Icy Vapor and Frost Feathers

.  Bitterly cold this morning:  probably -25º F.  Even us Mainers are not used to these extremes.  People are not lingering outdoors to talk as usual, but are dashing to the shelter of buildings.   Me too!  But suddenly I am struck by the beauty this depth of cold has brought and I turn around. The shallow valley of the Stillwater River is filled by an actual vapor cloud, its puffy appearance belying the subzero temperature. (When this happens over the ocean in these very cold conditions it is called "sea smoke".)  The rising Sun streaming through this cloud spreads a reddish-gold tint everywhere surrounding us. 

.  Even ice gives off some water vapor, a process called sublimation. So the trees nearest all this condensing, evaporating and recondensing moisture have a diaphanous coating on every branch. It sounds like a cliché but the effect truly is best described as magical.

.  The magic affects even the humble street storm drains, some of which have a rare kind of beauty this morning. The "breath" of very humid and slightly warmer air above the waters far below has hit the chilled iron grid and formed "frost feathers," or at least that is what I call the formation.  It seems to only occur when the air is very dry and the temperature is extremely col, like today.  So I actually looked forward to finding these again this winter and did not want to miss the opportunity.  By now I am chilled to the bone but rewarded by the chance to take some memorable photographs.