Sure looks like spring to me...

I awoke to blue skies striated by wispy bits of cloud.  The fact that I could even see blue sky was remarkable, not only because we've recently had so many cloudy days, but because I was expecting a storm.  But blue sky was indeed visible out my window.  My only complaint was that I was viewing it rather early on a Saturday morning...
By the time 10:00am rolled around, I could see little flutters outside my window.  They were the type of snowflakes that seem to hover...  Drifting, floating, rising to fall again...  Those fluttery bits quickly transforming to chunky, cottony bunches of fluff.

But as with most spring storms, I thought this one would quickly pass...  Leaving a soggy world to thaw out again...  It was a great surprise when I returned home from an appointment today.  The dainty flakes of the morning and the chunkier flakes of the afternoon had collaborated to form a billowy cloak that spread across the mountainside.

 Lest you think that our storm was fleeting and unremarkable, let me assure you that as of right now (10:22pm) the snow is still swirling around the neighborhood hills and dells.  In fact, I was fortunate enough to follow the snowplow home this evening.  And even with the benefit of the freshly blazed trail, I nearly found myself walking in from the main road.  Isn't March one of the spring months?  Because I'm fairly certain that it's winter outside my front door!  Snowshoeing, anyone?

Black Snow

You know that Spring has been a long time coming when the snow begins to look like this.  Isn't it sad?  Those clean drifts of pure white snow have deteriorated into this black mush.  ick.  I'm ready for Spring.

It's a snowblower kind of day!

 

Eight inches and still falling.  Spring is nowhere to be found!

Ski Day with The Buddies

I'm not sure how The Mister convinced me...  I must have been experiencing a weak (maybe semi-unconscious)  moment...  But somehow, he did persuade me that seven-year-old triplets and a tow rope seemed like the makings of a fun Saturday afternoon.

Let me just give you a heads-up.  The phrases seven-year-old triplets and tow rope should never be used in the same sentence unless you are describing some new method of parental torture.  Really.  I tried to persuade The Mister that Ski-Wee was the way to go--he had another, more hands-on, approach in mind.

I have to confess that I have done very little skiing in the past few (read 20+) years.  I traded in my skis for a snowboard in '88 and carved down the path of no return.  But even I had to admit that it would be easier to accompany a first-time skier up a tow rope if I were on skis instead of strapped to my board.

So, off we went, up the canyon to Alta.
Home of the skiers--haters of snowboards...

Upon arrival, I was obligated to don a pair of rented (and intensely uncomfortable) ski boots.  My comfy (old) Langs were left at our cabin.  I then strapped on some rented skis.  The Buddies got buckled in as well, and they hit the snow at full tilt.
  

The Buddies spent a lot of time in the following (and similar other) positions...

 

  

The Buddies each had their share of these moments as well...

 

  

 

Lots of hard work?  It sure was.

Worth it?  Yep!

 

Would I do it again?  

Sure, but you better give me a week or so to recover!

The Aftermath

I find the days following Christmas to be a little disheartening.  After weeks of preparations, decorations, and a few frustrations, it all comes down to the Big Day, which spirals into the Big Clean-up.  I typically enjoy putting up the tree and flipping the switch to turn on the lights.  I like the sparkle of icicles and jeweled ornaments, the twinkle of lights, the shimmer of beautifully wrapped packages tucked under the tree...

But with the arrival of December 26, the decorations lose their luster.  All that remains are the discarded wrappings and dusty trimmings that need to be packed away for another year.  I'm planning to pack up the tree tomorrow.  It amazes me that what takes days to put out can be packed back away in a few hours.

But once the house is back in order, I hope to salvage the last of the vacation days to spend with my family.  The Lego projects have been built and rebuilt.  The puzzle that has monopolized realestate on the kitchen table is nearly complete.  I'd love nothing more than to curl up on the couch (in the freshly dusted family room) to watch a family movie with the kids.  Of course, that always sounds more relaxing and "Norman Rockwell" than it will turn out to be.  Instead, the teens will flee for the preferred company of friends.  And The Buddies will rush out to build snowmen or go sledding.  But I will hold tight to that idea regardless.  Maybe I'll get lucky this year...  Anyone want to join me for freshly baked cookies and some cocoa?

Snowglobe

We were blanketed with dense fog for a great part of the day.  The moisture was falling out of the fog and looked like fine snowflakes.  But then a beam of hesitant light would break through and turn the falling flakes to glitter.  It was amazing, not a roughly shaken snowglobe, but one in which the glitter is swirling and falling softly.  It was beautiful.

Nothing like a white Christmas

It's snowing out there, and it's been snowing and blowing all day.  This is how I think Christmas should be.

I remember being about 5 and having a huge snowstorm right before Christmas.  One of the neighbors came over to help us dig a tunnel through the drifts and piles of shoveled snow.  We built a snow tunnel from the front porch to the sidewalk.

Was there really more snow back then?  Or was I just shorter...?  I like to think there was more snow (no commentary about global warming, please).  And I think that this Christmas could be the one to bring that kind of snowy fun for my kids.  We have the start of a snow fort in the backyard.  I know the boys are gearing up for a snowball fight.  I'm not exactly looking forward to those snow-packed projectiles whizzing past my head, but I do look forward to helping them warm up afterward with hot chocolate and fresh cookies.

I (not so) secretly crave those snowy days that keep everyone at home.  I don't dread being snowed in.  In fact, I would like nothing better.

So all I have to say is this...  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Snow!

What a way to wake up!  Snowed in...

Snowballs?

When life gives you lemons you are supposed to make lemonade.

When life sends you snowflakes, are you supposed to pelt someone in the back of the head with a snowball?

Just asking.

April Showers?

Some people just can't believe how much snow we're getting in mid-April...  

This picture of The Mister was taken early this morning...

View from My Window

Caught this little doe outside my window this morning.  

I think she was surprised by the thick blanket of snow.  

Do you think she's enjoying the beautiful spring weather?

Hope she can find something to eat out there!

Do you think she likes waffles?

The Zip Code for Perpetual Winter

Does anyone know the zip code for Perpetual Winter?  I need to update my address because somehow, without my knowledge (and also without my consent), I've been relocated there...  

I was pretty sure that winter was over...  The daffodils and tulips were blooming--pretty pastels and sunny yellows--what's not to like?  And yesterday, I saw the most glorious forsythia bush--it was literally bursting with cheerfully exploding blossoms.  

  

But today, the landscape is a little different...  Or maybe it's just back to more of the same...  There were still pale purple blooms on the trees, but today they weren't the stars in the exhibition.  Instead, they played a supporting role as they timidly peeked through a blanket of freshly fallen snow.  

Now that I'm no longer living in a land with more than one season, I'm considering changing my blog.  I know--Breaking News, huh?  I've just been thinking that it should better reflect my life...  So I'm looking for the perfect snow themed background...  Because, obviously, I'm destined to live in a never-ending winter of doom...

I Looked Out the Window...

...And what did I see? Well, it certainly wasn't popcorn popping on the apricot tree!

It's snowing. Again. And it's drifting across my street. The snow plow driver has been here at least twice today, and it's already bad again.

I'm beginning to wonder if I didn't pay attention to the weather unit in elementary school. Isn't it "in like a lion, out like a lamb?" Was there a second verse? Something that involved white-out conditions and horizontally blowing ice crystals that sting your face??? Yeah. I don't really remember that verse at all... Let me know if you remember the words to that verse...

Last week I enjoyed the sun on my face, and even the beginnings of a sunburn. Today, the only burn I'm likely to get will happen in the kitchen.

So, for those of you who have a tanning bed tucked away in an upstairs bedroom. Don't use it. If you do, you'll certainly look like a tourist when you come to visit. Because all of us locals? We're still digging out from the latest snow storm!

A Perfect Winter Weekend

Our Cabin Fever has been eradicated.

This is where we received our treatments.

The first step of treatment looked something like this.

The second step was something like this.

Treatment would not be complete without a little of this.

And it's hard not to indulge in a little of this.

By the end of the weekend. We looked a little like this.

It's a good thing...

Cabin Fever

My idea of Cabin Fever and your idea of Cabin Fever are probably dissimilar. The difference? I am able to rid myself of Cabin Fever by a weekend getaway at an actual cabin! We love to pack up the kids and run away for a weekend of snowmobiles, sledding, snowball fights, and snow forts.

So--we're off! I hope you're weekend is as fabulous as ours will be!

Falling Snow

Many would disagree with me, but I think it's just so pretty outside today. The sky is heavy with a thick blanket of clouds. The mountains are utterly obscured, and my view ends with the rolling hills fading into the whiteness. Yet somehow, it doesn't seem claustrophobic. Instead, it seems like a protective embrace.

The snow is falling. Actually falling, as opposed to blowing and swirling. There is no wind, and that lack of movement creates a peaceful feeling. I could almost be lulled into a belief that it's not cold outside. Almost. It just seems too soft and calm to be a bitter-cold day.

The gentle falling of the plump flakes intensifies the feeling that everything is being covered by a heavy cloak. Tucked in for a peaceful slumber. It's a cozy thought. Cozier still, because I'm appreciating it from my window. Enjoying it from the true warmth of my home.

Cold Capture

I awoke this morning to the beginnings of a bitter cold day. The road was drifted over, and I was just hoping I wouldn't have need to wrestle with the snow blower. The temperature hovered near 11* F and I was certain that nothing could convince me to leave the house.

Luckily, my friend Olivia had other plans. Our little neighborhood park has become a beautiful site of crystallized trees and shrouded shapes. Olivia decided to take some photos and she invited me to join her.

I tried to look like I knew something (anything) about photography. I'm sure her photos will be much better than mine. But I did have a great time. Yes, it was cold (really, really cold!) but I think I have some beautiful photos to share! This one is straight out of the camera. I didn't crop it or enhance it in any way.

What do you think?

Snow Day

We missed the bus today.
The buses made their way up the hill,
but we were snowed into our little neighborhood.

It's hard to feel bad about spending a leisurely morning waiting for the snow plow.
It's especially hard not to enjoy the fresh snow when there are sights like these
just outside our windows.

How can anyone deny the remarkable beauty

of a fresh blanket of perfect, white snow?

Shades of Winter

Winter Rain

When I entered the building, the storm was climbing across the craggy mountain peaks. Over the next hour, it would slide down the canyon to settle into the valley. As I exited the building, I took my first breath of freshly stirred air. That first breath, taken under cover of the extended roof, held an unexpected surprise. I left the warmth of the building to discover that it had begun to rain. I wasn't surprised that the storm had reached the valley. The surprise was that it was rain and not snow that fell from the sky.

That first breath was pleasant, and full of the unexpected heaviness and scent of a different rain. It wasn't the assaulting sensory experience I expected of a January storm. Maybe it was the smell of wet pavement. Maybe it was the density of the humid air. There wasn't a hint of greening grass in the scent, but somehow, it still evoked thoughts of the refreshing rains of summer.

I have always been a lover of winter, and yet, on that dark, damp evening, I thrilled at the thought of the coming spring. I smiled at the thought of dew on the new blades of grass. I let my mind wander to the pleasant mystery of summer thunderstorms. I found myself smiling as I walked quickly through the rain to my car. And I was still smiling today when yesterday's rain turned to snow.