Posts from the ‘Nature’ category

Turning the corner to Spring

I KNOW…we are barely half way through Winter and I am thinking Spring. It is the recent balmy temperatures …albeit, mixed up with some very cold. But then, yesterday morning, I noticed that it was light…at 7:30 a.m.!

I love Winter and snow and snowshoeing and cold but about this time of year I am ready for less of it and what I really enjoy is the back and forth nature of Montana’s transition to Spring. It is a good thing I enjoy that as we do the back and forth thing until mid-June at least…one day warm, the next a snow squall, rain, etc.

It is early February, there is still snow on the ground and a new 6 inches yesterday.

But what made me realize we were turning the corner was the light…at 7:30 a.m. At 48 North the change in where and when the sun rises and sets is fairly dramatic but in the height of Winter or Summer it seems to be stable for a bit and then it starts what feels like a rapid change…or maybe we are just ready for a change and start noticing.

For me, it is always welcome, whether it is that shortening of days in the late Summer that foretell Fall or the lengthening days in late Winter that speak of Spring.

And the wild things know…

Some of them are awake a bit more and feeding in different places…

…or familiar places.

Good stuff or editorial comment???

Either way, we are all noticing that we are turning the corner to Spring.

A beautiful day

The weekend forecast was for a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain. Friday afternoon, it warmed and went through that cycle, but Saturday…

Oh, boy, Saturday was beautiful.

It was 40F by noon and a black dog with his full winter coat, chose shade while waiting for me.

Even the house seemed happy with the perfect amount of snow, sunshine and blue, blue sky.

And the lake…late afternoon at Wayfarer’s Park…a beautiful day.

Ice Fog in the valley

Although the NOAA website for Kalispell kept saying “Ice Fog”, it was sunny at my house. I wanted to return the Costco computer so decided on a lunch hour run to town for that errand and a walk.

NOAA was correct.

But the fog was lifting in a most beautiful way leaving a bit of itself behind on everything.

We walked in sunshine…

and the remnants of ice fog in the valley.

The fog lifts: on the Road Home

Yesterday afternoon, like Christmas Day, the sky suddenly cleared overhead and the sun broke through.

The hoar frost will not disappear until we get drier, warmer air.

But blue sky and clouds lit by the sun provided vivid color.

The fog lifts: on the Road Home.

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

John Denver “Sunshine on my shoulders”

Photo taken 12/18/2010, Wayfarer’s Park, Bigfork, MT. The morning and afternoon were gloriously sunny, although COLD at 10-16F. No one at the park but Karl and I. We meandered along the lake shore and the cliff area behind the campsites.

The agony of defeat

That is the snowthrower in that trailer. It is going off to Big John’s.

The auger stopped augering on Thanksgiving Eve. I had a spare auger belt. The directions didn’t look bad and I have tools, can read, have done plenty of repairing/servicing of stuff. But, in recent years, Big John’s has been my go to place for home equipment as they pick up, service and deliver for a price so low it is hard to understand how they are making any money. But…it was Thanksgiving and snowing and forecast to snow more and I had all I needed so I began.

My first hurdle was getting the new belt on. I finally realized that at 15F, a rubber belt was going to have less give than normal and maybe warming it up would help. Also, it was getting dark. The belt spent the night in the house.

Friday, I got the belt on. I fired up the thrower. It started marching out of the garage on its own. I didn’t try the auger.

I have a work deadline to meet. I already had a couple of hours in the thrower. Discretion…valor, etc. – I made the call to Big John’s. Adding to the agony, I had to include a note about working on it. The good news is that it may be the source of amusement to whoever draws my thrower to work on. Laughter is good for the soul!

Meantime, the temperature rose above freezing. Three – four more inches of heavy wet snow has fallen. The snow and needles have come down off the trees in shuddering avalanches – sometimes on the roof of the house sounding a bit like the entire tree came with. It is a mess. It does this every year!…a VERY cold spell, a foot of snow and then a warm up.

Now, it is forecast to get cold again and more snow on top of slush that will freeze. Somehow it works out and looks beautiful again but at the moment not so much.

Although some long days this week on this project push, it has been a very good week. Hope yours has been as well – Happy Friday!