Wordless Saturday

Dawn

12 inches later

While I was at work the weather was up to some mischief. It snowed all day at work over in the Valley. I knew that if it was heavy in town then out at the homestead it would be more. Along the Swan Mountains it is the snow belt . Generally we have at least twice the snow as town . Last March we had a foot over night and when I drove into town it was raining . So same Lantern but tonight it is standing next to a foot of snow on the deck. Roads were quite tolerable but the last 1000 feet of the dirt road was not plowed. Very sad news for the corolla. However the corolla was brave and flew up the dirt road in great style , the garage door opened with a touch of the button and we landed safely inside. What an adventure. Now the only thing to do was to hike to the house 100 feet away  and dig a path to the door . Tonight the odds are with the Mountain Lion. A foot of snow really slows you down during the dash to the house. The snow is great in the winter as it gathers the available star and moonlight. This  makes the long winter nights less dreary.

A very good nite to all . Safely inside and munching a sandwich with hot tea!

100% Snow

 So driving home without a care in the world after work. The sky is cloudy and the sun has set but the roads are dry and we are moving right along. When suddenly someone switches on the snow button. By the time I hit Woody's the Snow was coming down pretty convincingly. So the last 8 miles was driven with care. I don't have my snow legs yet and didn't want to be the first one in the ditch looking stupid.

 Ahhh the dash to the front porch form the Garage. About 80 feet . Always the question. Will I get there before the cat ? Not just any cat but the nice Mountain Lion in residence. Now that the ground has snow cover he won't be able to sneak around without being noticed.

 More snow and expecting I would suspect a lot more since the weather folks said 100%  chance of snow. Of course that begs the question of 100% of what?

 The Most coveted Marley. Out for a snow romp with the other dogs . I took a picture of them but they looked like red eyed demon dogs so we aren't putting that pic in the blog. scary. But there was a lot of snow licking and racing about being quite crazy in the frozen precipitation.

For now good night. My brave LED lantern lights the way on these final cold days of 2012. But are they the final days or will 2013 greet us just around the corner. What do you think as we hurtle towards the Galactic Center?

Shameless promotion

John and Jen

I have to make some noise about an artist I know quite well. He is truly the Renaissance Man. Earning a Bachelors in Fine Arts and a Masters in Art to teach science, he produces wonderful creations. His expertise ranges from Painting to making Furniture. And I do mean furniture the old school way. Well made and beautifully chosen woods that will last a lifetime and more. I have a few of these and cherish all of them. As we well know most Artists are not famous in their lifetime. However he is too much of a treasure not to share. His name is John and his link to his blog is below. If you need a nice wood rolling pin or candlesticks visit his link  for his blog.  johnhunterdesigns

He has an  Etsy shop here

popcorn snow

 The day started sunny and warm. Warm being over 40 degrees. Then some wet pelting big fat flakes . Then the fun began. Lot's of bouncy round graupel falling everywhere and piling up nicely. It danced on the roof and flung itself to the ground where more bouncing was to take place .

 Graupel in the peachy sunset light.

Through the woods the neighbor horses do not seem to mind the weather. Another peaceful end of the day. Snow comes  in so many different ways . We will wait to see what is on the menu for tomorrow.

On the way home

 On the way home with Whitefish Mountain in the rear view mirror.It has been an active weather day with lots of clouds and differing precipitation. Rain in the valley with Mountain snow. The clouds are dramatic.

 Crossing the Flathead River bridge a rainbow broke through the clouds . Just a bit of the river peaking through the trees on the left side of the picture. This has been a colorful few weeks with the Western Larches turning golden on the mountain sides

 Closer to home breezing through the fertile fields ever vigilant watching , scanning for the deer that roam the area. Mist rising from the recent precipitation as the cooler air of the night settles in the valley. Below one of my favorite fields where deer can often be seen in the early hours of the morning . Tonight as dusk approaches it is quiet.

 These are my favorite cows. I suppose in rural areas that is the norm to enjoy a herd as you drive by each day  and  they say hello. It is interesting to notice which way they are all turned depending on the weather. One particularly cold morning they were bunched up in the trees to the left using the hill as a wind break. Smart bovine I would say. Many times deer will be keeping them company at a distance. There is also a cream colored cat that is often in the field although of late I haven't seen much of him.

 Dusk proceeds. The mists rise. A lone light beckons and looks comforting in the growing dark. In the distance Strawberry Mountain , Jewel Basin and Mount Aeneas on the right . The Swan Range is graceful in the glowing twilight.

 At home in the snow belt there is still some snow from the last fall . Something was in the yard earlier. I pull out my favorite book Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains by James Halfpenny and look for the pattern. Interestingly enough the cotton tail , jack and snowshoe hare all have different "hops". It appears to be a snow shoehare. Hardly surprising as I have seen them cruising through the yard at times. I hope he has a cozy burrow and was on the way to get warm for the night. Sounds like a good idea.

Memories of Late Summer

 Last lazy warm days of summer looking over Jewel Basin. A trip to Echo Lake and a chance for the most coveted Marley to go swimming.

 The great leaping dog. He would do this for hours .

 What a big splash! Marley is about 70 pounds and makes quite the entry into the water.

What a strong swimmer! What a great delight watching him swim in the clear lake. Animals bring so much joy to life. They have such a happy spirit! Enjoy your pets today.