Stalactite

Betwixt one year and the next we had a type of hoar-frost it clung for dear life on everything that wasn’t moving. The term hoar-frost most probably arose from the description hoary which means a person that has acquired white or grey hair through long life. The hoar-frost often takes on the appearance of hair as it adds length onto branches like short white-grey hairs.

The garden became a magical, fairy tale land as wisps of white trailed over the honeysuckle, roses and apple trees. The window panes on the little shed looked as though they had been engraved like the glass of an ancient chapel.

The pond was frozen over and needed poking through to make sure the fish had enough oxygen. The fountain became a sculpture of stalactites that hung delicately down – Leonardo di Vinci could not I think have made the icy world look more beautiful. I am fortunate to have glimpsed a beauty that slowly melted away.

Little tip – to remember whether it is a stalactite or stalagmite – remember that stalactites have to hold on tight or else they will fall.