Icy Paradise

We had some freezing rain overnight which has turned our yard into a skating rink.  The dogs looked like they really enjoyed slipping and sliding all over the place during their morning backyard exploration.  I could really only appreciate the beauty of everything after I had broken the chickens out of their ice covered coop; all the door latches were frozen in place under a half inch of ice.  The fence gates were all frozen solid and required a good deal of manhandling to open and close.  Finally, in order to get water for anyone, I had to de-ice the water hydrant which had also turned into an icy heap.  Once everyone was free and the morning chores were complete, I was able to stop and take a look at how pretty everything looks under a layer of ice.  Here's what I saw...