February 2022 brought our second freeze of the season: three quiet, cold days of ice and snow blanketing everything in stillness. After the trauma of 2021’s catastrophic storm — when millions of us lost power and water for days — this one felt almost gentle by comparison. The state held together. We held together.
With icy roads making any real outing impossible, I stayed close to home and let the backyard become my world for a few days. Honestly, it didn’t take long to realize I didn’t need to go anywhere else.
Our little fountain became the centerpiece of it all. While it kept running through the first night, its overflow was quietly doing something remarkable — freezing drop by drop over the river rocks, building delicate, glass-like sculptures I never could have imagined. I found myself crouching down close, macro lens in hand, completely absorbed. Each formation was its own small world.
By Friday morning, the fountain had gone silent under a solid sheet of ice — a quarter to half an inch thick — with the bubbler hole sitting perfectly still at its center. It felt strangely poignant, like watching something hold its breath. Around the yard, the bird feeders were frozen shut, so I scattered seed on the ground and watched the birds and squirrels find their way to it.
Then Sunday arrived, sunny and warm, temperatures climbing back into the upper 50s. The ice melted, the yard returned to normal, and I was out on my bike again — already a little wistful for the frozen world I’d spent three days quietly exploring.
Of all the photos I captured those days, my favorite looked unmistakably like an animal emerging from the water feature, long snout stretched forward as if sniffing the cold air.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Abstracts, Austin, Freeze, Macros, and Texas. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
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Tranature - quiet moments in nature
Gorgeous macros Egídio, the details in the frost are amazing! 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Xenia. I love those details, too.
Anita
Such a beautiful series, Egidio. The frozen details feel almost sculptural, your first image is especially magical.
Egidio Leitao
I also like the colors in the first image. Thanks, Anita.
Hammad Rais
Utterly mesmerizing 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Much gratitude for your feedback.
shoestringdiary
Excellent macro shots!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks. I’m glad you liked them.
Vicki
So beautifully captured and the story behind them so artistically expressed. What a wonderful shot that last one was.
Egidio Leitao
Vicki, thank you for these complimentary words.
Pepper
Great job capturing the ice. 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Pepper.
Anne Sandler
Egidio, what a great opportunity for taking amazing ice photographs. I love all your images.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anne. Glad you liked the photos.
Steve Schwartzman
Ah yes, 2022’s offering of ice to photographers but without 2021’s big inconveniences and discomforts—and you didn’t even have to leave your yard. Your last picture does look somewhat crocodilian.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Steve. I agree that 2022 was a world of difference from the previous year.