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Winter is Here!

Snow has been falling since the wee hours of the morning. I think the forecast said it would end by midday but it only slowed for a bit and then kept coming! We have been waiting for the snow for a while and no doubt, will be tired of it before it all goes away. Ski trails are getting groomed and we will soon be out there with all the other snow lovers in the valley.

In addition to new snow, the Fed Ex driver (after getting stuck on our driveway) brought me a new camera! Not many things more fun than a new camera. Well, maybe a puppy but we are not looking for a puppy right now.

So I ventured out in the snow. Finches crowded the feeders and didn’t mind my presence. The dogs were not so sure about staying out too long, especially Luna. They were somewhat cooperative.

Shapes and Colors in a December Landscape

So far, we have had very little snow but it is in the forecast. The girls and I enjoyed a walk in the hills yesterday. Going at Luna’s pace allowed me plenty of time to enjoy the multitude of shapes and colors surrounding the two track where we walked. Many of these plants are weeds and certainly all are past prime (as my friend Diane would say) but they still showcase Nature’s amazing diversity of life and death.

Sky got a stick.

A Woodsy Walk

Luna and I had a nice walk in the woods this afternoon. She wears a brace on her leg to protect her injured Achilles tendon. In a dog, it has a different name but it’s easier to think of it that way. She klunks when she walks with it so we have nicknamed her, Klunker.

Fallen larch needles cushioned the trails. Some snow lingered but most of it is gone with the extreme warm temperatures recently. We often expect to be skiing on these trails by now.

Luna still enjoys walks in the woods and smelling all the smells. I like to see all the small scenes in the woods and the scent of the pine trees.

Cold, Clear Water

Yesterday, Luna and I took a drive in the forest to scout for our Christmas tree outing. There is almost no snow which is odd for this time of year. We have a spot where we’ve found trees for many years but it all burned in one of the summer wildfires so I was looking for green trees in that general vicinity. Fortunately much of the area on the river side of the road did not burn so we should be able to find a nice Douglas fir when we head out with our Christmas tree permit. And hopefully we will get a little snow before then.

In the meantime, here are some photos of the river.

Perched in the Morning Sun

This pair of Bald Eagles enjoyed some morning sunshine on one of the snags in front of our house recently. I have been seeing a lot of eagles in the valley recently. I think they are eating spawned out salmon.