The precipitation of the summer has continued this winter with a bumper crop of snowstorms.  The roads have been icy (and occasionally strewn with abandoned cars), and the views have been stark gorgeous.  All the winter critters seem to be enjoying the snow — coyotes were out yipping my last evening in the woods, a barred owl hoo-hooting, deer beds and tracks of all sorts everwhere.

The snow has been drifting pretty high — I was waist deep on my last walk — and in places it’s formed  a crust that’s strong enough to walk on…. mostly.  The mossy areas are all full of crunchy needle ice (easily as much fun to walk through as crisp fall leaves), and in addition to the usual cavalcade of icicles there were also a bunch of really interesting snow formations draped over branches like crepe streamers.   I’ve never noticed them before.  Anyone know how they’re formed?