Winter's Here

It has started to snow and they promise, well predict, 24 hours of snow. I certainly hope they're right this time. I could really get into a good snow storm, all cozy inside with the wood stove radiating it's fiery heart. I get inspired and moved to clean house, bake bread, throw together a soup or stew, bake cookies, write and take pictures. If I get one of these tasks fully completed I will be pleased with myself.


It is 6 degrees this morning. Nothing is moving as I wait for the frozen sun to melt it's way into the pre-dawn sky. It had snowed continuosly for 30 hours leaving us with what looks like about 5" of snow. The dry powdery nature of the moisture (is that a conumdrum?) can compromise your expectations.

Within a half and hour the tempurature has dropped to zero as the sun rises. Now the blue jays have come to leap-frog over each other in competition for the feeder. A coyote crosses the dam and pokes his head around in the snow. It should be good know they are doing their job hunting varments, but there is a bounty on coyotes. At the same time rancher's deplete their food supply by killing off the prairie dogs which leave holes for the cattle and horses to step in. So occasionally the coyote, in packs, will scavenge a calf. And the cycle continues.



Text © 2004 Mona E. Dunn