The BIG Snow

A few posts ago you saw that it was snowing here again - well - it snowed and it snowed and it snowed. Most of the night it snowed. And we woke to this.

Looking out the dining room window throught a loon stained glass panel given to us by our son and daughter-in-law last christmas.

This is the Oso Berry bush behind the loons - it was heavy with snow. . .

I stepped outdoors onto the porch in the early morning with my new camera to get a few shots of the snow. I had the camera in my right hand - and reached over with my left hand to undo the latch on the storm door - and knocked the camera out of my hand - it skipped right across the steps - spurted through the railings and into a snow bank. I have on fuzzy slippers - don't move too fast in those because they are floppy and come off my feet if I hurry. Back into the house - slam on some shoes - and out I go - down the steps into the deep snow (lowcut slip on shoes really fill up with snow fast) searching - find the spot where the camera hit - come on - find it quick - your new camera is in the snow!!!!. Ok - dig around with your bare hands - figure the trajectory of the camera once it left the steps - dig some more - how come there isn't an indentation where the camera hit? - ahhhh dig more - here is the strap. Pull the poor little snow covered camera out of the snow - shake off most of the snow - blow on the rest of the snow to make it fly off the camera - ohh camera, don't die!!!! Blow off all the snow - now wipe carefully around the lens - it is extended and wet - don't want any water inside the camera.

Wheewwww - seems ok. I take some photos and go indoors - my feet are soooo cold and my hands are now numb - but the camera seems ok. I get out the special cleaning cloth from my glasses and wipe the lens and any place that I think might have moisture. Then I close the lens and the automatic cover has moisture on it - open the lens - yup - steam on the lens. I wipe it down - repeat a zillion times until there is no more moisture or steam visible and leave the camera to sit all day. As you can tell, the camera is fine. Add this to the list of things to never do again.

The snow was thick and heavy and coated everything. The car looked interesting - but underneath that fluffy coat of snow is an inch of solid ice. Don had to carry gallons of water out to pour on the windows - after scraping what he could. The driver side door was frozen shut - the handle seemed to work but the door wouldn't open. He got in from the passenger side and pushed on the door until it opened - and then it wouldn't latch when he closed it - a little screwdriver work and it finally latched when closed - what a start to a day.

Two frogs - huddled under a blanket of snow . . . ribbet ribbet

Frogs without snow . . . candles go in their tummies. . .

Inukshuk is under there someplace. . . Read more about Inukshuk - it is also the mascot for the Vancouver BC 2010 Winter Olympics.

Neighbor's bushes . . .

Snowy boat . . .

Snow ghosts - this was the first photo taken after I found my camera in the snow - you can see some of the fog on the lens. Look at the upper left corner - see that sun - I had NEVER noticed it before (click to enlarge). It is on a hanger left by the previous owner. I've used the hanger, but never saw the sun face. When I saw this photo I had to go outdoors and look at that hanger to see what it was, as I didn't remember seeing it before. Now I shall look around my yard more carefully and see what else I'm overlooking.

Trees across the road . .

Birdfeeders and suet feeder on the right with oranges for the birds - frozen solid. . .

On the way to work the sun had come out and the world looked like a fairy land - heavy snow on the trees - it was absolutely glorious!

Reflections of the glorious blue sky . . .

A Blue Jay sitting in a cedar tree. . .

Can it get any prettier?

Oh - I guess it can . . .

Those colors just make your heart sing . . .and your fingers freeze. . .

These are raspberry bushes out near our youngest daughter's new house. There are hundreds and hundreds of acres of these fields in our area. The vines are trained up and tied to wires - making it easier for the pickers to get in and harvest the berries. In the summer we go to the farmers' fields and buy flats of raspberries - 14.00 for a flat of berries - they go in the freezer for winter eating and for jam made on cooler days.

It was an amazing snow - but I don't want any more - thankyewvery much - I've had enough of winter - give me some spring and daffodils please!!!! Is your winter holding on tight? Or beginning to loosen its grip a little?