Icicles form nearly every winter on the rock face that bounds Walnut Creek directly across from the studio, but never quite like it happened during January of 2018. Water often trickles down the steep hillside on the opposite side of the creek and icicles will form on the rocks when the temperature is right. That year the conditions were perfect and icicles grew until they reached the creek.

On this particular day, the afternoon sun slanted in low from the south and lit the scene. To make the picture even better, the creek was very clear and still as it often is in winter. so that a mirror image was reflected in the water.

Icicles on the rock face.    (+)    

Icicles and rhododendron.    (+)    

The icicles had been growing for weeks, and I observed them daily, but I hadn't seen them displayed like this before. I took a break with my camera for a closer look, and lingered on the creek bank for nearly an hour. And I'm glad now that I did because there has never been an icicle display since to match this one. Close, but never the sun, the clear water, and the ice at the same time. Maybe this will be the year. I will be on duty at my work bench, watching for it.