It’s been a weird December in Michigan. As a runner, I’m not one to ever complain about lack of snow in winter. Usually by this time of year I’ve begrudgingly done some treadmill runs as well as runs in below 0 conditions and even in windy, cold blizzards where my eyelashes and eyebrows grow snowflakes (seriously).

It’s just been a bit unusual that my kids have been on winter break and we haven’t gone sledding or skiing or built a snowman or gone for a beautiful winter hike. In fact, many of the hiking trails are really muddy right now.

So this morning when I looked out the window and saw the ground was covered in frost, I was so excited to get out there for my run! I love the frosty morning runs with sunshine maybe the best of all my winter runs.

Frost forms when the air temperature freezes to the dew point and ice crystals grow on exposed surfaces. It’s like the earth is covered in a blanket of ice. When it hits the suns rays and you’re running or walking, all the visible colors in the light spectrum are reflected and it creates this magical sparkling effect.

As I ran along, I stopped to snap some quick photos of the icy landscapes and the crystals growing on some grass.

The first part of my run was through the country. Wide open fields covered in icy crystals made the farm cat that much more visible as she hunted field mice. My dog Rocky and I passed some cows eating some hay just outside their barn. As we ran by, I called by to them and they stopped eating and moved over to the fence to get a closer look at us. I never really thought of cows as curious but they certainly seemed curious about us as we passed.

Next we arrived at the dog park and ran on the trails that creep by a river off a ravine with amazing views. We finally turned around and the sun was higher in the sky now. It was starting ti melt some of the frost and the steam was visible as it rose up into the air. The frost was now only visible in the shadows, showcasing the amazing power of the sun.

The melted frost was now little water droplets, little perfect globules sticking to the branches. Some wind blew through the trees and some of the droplets rained down on me.

After many cloudy, rainy days the sun was such a welcome sight and I ran all the way back with my face to it. I captured a few more photos of some of the frost still covering some weeds with the sun and dew in the background.

Going back home I felt refreshed and invigorated, ready for the day! I highly recommend going for a run or a walk on a sunny, frosty morning. You won’t regret it!