The dull weather took on an ominous cast at sunrise one morning.  Later that day, it started to snow at Ginty Creek.  Badger is staring intently at me through the window, asking to come in. He never, of course, brushes himself off first.
By the next morning, there were quite a few inches on the ground.Time to clear snow of the solar panels again…I couldn’t get an internet signal – I had to brush snow off the satellite dish and arm as well.If the seeds are covered in snow, the birds can’t find them.  I have to go and stir them up.  As they swoop in to get one, they often reveal more.  But if it snows too fast, the seeds are covered again and I have to keep going out and clearing them.  They do not know to scratch like chickens.My road, on the way back from the post office.  This lone bull is only a few kms from home and is heading in the right direction.The next day it snowed again, and the next.  We were beginning to wonder if our winter was going to be a continuation of the summer’s endless precipitation, only colder.  But then we got a gleam of sun.And another.That evening there was even a bit of a sunset.Didn’t last, though.  On the Saturday I drove with some trepidation to the Tatla Lake Christmas market.  It was snowing steadily: already there were 6″ on my driveway and the van starts to have difficulties at 8.”  I would be at the fair, selling books, for several hours.   If it continued to snow, the drive home might be a bit precarious.  The road sign says it all!The fair is held in the school gym.There were all the usual crafts.Courtney (centre)’s mother is a caterer, and Courtney has been selling her own baked goods since she was a little girl. It was still snowing as I drove home.  Although there had been very little wind, 3 new trees were down on my 4 km driveway.I managed to squeeze past the first two, but had to stop for the third.  At least I had the chain saw with me.  I cut out just enough to get by.The next morning, we had an unbelievable treat.The snow had stopped and there was a clarity to the air we had not seen for a very long time. It looked as though the sun was going to shine.  There were 8 and half inches snow on the ground.  I was wondering about ploughing my road.  It is very hard to find anyone to do it these days.  I figured I should put chains on the pickup and see if I could at least drive along it and cut out the fallen trees.  The pickup would pack the snow down enough for the van.  But if we got any more…

However, I had just stepped out of the door when I heard a machine.  In came a tractor with a plough!Christoff owns the Terra Nostra Guest Ranch, less than 2 km away as the raven flies, but because it is across the river, it is 9 km by road.  I have come to know Christoff over the summer while working on the Kleena Kleene internet tower (still not hooked up), and also I took Sanjey over there for his horse ride.  I had mentioned to Christoff the need for a plougher, but knew he was going back to Switzerland for the winter.  In fact he was due to leave in a couple of days.  However, without contacting me, he just arrived.  He was able to push the fallen trees away with the tractor.  In future, his caretakers will plough me out when I need it.  So that is one big winter problem solved.

And the day got better!The following day, too, gave us some sun.  At first there was fog and there was a time of will-it, won’t-it.  I decided to break out the snowshoes and plod up onto the north bluffs.  The river is still pretty high for this time of year.Up on the dunes, I was still lidded in cloud.  I could see blue sky to the northwest.and more in the north east.And then suddenly, we got full, unadulterated SUN!!!Incredible!Perkins Peak.Finger Peak.Every branch looks fantastic.The sky is so blue!Too hot for Badger, though.  He rests in the shadeThat night, I could see where the sun touched the rim of the earth for the first time in months.  The last time it cleared Nogwon far to the right off the picture.  That would have been the Equinox.  Here, 3 weeks from the shortest day, it is to the left of Finger Peak.The next morning we had a sunrise!It was quite cool and there was frost on the woodshed window.And as the sun cleared the trees, it sparkled on the branches.We’ve had more sun this past week than during the last month.  My solar panels are loving it.  Dull and dribbling snow today – can’t expect too much – but it is supposed to clear tomorrow – and the temperature is due to drop.