Switching Gears

I realize we were just discussing Autumn and how much we all enjoy it, but we're going to have to switch gears here for just a moment. It is the first week of October after all, and so there shouldn't be any issue in moving ahead and thinking about winter, or seeing it in action for that matter. Do you mind?

There will be no complaints about bug splatter on the windshield in this post. That is not what is interfering with my pictures. And though, at a glance, it might look like innocent rain, it was not that either that caused an out of focus photograph of lodge pole pines south of Yellowstone.

No, my friends, those would be splattered snow flakes. Not convinced? How about now? Can you see them here?

Still not good enough for you? Well you can try to be in denial all you want, but no one can ignore the evidence I present in the next picture.

Yesterday morning we were traveling south through the northeastern side of Idaho, making our way towards California. The pictures above were all taken while in the higher elevations. At Ashton, ID, the road descends a steep hill, aptly named the "Ashton Hill" and drops down onto lower, flatter ground. About 60 miles later we stopped in Idaho Falls to shower and have breakfast.

We had left the snow flurries in the mountains, so we were a bit surprised when, as we pulled off the exit ramp, suddenly the sky filled with snow flakes...and we're not talking flurries. I said snow flakes, quite a lot of them.

We showered and then went to the cafe and enjoyed a nice brunch while watching the heavy snow showers very quickly and efficiently cover...everything!

 Mind you, I'd been keeping up with the weather, having noticed that the mountains in numerous states were expecting a decent first winter snow. But we had not expected to see snow once we left the mountains, especially since it wasn't snowing in the mountains we'd just left.

By the end of breakfast, there were golf ball size wads of snow falling rapidly out of the sky and splattering and sticking to lots of things.

And I suddenly had three very disgruntled Chinese Cresteds on my hands.

To them, the wet and cold is bad enough, but having to put clothes on is a HUGE insult! However, at 33 degrees, I figured we might as well get the initial "I hate my lady b/c she puts clothes on me" fits over with.

Those fits will continue with Jean throughout the entire winter season. Paris eventually puts two and two together and seems to understand that she's warmer. (she is the smartest one in the lot after all) And Ella has always been kind of indifferent to clothes season, though she did back away from me some this year when she saw what was coming. We'll see how she handles it in the months to come.

The snow was over just south of Idaho Falls and we were in rain till we got to the Nevada line at Jackpot, NV. But those golden hills of my post from last week had a new show to put on. They all got dressed up in lace Wednesday night.

About 70 miles south of Jackpot is I-80, some glorious mountains, and the town of Wells, none of which could be seen. Apparently there were still some lingering snow showers.

In fact, there were a few more scattered showers here and there, but they all stayed well south of the interstate, and we only had a few stray spatters on our windshield through the evening.

There had been some moments of irritation earlier in the day when we read that California was requiring snow chains to cross Donner's Summit in the Sierra Nevadas. Our snow chains were in the garage at home. Nice place for them don't you think? We were holding out as long as possibly so we didn't have to haul around the added weight, but plans this year were to buy new chains, and so we picked up the necessary number of sets while in Idaho Falls and got that over with. Luckily, and we figured it would go this way, the chain laws were lifted long before we got to the NV/CA line around midnight on Thursday. But we've got the chains now, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Ok, not really. I love winter, but I'd like to enjoy a few more weeks of Autumn if you don't mind? After all I just got started on my celebration! We'll think about winter later.

End Notes:

Annette, thank you for the blog award! I am touched. I am so glad you enjoy my blog!

To all: If your just catching up with me, be sure to check out the following post. I'm sharing some of my favorite seasonal (that would be Autumn seasonal) piano music with a lucky person. Winner to be announced on Monday.