THE BEACH IN WINTER 93 



on to the shore. Here and there spirts of white 

 vapor, resembling puffs of steam, rise up from 

 the water against the background of dark clouds, 

 spin around like water spouts and rapidly drift 

 down wind. As they gradually fade away, they 

 are often renewed by fresh bursts from below. 



The frost-rime is densest in the night and in 

 the morning and evening hours when the cold is 

 most intense. At midday, under the rays of the 

 sun, except in below zero weather, the cloud 

 disappears. At night, the frost-rime looks from 

 a distance like a dark and sullen mountain range, 

 but it is snow-capped and beautiful to behold 

 when the tops of the range are touched by the 

 rays of the full moon. 



As one watches from the shore the cloud blow 

 in over the land, it seems to dissipate into thin 

 air, but in reality it is transformed or congealed 

 into countless crystals that sparkle and glow on 

 every blade of dead grass, every dried spray of 

 goldenrod, every branch of brush. On the ice- 

 covered sand the crystals take advantage of 

 every knob and every roughness to begin their 

 growth. They are few and far between where 



