A freezing wave appeared to wash up and down the Fish Creek valley this morning. It appeared to ebb when we entered the dark old growth forest because little bags of water plopped from leaf to unfrozen ground. A wiser guy would have chosen a more open walk where today’s rare sunshine could strike his face. I hoped to find it slicing through the old growth canopy to turn frost damaged leaves into things of beauty. “Too early,” I thought on the way up valley.  The sun only reached the tree tops, could only be photographed as reflections in dark waters.

A little disheartened, I turned back where a recent windfall tree blocked the trail, then climbed a wild animal’s trail to a bench above the valley, Here the sun light did spot the forest moss. Thinking about the Japanese photographer Michio, I took a deep breathe and used patience, rather than instinct to frame a shot. The quick moving sun disappeared as I turned the camera’s focus wheel.

Things started to refreeze as we turned toward to trail head, as if washed over by another wave of cold. Perhaps, it was sun, not air temperature that made the surface moisture flow, then freeze on remanent leaves.