Wintry birches

I was surprised to find remnants of snow and ice at Stonepit Close, lingering on shaded banks where the sun never reaches in the dark days of December. It was unusually quiet, the usual harsh chatter of the winter thrushes absent because of the lack of berries. I was in an abstract frame of mind and photographed ice patterns and birch trees - emptying my mind of all the clutter of unfinished reports and Christmas preparations.