1.04.12 Temperatures were in the teens when I bundled up and headed for the mountain behind my house. I was nearing the top when, from some distance, I could see a white patch standing out in the snowless terrain. Curious, I approached to find hoarfrost around the opening of a pair of 4 -5 inch holes in the ground at the base of a fallen tree. Some animal is probably dozing down there, and its warm, moist breath freezes on contact with the cold air, creating a halo-like effect.