Frozen

A frozen world, the Rowing Lake a solid sheet of ice, except where thrown rocks and logs had shattered it into shards.  A fragile shelf of ice fringed the sheltered reedy margins of the oil-dark river, while in the main channel, wafer-thin ice islands drifted downstream towards the sea. Winter had struck the birds dumb again, and all was quiet. But deep in the willows a solitary chiffchaff sat, waiting for spring to re-appear (see extra).