A week ago today, as I lie peacefully dreaming of the spring to come, I was awakened by the unmistakable CRACK, POP, and POW of branches and tree trunks snapping and crashing to the ground. When I fell asleep hours earlier it was raining. My rude awakening made me realize that this night’s rain had been freezing on contact with the trees, ground, and every other surface open to the sky. It was accumulating by the minute adding unbearable weight to the trees and shrubs which eventually snapped under its weight. Power outages, unpassable roads, and a miserable wet and cold day were to follow everywhere north and west of Durham.

When I awoke Saturday morning it was 28 degrees. The sun was about to show itself for the first time in two days. The trees glistened as the big yellow orb rose in the east. It was quite a beautiful sight. I took a few photos before leaving for work that morning and didn’t want too much time to pass before showing them to you, lest I forget.

In a few hours time the temperature would be in the sixties and the ice would be gone.