Ground frozen solid

After the drenching rains of the past two days, the ground today is frozen solid. I like this sort of weather: sodden ground freezes solid with ice crystals forming in the sediment, causing it to crunch underfoot in some places and remain obstinately solid in others, all depending on how much water was surrounding what sort of sediment. To me, it's a different (and much smaller) kind of winter wonderland - one that reminds me in some way of winters in Tokyo that would hover around freezing. Stepping on the dirt in the small patch of grass in front of my house or walking through a small field would leave footprints frozen in the ground that looked so much like footprints walking through freshly-poured cement.

I hope, though, that we get more snow that will stay for much longer than a few days... Will winter finally come to stay or might this be a year with a here-and-gone-again winter?