Sunday,  December 18, 2005 - Scenes of Winter

Winter has been coming on a little strong this year. But it doesn't seem to hold us in it's grip for too long. We've had hoar frost, snow, and wind...  then it all melts.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks before Christmas.

The creek on down below the house..

.. It's full of the run off from the last melting snow. I always like to be beside this creek and just listen to it.

On this day, Hoar Frost made every twig and branch a spectacular work of art.

Here, Snow has been sculpted into mounds on the Hay Meadow hill.
 

This snow covered Hemlock stands majestic.
 

I decide to take a little walk down the trail below the house that leads into the forest.

I have to be careful when I cross the log bridge since there is no handrail and the constant dampness and splashing of the creek covers the bridges with ice.

Not to far down the trail there is a huge rock cliff. In the middle of the cliff a Hemlock grows straight out of a crevice. If you look at the tree carefully you can tell it has had a struggle to live. At some point the tree lost what little foothold it had and fell over. But instead of dying, it sunk it's roots deeper into the rock and now grows straight and tall. It's now as tall as the cliff.

The water falls below the trail are peaceful and hushed. The snow dampens the sound of the water. A very calming place.

I didn't know it until after I took the picture, but there was a Cardinal in the laurel bush beside the falls. It was hopping around the branches. When I looked at this picture I saw that I had managed to catch a glimpse of it!

On this day I've been to town Christmas shopping. On my way back up the mountain, this scene stopped me in my tracks. The clouds are awesome. Being at this elevation the clouds are close and seem to hurtle by.

This is near the same place I caught the ray of sunshine in my Ray of Hope entry.

Setting at my workstation, looking out the window, I see the ending of another beautiful day. The sun was strong today and melted much of the snow. But now at this hour the snow has frozen back solid...

Time to get back to work..