Christmas Lights

I discovered the difference between sleet and freezing rain yesterday. Both require similar weather patterns- cold enough to make snow that falls then warms up and melts enough only to hit another level of freezing weather that causes it to refreeze. Depending on how much it freezes a second time, it is either freezing rain- it is water until impact when it turns into ice, or sleet- where it forms a frozen ice ball (still different from hail).

We awoke to the sound of rain hammering (not softly pelting) our house. The sidewalks were literally a sheet of ice. Shovelling them is impossible. There are two things I am grateful for. One, that it didn't rain enough to cause an "ice storm" resulting in power loss. And, two, that it was beautiful.

Every tree branch, even the trunks. Power lines, christmas lights, anything that water could stick to (which is everything) has a glossy coat that catches and reflects light. I had to wait to take pictures until tonight, so the actual light bulbs no longer have the ice crust on them, but the branches reflecting the lights around them are still amazing.

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