I love to observe the magnificent scenery around me; especially under changng weather circumstances. Last night we had a gentle rain. When this was combined with the freezing temperature, everything outside was clothed in a delicate coverlet of thin ice. Beautiful to look at, but not so jolly to be walking around in or driving these mountain roads. As the freezing rain hits the black asphalt pavement, we are hemmed in by dangerous "black ice". This happens so seldom, and is whisked away so quickly by the warmth of the winter sun, that I don't mind it at all. I cozy up to a crackling fire in the huge stone fireplace, and take time to rejuvenate my inner being. This morning, as I awoke, I gazed out of my bedroom window and beheld every thing through a thick gray mist. There were tiny little icycles about 1 to 2" in length, delicate and slender, hanging from every surface in view. Then, suddenly, a brilliant, golden sun burst through the mist. And that sun was riding high in a sky of turquoise blue. There was nary a wisp of a cloud to invade the expanse of glorious jewel-like sky. I saw something I had not seen before on an icy clad morning because I was not looking up! On previous occasions, I would rush to my screened porch and look down at the forest in the ravine below or obseve the majestic mountains in the distance. But, this time, I looked up! Our house is surrounded by towering trees, that are as straight as an arrow as they reach for the warmth of the sky. The lower portions of these trees do not have branches. Rather, the tops have a dome-like covering of tiny branches way above your head. The blazing sun was backlighting the delicate tracery of frozen droplets, as they glistened in that sea of brilliant blue. I was in awe, as I beheld the glorious beauty that the Creator had blessed us with, after the sudden cold snap. The delicate white of the glistening embroidery was breathtakiing. Never have I seen any thing like it - but, then, I had previously been looking down or sideways into the distance; when I should have been looking up! Up North, we children used to break off huge icycles which could be measured in feet. These made excellent dueling swords; albeit resulting in icy wet mittens and cold fingers, with nary a serious wound. The huge icycles would come tumbliing down as massive, dangerous shards of ice - when the sun would loosen their holds. And, woe be onto you, if you got bonked in the head by one of these falling missles. They, and sometimes the branches they were attached to, would come thundering down - making much noise as they fell. Today these slender little ice wispettes just came pattering down quietly; with enough moisture to splatter you with water and possibly a good dousing if you stayed outside long enough. Then, I surveyed my many flowering bushes to see how they had survived the night. My huge, prize wild flaming azalea bush, devoid of leaves, was still a thing of startling beauty. It was a mass of rosy colored branches covered with a thin coating of ice and shimmering in the sunlight. Little buds sat at the end of the branches, waiting for spring. The bush is landscaped by the deer which come to visit us regularly. They can't reach the topmost branches, so they just prune the lower bush into a lovely umbrella shape; and, all at no cost to us. The majestic rhododendrons, tower over my head. (Of course, at 5 ft. 4" tall, most everything towers over my head!) The waxy green leaves have changed their shapes, bowed down by the layer of delicate ice. They now have clusters of leaves that look like half-opened umbrellas! Atop each cluster, sits a big fat flower bud. Those Rhodies never give up - nature which surrounds them gives them the knowledge that Spring is not too far behind. My silly old daffodils which poked their unwary green shoots into the air in January, only to find some winter temperatures, quickly withdrew their shoots into the warmth of nature's bosom. They have learned their lesson, I believe. Because this time, they did not venture forth.They just stayed underground, awaiting warmer climates.. No wonder I had never seen this particular beauty of winter. I had been looking in the wrong place in the past. I should have been looking up! Lorraine