Howdy Beaver
By Alkali Springs Correspondent
It is so nice to have a little snow on the ground every so often. And along with that comes maybe a couple of cool and cloudy days, just perfect for a mulligan on the stove and a fire in the fireplace.
It seems like forever since we have experienced those simple pleasures, like a soft and gentle snow falling outside and turning the ground into soft black mud as it melts.
Why, even the area creeks have come up in the last few weeks. And reservoirs, if not even filling a tiny bit, are, at least, not evaporating before our very eyes.
You know, gentle readers, it has been so hot and clear for so long that one day last weekend when we were driving out to the mountains, we saw low clouds and fog blanketing some of the range, and other peaks were open under low clouds. We stopped our car just to look and admire this beautiful scene. We had forgotten how beautiful a cloudy and misty day can be when looking through it into mountains. It was a picture that we have seen scores of times in Charlie Russell paintings. And even more important, it was a scene that we had not seen around here since early in the spring, and it was glorious to see it back again.
Not only that, but the old-timers from Canada, who predict the weather using chicken feathers and bulls' tails, are saying that it is going to be just like this right until Christmas and the first of the year. More moisture than usual, accompanied by periods of warm weather in between snows. We will take it with a huge hurrah! We hope they are right!
One thing we have learned in the past three years if we had not learned it years ago is just how important lots of snow is in this region. It is fine to have an open winter, but a couple in a row can spell disaster for the farmer and rancher and that translates to disaster for everyone else as well in this country. So, as much as we may curse cold weather and drifted-in roads that often accompany winter, it is surely worse not to have them.
We love to be out at our tiny cabin when it is snowing at night. Years ago we installed a spotlight just above our big living room windows and when it starts to snow, we stoke up the fireplace, turn the living room lights down low, and turn on the outside light above the windows. You should see how beautiful that snow is when the light catches it falling down. It is the thing of Christmas cards and thoughts of wonderful times past, present and future. And when we can share an evening like that with others, it is just awesome. None of us want to leave, ever!
This is a great time to get on out to the beautiful Bear Paws for yourself and share those last beautiful fall drives before the snows plug some of the area roads. There is lots to see this time of year and how nice to see it after it has had a tad of moisture on it. Things look revitalized in November when they should look asleep. Hurrah for the snow!
