Beautiful winter

The days are cold, but beautiful. When I'm writing this, the temperature (outside☺) is -29 degrees Celsius (-20.2 °F).

In the afternoon we have seen pretty ice crystal halos. They may have been "sun dogs" ("phantom suns"), but I'm not certain.

One was "above" the lake.

These optical phenomena are caused by the refraction of light from ice crystals drifting in the air.

The crystals are called "diamond dust", and never was a name more appropriate... Here a close-up, with enhanced colors. Pretty, aren't they!

♥

I'm joining Karen at My Little Home and Garden for Sunlit Sunday

and

Judith at Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday.

♥

Unfortunately my photos don't do justice to the beautiful phenomenon.  Imagine that you are surrounded by the bright sunshine and see tiny little particles, innumerable and almost imperceptible, dancing in the air and glistening golden...

Sun dogs typically appear in pairs, always at the same height as the sun. The red-coloured side is the one towards the sun, as you can see in the photos.

Using a zoom lens, trying to focus on the floating ice crystals was of course very difficult. Below, there is another out-of-focus photo, with strongly enhanced colours and contrast. I decided to call it "Étude de couleurs"...

♥

Here's to a beautiful, colourful and sunlit new week!