The fog freeze in yesterday’s picture was actually from December. The actual fog freeze (hoar frost) in Ashland yesterday never did thaw, a first. When I woke up this morning the continuing fog and freezing temperatures had furthered the spectacle. The fog lifted for a bit for the sunrise which I captured here.

Note that this is not a pine tree; nor has there been any snow. The branches on these Japanese Maples are smooth as can be in the winter. The prickliness is completely from the frozen fog. (Maximize your browser and click on the image for the full effect.)

After 36+ hours of continual fog freeze, things finally broke today just before noon. I walked around campus while the trees seemed to be raining. The “rain” was thick though, sort of like sleet. The trees completely gave up all of the frozen fog within about 10 minutes. I have seen snow melt from trees, but this was very different. I doubt I’ll ever see anything like that kind of “tree rain” again.

January 5th, 2011 | Tags: fog, sunrise, winter | Category: nature | Comments (1)

Several times, since moving to Ashland more than 10 years ago, we have experienced a “fog freeze” where it will get foggy and then the temperature drops to below freezing. The plants and trees turn white until the temperature rises above freezing when the frozen fog that has clung to them melts.

This year the fog freeze has happened at least twice already, including today. Sometimes, if you are lucky, the fog will lift to reveal blue skies. The fog freeze usually melts very soon once blue skies appear so you have to be quick to catch the beauty of the white trees with blue sky background.

I took this photo out the window of my office on the SOU campus.

I’m not sure if this is Rime Frost or Hoar Frost. Does anyone know the difference?

January 4th, 2011 | Tags: fog, skywatch, Southern Oregon University, trees | Category: nature | Comments Off on Fog freeze

Another photo from our trip to Utah… This one is from Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

January 3rd, 2011 | Tags: christmas, night photography, utah | Category: outside of ashland, places | Comments Off on Nativity reflecting pool

Stepping back in time a day or so from the last few entries, this photo is not a good example of how you can’t take good pictures from your car. I took this from the dashboard, while driving 75 MPH, through the windshield. I was bored and everyone else in the car was asleep.

I don’t think these are the Sierra Nevada Mountains (aren’t they only on the California border?). I think I was between Wells and Elko on I-80 heading west when I snapped this photo.

The photo, obviously, isn’t perfect given my speed and the window dirt, but with a little noise reduction in Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 the picture can be improved a bit as seen below.

January 2nd, 2011 | Tags: mountains, nevada, winter | Category: outside of ashland, places | Comments Off on Snow-capped Nevada Mountain Scene

The lack of brake lights in this photo tells you one of two things:

1) Everyone is tailgating in such perfect precision that brakes are unnecessary, or
2) We are all parked on the freeway.

The correct answer is 2. I took this picture at the same time and place as yesterday’s entry.

This was the first time (and hopefully the last that) I’ve ever turned off my engine while in the fast lane. I’ve been in traffic many, many times before, but killing the engine to wait it out wasn’t in my prior experience.

January 1st, 2011 | Tags: california | Category: outside of ashland, places | Comments Off on Unusual I-5 scene

Normally, when you take a picture from your car, it doesn’t come out too good. Usually the photo is blurry, not well framed, and/or looking through dirty glass.

I took today’s photo from the fast lane, heading north, on I-5 just south of the Oregon/California border, about 15 miles south of Ashland. A dangerous shot to take from the driver’s seat, no? Actually no. We were parked in the fast lane! I didn’t even have the engine running, and my window was rolled down despite the temperature.

Cars and trucks were chaining up to head over the pass. We didn’t move from this position in the fast lane for over 15 minutes. I think the driver of the truck in this pic was taking his chains off after making it over the Siskiyou Summit coming from Oregon.

December 31st, 2010 | Tags: clouds, snow | Category: places | Comments (2)

I may take a little side trip to Finland this summer while working in Denmark. In the middle of a blizzard, we ended up with a premature visit of sorts a couple nights ago. This was our hotel on our way home to Ashland from Utah.

The Finlandia Motel sign said “Vacancy” on our way in. We took the last room they had on this unplanned stop.

December 30th, 2010 | Tags: california, signs, snow | Category: outside of ashland | Comments Off on Finlandia Motel – Mt. Shasta City, California

We were planning on arriving home, after nine days in Utah, last night. Snow had other plans for us. We hit a storm just past Susanville, California and ended up getting a room in Mt. Shasta instead.

This morning we headed out of Mt. Shasta on I-5 going north. We were delayed about an hour by chain requirements at the Siskyou Summit on the California/Oregon border.

When we finally arrived back in Ashland, more than 12 hours later than planned, we found our property hadn’t been deserted after all. A family of deer had taken up residence on our back lawn and have not budged even though several hours have passed.

December 29th, 2010 | Tags: deer, snow, wildlife, winter | Category: nature, only in ashland | Comments Off on Back Home

I have been in Utah for Christmas five or six times in my life. I think this was the first that wasn’t a White Christmas. However, the day after Christmas, several inches of snow fell in the afternoon. I went on a little hike up the mountain side before the sun went down in order to take this photo of Fruit Heights, with Kaysville (and maybe a little of Farmington to the left) in the background.

December 27th, 2010 | Tags: night photography, snow, utah, winter | Category: outside of ashland, places | Comments (1)