A beautiful frost covered the ground during my early-morning walk today with Kiko.  My little dog was especially frisky, evidently invigorated by the chill in the air and the intriguing sensation of the frost.  He tends to paw daintily and delicately at the icy grass, then exhaust himself by running through it in wild and exuberant circles.  I was struck by the muted yet luminous colors that had descended upon our ordinary neighborhood.  Lawns were glazed blue-green, and bright red nandina foliage had paled to a shimmery rose, like the sky above (although that eluded my camera).  The world looked like one of those sparkling holiday centerpieces of red and green grapes dipped in egg whites and sugar.  I’ve never made that sort of frosted fruit, but I’m thinking I will have to give it a try this Christmas season.