Mild weather and rain have cleared away most of the snow. The day began with intermittent cloud that became heavy mid-morning. Toward noon the sun began to break through. The temperature climbed slowly to 6° C, and it may reach 8° C. Last year we performed the "Living Nativity" in utter cold, just as we had the year before when the donkey tried to trample the little angels. The area under the red pines is often clear, but as you can see, the whole yard and the fields to the SE are free of even a hint of snow. This is a thoroughly green Dec. 12--very much like last year's weather, with several false starts and very
green periods well into the fall. I prefer this to the sudden onset of winter, without hope of remission until the spring. This is gradual: a slow descent that gives us plenty of time to prepare and adjust. I took advantage of the warm morning to clean both the pellet and wood stoves. I suppose I should really have swept the chimney as well--perhaps tomorrow. We took the dogs back to the campsite; Valla went very well today and kept up with us. The trail was very wet, but the only snow was in the shaded areas far back in the dense woods. Out in the open fields and clearings, everything is green. Even the grass looks alive--as though it might need cutting soon. However, the seasonal decline looms ahead: tomorrow's high will be 3° C, and the rest of the week will waver around zero. We might have snow on Thursday. Still, even if the rest of the winter is unusually cold and snowy, we have had a good start. When the real snow season begins, it will do so from a bare canvas. This is so much more encouraging than having Hallowe'en snow all the way through to April!
Mild weather and rain have cleared away most of the snow. The day began with intermittent cloud that became heavy mid-morning. Toward noon the sun began to break through. The temperature climbed slowly to 6° C, and it may reach 8° C. Last year we performed the "Living Nativity" in utter cold, just as we had the year before when the donkey tried to trample the little angels. The area under the red pines is often clear, but as you can see, the whole yard and the fields to the SE are free of even a hint of snow. This is a thoroughly green Dec. 12--very much like last year's weather, with several false starts and very
green periods well into the fall. I prefer this to the sudden onset of winter, without hope of remission until the spring. This is gradual: a slow descent that gives us plenty of time to prepare and adjust. I took advantage of the warm morning to clean both the pellet and wood stoves. I suppose I should really have swept the chimney as well--perhaps tomorrow. We took the dogs back to the campsite; Valla went very well today and kept up with us. The trail was very wet, but the only snow was in the shaded areas far back in the dense woods. Out in the open fields and clearings, everything is green. Even the grass looks alive--as though it might need cutting soon. However, the seasonal decline looms ahead: tomorrow's high will be 3° C, and the rest of the week will waver around zero. We might have snow on Thursday. Still, even if the rest of the winter is unusually cold and snowy, we have had a good start. When the real snow season begins, it will do so from a bare canvas. This is so much more encouraging than having Hallowe'en snow all the way through to April!
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