like it's being chewed on. Do deer eat peonies? I thought they were poisonous.
Where deer? Here deer. Oh dear.
The cold snap is slated to end today with a doom and gloom forecast of a dreadful snowstorm. Are you wondering how much snow they're saying we'll get?
Two to four.
Inches.
Yes, inches. I can hear you laughing.
I hope we survive. I'll probably be making Christmas cookies.
