A recent snowfall was followed by extremely frigid temperatures. The cold air froze solid the moisture contained in the snow, making it as hard and dry as sand.
The wind is always blowing in northern Illinois, it's as much of the landscape as the rich black topsoil. An especially powerful wind blew in from the west, picking up and carrying the hardened snow across highways like a white sandstorm blowing across a frozen desert. The wind continued, lifting every available molecule of snow and then it began scouring away the topsoil, depositing it in a fine layer over the drifts, beautifully carved by the force of the wind.
3 comments:
Beautiful photo. But it did make me happy I'm wintering in Florida rather than Illinois. I like your previous post, too. The photo of the children and the work of WRO- yes to both.
Who says there is nothing photoworthy in northern Illinois in the winter? I'm really impressed with this fine.
Thanks Vicki and Pablo.
Pablo - I'm on a Loren Eisley reading fest. There's four of his books on my nightstand. As a naturalist he trained himself to be observant and vigilant to the visual opportunities that would otherwise go unnoticed. I especially recommend "The Star Thrower".
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