Snow in the valley

The view when I got up this morning and looked outside.

It snowed overnight. The weather service said 3.2 inches. I think maybe an inch or two more at my place.

I am glad I dug my garden's beets and onions and covered my carrots. No repeat of last year.

I also am glad I split and picked up the small logs and branches before the snow hid some of them till Spring.

I think this snow will last all winter, especially as the forecast says the high temperature next week will be in the single digits F above zero and the overnight lows well below 0 F.

But first, before the temperature dropped from the mid 30s F, it was time to shovel the snow before it froze and hardened. That is what I did most of today: shoveled snow (and took pictures of it.)

The snow was perfect for making a snowman, but my day was taken up with shoveling - by hand - the snow off my driveway and back yard. Once I finished shoveling in the late afternoonI didn't have the uumph to make a snowman.



The birds haven't been out yet to have some food.


The front driveway. The sunshine brought color back to the world.



The "back 40" in the morning and later in the afternoon when the sun came out.





My little red barn.


It looks as if the pile of snow on the fence posts tipped over. I think they are that way because part of time the snow didn't fall straight down and fell as an angle instead. *shrug*



Good thing I split and picked up the small pieces of wood before the snow fell.


Snow on my patio trees.



In the following two photos you can see the snow falling from the tree branches as I took the photos.



Views of the Big Mountain ski resort during the afternoon and near sunset. Big Mountain tries to open on Thanksgiving Day each year. This year the lack of snow (until last night) means they won't open until Dec 2 (I believe).



Swan Mountain range as seen from my front yard.


Swan range at sunset.


My mailbox post is getting wobbly from the mailbox getting hit by wet snow as the snowplow passes by. To support the post I piled snow around it. Once it gets colder hopefully the snow will solidify and help hold the post upright until next year when I can replace it. (The posts on each side of the mailbox is to prevent people from bashing my mailbox as they drive by. It has worked so far.)


What I shoveled of the back driveway.


Icicles on my porch's roof at sunset.



Once I was done shoveling the snow outside I came inside and lay down by my wood stove - both to warm up and also to relax. I could use a massage now to help my sore muscles. A girlfriend would be nice right about now.


As I was waiting for the last photo to upload I went outside to check the weather at this late hour of the morning. It appears the snow has altered the light as the lights from the commercial areas towards Kalispell and Columbia Falls relect an orangish color on the clouds instead of the usual pale white color. Interesting.