“The valley below was lost in the night, and at a particular spot Sky pulled the sleigh to a stop, looking north. ‘Let’s sit here and wait for a few minutes.”Wait for what?”You’ll see.’ Sky pulled the robe closely around them and Calandra leaned into his body. They were quiet for some minutes, the barest whisper of a breeze toying with Tom’s mane.” The Sparrow’s Choice

It’s finally light enough in the mornings to share some morning route pics. Really loving sunlit mornings after too many dark, icy, winter starts. Keeping to a schedule is important picking up kids, don’t want them standing out in the weather too long, don’t want to miss them by showing up too early, so we all have waiting places in case we get ahead of schedule, either because roads are better than we thought or we don’t pick up as many kids as usual and get ahead of schedule. It’s also the only way for me to snap a few shots – can’t take pictures while driving, of course!

My first waiting spot is along a long straight road heading into the mountains, surrounded on both sides by farms – grain, potatoes, and I don’t know what else. If I was early I had been waiting by these grain bins, often parked with potato trucks ready to load or full and ready to head out.

I’ve become friends with the mom who waits with my first pickup, and now I do my waiting there. The road ends there, tapering down to a trail leading into the woods at the base of the mountains. She brings her Yorkie and we chat and I cuddle the pup and then Zack and I get on our way. Before heading out the other day I took a picture at the top, and one of Zack, looking down a steep block or so and out into the valley. In the distance are the Salish Mountains, kinda hard to see, and I just missed them being rosy, but this gives an idea. My house is tucked in those hills. It’s looking the other way than the shot from the grain bins. I often have to wait for deer to get out of the way at the end of this road or for turkeys to figure out how to get through or around fences so I can pass.

Then I take a loop and wait here – sometimes I pretend I have to wait here for a minute just to enjoy the view before moving on. My last waiting/catch up stop is at Les Schwab – I didn’t take a picture 🙂

Though waiting may take up less than ten minutes of my morning, it’s become an essential part of my daily routine, me and the mountains communing, silently watching, and waiting…

It doesn’t feel like spring but it looks like it! Gotta grab what we can 🙂 There are daffodils coming up everywhere – my yard, the neighbor’s yard, and all over in town. Tulips won’t be far behind! Fritallaries and star flowers are doing the wild flower thing and bitterroots are showing their green skirts, long before they grace us with their blooms.

Life is pretty quiet up here, not much to report. I dropped my bus off yesterday to get some painting done on it and, lucky me, while I waited for a ride home I had the company of two doggies who had designated spots on the couch to watch the scenery. Both were in and out of my lap at one point or another. Later I drove some kids to the aquatic center and watched typical spring squalls of corn snow blow around by the mountains.

I hope all is peaceful in your worlds, blessed Easter to all!

Yesterday I drove another group of kids up to Glacier Park for snowshoeing.  Still lots of snow and ice but much warmer and prettier, unless you prefer fog.  The ice was doing weird things – I’ve never seen ice form like this, must be from waves?  Chunks ranged from 1 inch to about 6 inches and some made great skipping stones:

The sun was just hitting the mountains when we got there and the lake was smooth as glass.  I can’t help but take dozens of pictures when it’s that pretty!

And, though I can’t seem to get the pics side by side, below are fog and no-fog shots from the same spot so you can see what the fog was hiding!

Then:Now:Then:And now:And now you know why I love going there!  Can’t wait for the next excuse to drive kids up there!

Lucky me, I took another bus to the ski slopes in Whitefish, and with four weeks left to the season I sure hope I get to go again!  I’m hoping this is a better portrayal of the activity going on there than my last tranquil-looking pictures!  And this time I got a lift ticket, complimentary for bus drivers, and rode to the summit, where coffee tasted better than I’ve ever had it.  Guessing the temp was a single digit, the ride up was more than cold in a few places where the wind hit the lift full force.  Which made the coffee absolutely necessary  🙂 I rode up with a group of very nice Canadian gals.

Ski slopes are good places to people watch.  Being a Phoenix girl I never learned to downhill ski, and I really admire the grace, skill, and coordination of some of those skiers.  Watching the kids in different stages of training and all the patient parents is a pleasure!

I had not seen snow making in action, interesting and noisy!

This time the weather, sun wise, was fully cooperative and I made the most of my day.  If anyone told me even a year ago I’d be spending the day at Big Mountain waiting for kids I took up in a school bus I never would have believed them!!!

Wear fleece and bring gloves 🙂  We’ve had such a mild February that my friend, Dayna, and I have played tennis a couple of times.  Just ’cause the temps have dropped a bit doesn’t mean we’re not still game.  The courts are dry, what more could we want?  The city had left a couple of nets up through all the snow and ice but put them all back up this month – must be some tennis fanatics working for the city parks department!   The digital read out of the temperature at the real estate office in town didn’t pick up on my camera but it said 38 degrees.  It was calm, the view was exquisite, and I wanted the exercise so I met Dayna before my afternoon bus run and had a ball – no pun intended!  So glad she loves it as much as I do!!!

Snoopy may be upset but I can’t complain about the gentle snow we’re having – the first in weeks and not too threatening. And me and my kids eat our French toast inside 😀

As she poked the fire in the stove, Calandra went over the calendar in her head, mentally listing all the things to be done before the holiday. It was just before dawn as she stepped out the back door of their apartment with the wood basket. It had snowed during the night. An ethereal glow lit the fields east to Pony Ridge, white as far as she could see. The distinct hush of freshly fallen snow filled the valley. She held her breath for a moment, becoming part of its presence. The Sparrow’s Choice

Luxuriance

Restocked firewood this week – yay! A dear friend came and sawed some big chunks into a more manageable size for me and then the splitting began! I moved what I had left from the driveway to the house and shazam!!! Heat for the rest of the winter!!! No snow in our future but I’ll be ready when it comes!

Splitting operation, supply before and after

A gloomy, foggy day hovered overhead as I took a bus-full of kids and adults up to Glacier Park. Taking the shortest way, up the east shore of Flathead Lake, we were treated to great scenery the whole way, despite the fog. It was in the teens when we arrived in West Glacier, very cold and damp. The kids were being treated to snowshoeing and info on weather reading, moisture measuring, local flora and fauna, etc., courtesy of the Park Service. I think the parents that went were very brave 🙂

There were no facilities for the waiting bus driver, but I was able to tromp where I wanted – the snow was hard packed and snowshoes weren’t necessary, though I put yaks on my boots for the ice-packed pavement. I ate lunch in a cold bus and by then one hard-core shopkeeper opened for business and was willing to share her warmth with me! The fog moved in and out while I waited, making scenery change by the minute. The sun came out for about fifteen minutes right before we left and I took a bunch more pictures – I couldn’t help myself.

This is my favorite shot; I may print it as a reminder of a fun day when a big kid had a blast!

“Freezing fog had moved in cold silence over the fields during the night, encrusting the buildings and leaving spiky crystal evidence of its damp presence.
‘Prickles, Mama, like cactus!’ Everett was fascinated with the hoarfrost up and down the fence line around the blanketed garden. It was icy magic, but after dawn the fog lingered just at the tree line, leaving the morning gray and gloomy.” The Sparrow’s Choice

We had more of the freezing fog and its prickly presence this last week, more of the same that inspired the prickles in my story. It’s a tradeoff for the cold and damp, so I try to enjoy the artistic leavings of an unwanted visitor.

A million snowflakes keep me company on this gray, winter day. Some days they may plummet, or blow skyward in a confused dance, sticking to the underside of the roof, but today they drift in a leisurely, companionable silence, icy petals tossed down by benevolent angels. They lie down quietly to show me their lacy crystals, catching the soft light to shine like white jewels.

My favorite author, Rick Bass, says snow is like wealth, piling up like endless riches! That makes me a very wealthy woman! I took the dogs down the back today. I wore my snowshoes and still it was treacherous, er, rather, overwhelming in its richness, a deep, powdery prosperity! I worked up a sweat – hard work trudging through all that abundance.

I hear the snow angels are going to be a little more aggressive the next few days, not gentle tossing of flakes but heaving mounds of frozen bounty earthward. I will try to take it in the spirit they’re intended and consider myself fortunate 😉