The pilings have ice caps or collars, depending on how tall they are. I love this effect, transparent ice over white ice circling green moss on dark wood. It's better today than the last couple of days, too, not because the temperature's higher, but because this morning as I sat by the river the wind was gone. The last few days a strong wind out of the north and 20 degree temps gave everybody freezer burn on their faces. "Everybody" was not a lot of people, however. The seriously die-hard runners, in hats and gloves; the real sucker dog-walkers, who couldn't deprive Rover of his stroll in the park; and me. No birds, even, except seagulls. A few Brant geese flying around, but not settling. No ducks at all. Last week, though, four swans, way on the other side of the river, resting before they went on south. Looking, as always, languid.