It happens perhaps once a winter, maybe twice. Every twig on every tree is luminously coated with ice, producing a brilliant, exquisite sheen in the morning sunshine. The countryside is masterfully staged.

Storms of freezing rain are nature’s magical method of trimming her trees. It’s simple. The weight of the ice snaps off the twig; sometimes a whole branch. Trees are thus pared.

Unfortunately Jude’s windshield was walloped by one yesterday that caused a thousand cracks in the glass. God realized that he’d gotten a little exuberant with his ICECAPADES . He thus created auto insurance!

“There is always some great leveling circumstance”, wrote Emerson.