More Winter (an observation, not a request)

As I age my comfort zone narrows. I barely noticed hot or cold weather as a kid. My college years were spent in snowy blowy Cleveland, with a summer of field work in desert conditions in southern New Mexico. Neither bothered me much.

But at age 60 I've found this winter very uncomfortable. My feet are cold almost all the time and I go around blowing on my fingers a lot. And that's just indoors. Getting out to take pictures has been a struggle that I have mostly lost. I try to take heart at the forecast: today it will reach 22 F! (though as I write, it is 9 F).

But I did get out a couple weeks ago (see my post on Winter at the C&O Canal) and was rewarded with interesting ice. Here's a shot from a flooded, frozen forest floor that was an abstract riot of leaves and crystals.

Leaves and Ice

The details: Pentax K-5 handheld 1/125 sec at f 6.3, ISO 1600, 50 mm (smc Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM). 

Aren't these wonderful times when one can shoot ISO 1600 and leave the tripod at home on such days? Maybe the shot isn't as sharp corner-to-corner as I might wish, but setting up and handling a tripod in this weather isn't fun. Especially on ice.

The depth and texture of the ice and the contrast with the organic color and form of the leaves appeals to me. I may be empathizing with those leaves.