Maria Mudd Ruth

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Stratus Magic



I was out early walking the dog one recent Saturday morning when the overnight temp had dipped into the 40s. I didn't realize I needed gloves and a hat, so I had to walk briskly to keep warm, breathing on my hands which were turning red and numb by the minute. Looks like my body was not the only one losing heat. Here, a tiny lake behind the Lacey Community Center was cloaked in steam fog (the lowest, but not lowliest of the clouds) created when the cool air meets the relatively warm water.

I stopped, fumbled with the camera to get a few shots of the drama, then marched the dog around the field behind the lake. Luckily the dog stopped every six feet to mark "his" territory, allowing me to look around. The sturdy vines of the Himalayan blackberry bushes served a major supporting role for dozens of spide webs. I imagine the fog   passed over each thread of the webs in the night, forming droplets of water that then froze into delicate ice crystals.