When the snow first came the days were lengthened by light reflected from the snow.

December 17

Flint's Pond apparently froze completely over last night. It is about two inches thick.  Walden is only slightly skimmed over a rod from the shore.

I noticed where it had been frozen for some time near the shore of Flint's Pond and the ice was thicker and whiter, there were handsome spider-shaped dark places, where the under ice had melted, and the water had worn it running through, a handsome figure on the icy carpet.

I noticed when the snow first came that the days were very sensibly lengthened by the light being reflected from the snow. Any work which required light could be pursued about half an hour longer. So that we may well pray that the ground may not be laid bare by a thaw in these short winter days.


H. D. Thoreau, Journal, December 17, 1850

Flint's Pond apparently froze completely over last night. It is about two inches thick. Walden is only slightly skimmed over a rod from the shore. See December 9, 1856 ("There is scarcely a particle of ice in Walden. . .[Yet] yesterday I met Goodwin bringing a fine lot of pickerel from Flint's, which was frozen at least four inches thick. This is, no doubt, owing solely to the greater depth of Walden."); December 24, 1853 ("Walden almost entirely open again. Skated across Flint's Pond. "); December 27, 1852 (" Not a particle of ice in Walden to-day. Paddled across it. . . .. A black and white duck on it, Flint's and Fair Haven being frozen up.")

Handsome spider-shaped dark places, where the under ice had melted, and the water had worn it running through. See December 7, 1856 ("There are many of those singular spider-shaped dark places amid the white ice, where the surface water has run through some days ago.")

The days were very sensibly lengthened by the light being reflected from the snow. See December 28, 1856 ("Since the snow of the 23d, the days seem considerably lengthened, owing to the increased light after sundown."); see also December 9, 1856 ("The worker who would accomplish much these short days must shear a dusky slice off both ends of the night”); December 11, 1854 (“The day is short; it seems to be composed of two twilights merely.”); December 15, 1856 (The short boreal twilight.")