Thank you
Thank you to everyone who took the trouble to let me know that you’re now receiving notifications of new posts. That’s a huge relief.
A month or so ago I installed an update, which WordPress was insisting I do, and afterwards my email address was flagged by WordPress as being potential spam. (Why? The same email address has been connected to this site for 14 years.) Having put up two new posts in December, I noticed that they had been opened precisely zero times by email subscribers, which was a strong hint that no email notifications had been sent. I had no idea how to fix this, so it was lucky that Colin was able to puzzle it out and complete the verification process. Result: I’m no longer a suspected spammer.
Even then, the only way to test it was to put up another post, so thank you for confirming that it’s working OK. It’s good to be in touch with you again!
Here are a couple of posts that you may have missed, about the incredible megalithic sites on Orkney’s Ness of Brodgar:
On a more interesting topic, we discovered a wonderful phenomenon in the woods around Loch Avich on 2nd January. Hair ice occurs on rotting wood from deciduous trees, and is linked with a particular type of fungus (Exidiopsis effusa). The conditions it needs are so specific that it’s rarely seen: the air temperature has to be just below 0°C, it helps if there has been recent rain followed by a sudden freeze, and it usually occurs in latitudes between 45 and 55°N (we’re just over 56°N here).
We’d only ever seen it in photos, so we couldn’t believe our eyes. It’s as fragile as silk spun by fairies, and lasts only a few hours until the sun gets onto it. Ash, birch and oak were the favoured hosts, and it was breaking out on trees with dead branches still in place, as well as on fallen wood.
The Met Office says:
“When water present in the wood freezes it creates a barrier that traps liquid between the ice and the pores of the wood. This creates a suction force which pushes water out of the pores to the edge of the ice surface where it freezes and extends outwards. As this repeats it pushes a thin ‘hair’ of ice out of the wood which is around 0.01 mm in diameter.”
It’s thought that an inhibitor present in the fungus acts like anti-freeze, stabilising the ultra-thin strands of ice so that they can keep their shape for several hours.
Loch Avich. On the wooded island (hidden by trees) stands the Castle of the Red-haired Girl, whose enchanting story I wrote about a few years ago.
Thank you again, and all good wishes,
Jo
PS: I’m loving how the ‘Related Posts’ (generated by WordPress, see below) show pics of the delightful Ponyo, whose snow-white fluff bears an uncanny resemblance to hair ice! Purdey’s PAWS Awards – would anyone like a revival?
Photos copyright Colin and Jo Woolf
10 Comments
sulewath
The hair ice is incredble! I’m sure that’s something I’ll never see my self (not many trees in the Outer Isles!), so many thanks for sharing.
Jo Woolf
I know, isn’t it amazing? We couldn’t believe our eyes. We could see it was already melting as it caught the sun.
Jennifer Nicholls
Hi Jo. By the time I’d seen yesterday’s post and done some sorting of my stuffed inbox I thought I’d be too late to reply to your request and indeed, plenty of other folk had given you their reassurance. But, what a coincidence, today I’ve seen the biggest crop of hair ice I’ve ever come across and some beautiful coiffure. This was in Reelig Glen, near Beauly, a little way from Inverness.
Jo Woolf
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your reply. The weather conditions over the last few days must have been perfect for hair ice. I saw a FB post yesterday by WalkHighlands of a small patch by the River Tay. What amazing things nature creates, and fungi in particular have the most extraordinary properties. Colin is currently reading Merlin Sheldrake’s ‘Entangled Life’ – mindblowing.
optimisticdreamilybc9e65286e
How delightful to have your Hazel Tree back in my inbox. The two missed stories about monoliths in Orkney were wonderful, and helped clear a mystery for me. I visited Orkeny with a friend back about fifteen years ago. Not long after our return, I painted a picture of standing stones from a photo I had taken. The piece was hanging in a show and a visitor said, \”The Standng Stones of Stennes\”…. \”I visted there\”. I guessed he was correct, but your two stories show that my painting with several stones in it was actually the Ring of Brodgar site! Thank you for helping me out and happy New Year.Judy Hazen in Colorado USA.
Jo Woolf
Thank you for your lovely comment Judy, and I’m glad I could help clear up that question for you! A very Happy New Year to you too.
Richard Miles
What an incredible phenomenon hair ice is.I’m not surprised it’s rare,given that it needs very specific conditions to develop.I wonder why it needs one particular fungus to thrive albeit for a short while.Perhaps Colin will find the answer in reading Merlin Sheldrake which I read quite recently as well.A fascinating post Jo.
Richard Miles
Jo Woolf
There’s so much we just don’t understand about fungi! But yes, what an incredible thing to see – we felt very lucky. Thank you, Richard – nice to hear from you again.
PETER COBB
Hello Jo
Happy New Year to you and Colin.
I keep getting your posts thank you, and find most of them very interesting. Keep em coming!
Hope all is well with you and the family. We haven\’t been up your way for a few years now. Too much time spent in France I\’m afraid.
All the best and keep smiling.
Peter and Janet
Jo Woolf
Hi Peter and Janet, thanks for your message, I hope you’re both well! I’m glad you’re getting my posts. I expect you’ve had a bucketload of snow just recently, enough to make you want to set off for France again, I expect. None with us, although it is bitterly cold. Best wishes from us both.