On Saturday night, I saw the forecast: several hours of snow during the night. The temperature would be right at or near 0 to -1 Celsius, so it would stick to the ground and grass (meaning it wouldn’t melt), but it would likely not freeze on the roads since daytime temperatures still mostly stay at or above 10. So I looked forward to getting up at first light and taking some photos.
Of course, the next morning I was in a hurry. The sky was light, but the sun still lingered behind the low hills above the Bear River Valley, so I thought it would be a good time to take the above panorama without the sun’s glare. Of course, I had left the house and run through the neighborhood to take the shot in nothing but croks, sweats, and a hoodie, so I ran back in for a proper coat and waited for the lighting to improve.
From my journal entry yesterday:
When I came back out, the snow was still down and the sun lit the land. I took several close-ups of trees & some other shots that appealed to me.
The roadside foliage shots below along Highway 150 are what you get up here with an early-season snowfall before the leaves have all fallen. I’ve seen it break the branches off trees, but this was only about 2 centimeters. Unfortunately, that is still enough snow to get up inside my crocs with no socks when walking through the long grass.
However, no socks also meant simply stepping out of the crocs, knocking the snow out, and putting them back on.
Of course, the Quaking Aspen is my favorite tree in the fall. So, I couldn’t resist the grove I saw behind and a bit further away, and a little more snow in my crocs. Well worth it though. I’d have gotten closer, but climbing fences was a little more adventure than I was prepared for on a Sunday morning in sweat pants and crocs.
People like pictures of equipment in the snow, and someone left this backhoe parked about a hundred meters further north. This one has actually cleared off a lot for someone to build something, but one of the glories of new snow is that new groundwork gets covered like it was never there, and any parked equipment ends up looking derelict, forlorn, and abandoned.
I wanted a camera angle further south, but the rising sun put my shadow right in the center of it. So, I moved a bit further right to banish my shadow into the corner.
Now, back across the street to the iconic red brick firehouse, I found a tree bathed in full sun, still holding some snow. Daytime temperatures would rise to over 10 degrees later, and the snow would melt away much sooner, starting with the trees. As I write these captions on Monday afternoon, all the snow has left without a trace.
Back across the neighborhood to near where I took the panorama shot earlier, I caught this vista. The water channel in the foreground isn’t the Bear River, just an irrigation ditch. However, it’s old enough to grow a row of well-developed trees in this dry climate.
Wherever you are, however much or little you like the cold season, you should stop a minute to enjoy the beautiful contrast that comes with change. Maybe bring along your phone, as I did, and take some photos to show the rest of us here on Substack so that we can enjoy it with you.