Rain may not be an exciting topic to many of you, but to ranchers in Texas, it’s pretty fascinating. The area where the Hermits’ Rest Ranch is located is midway between the very damp eastern part of Texas and the very dry western part. That means we get a medium amount of rain, averaging about 35 inches per year (according to Lee and my friend Lynn).
The street is wet.
This year, we just hit the average amount, thanks to some rain finally falling this week. It hadn’t rained significantly in a few months, so we are officially back in a drought. All the rain was really early in the year last year.
Damp squirrel
I know I’m in Texas when people run into my office, breathlessly informing me it’s raining! And then I have to go out and look outside, to verify (I also go in the little bathroom, where I can hear rain on the roof). Sort of sad what passes for excitement around here.
Listen to the rain. And see how sad the Pope house neighborhood looks.
Though it only rained a half inch over the previous couple of days, it was steady, slow rain, for the most part. That means it soaked in. When it rains hard, it all flows down to the arroyo, off to the stream, into the creek, and ends up in the Little River. That doesn’t help us much.
So, if you see me doing a rain dance, don’t be shocked. Rain is joy around here!
Last night was absolutely magical, if also a bit scary for people on the roads. It’s one of those things that can’t help but inspire awe as you witness what Nature can do in the right circumstances. As a Blogmas gift to you all, I’ll showcase some photos from my Master Naturalist friends as I tell my story and share theirs, too.
This photo from Larry Kocian gives you an idea of what it looked like at my house as the foggy evening started out.
For me, the magic started when Vlassic and I were walking back from feeding the horses, right at sunset. I noticed a red stripe along the horizon, where there was a break in the rain clouds that had hung around all day (but not brought anywhere near enough rain).
Here’s the fog from in town in Cameron, from Martha.
I suddenly saw a sliver of sun peek out from under the clouds. I got a few photos of the sun as it slipped through the gap and disappeared behind the trees.
The sun right in the little gap between the clouds and the ridge.
Then I noticed the mist. I could actually see fog forming behind our house, above the pond, and across the field. I knew we were in a valley, and guessed it was probably clear on top of the hill where the cemetery is.
The clouds are getting lower, and you can see mist forming right above the ground over on the left.
Right after I went inside, Lee came back from the office and said he was scared to death driving along the creek bottom to get to our house. The fog had gotten so dense that he could not see the road. A while later, Chris came back from a trip to Rockdale with the same report. Deep, deep fog.
You can guess from this photo, looking toward our house from Pamela’s property, that it was darn foggy down at the creek.
About that time, Pamela texted me, “Are you living in a cloud?” I said I sure was, and she told me she’d sat behind her house and just watched the fog creep higher and higher from where I lived to the hill where she lived. This is what it looked like from her house as it came up.
Here comes the fog!
Here are two pictures of roughly the same view from her house, one taken on Thursday when I was there, and the other from last night, both around sunset.
Thursday
Friday
Same tree, different day. Photo at right by Pamela Neeley.
After Pamela sent me her photos, I started seeing more and more of them in my Facebook feed. Cindy Travis, who lives to the southeast of us, shared these beautiful images from her ranch.
The view from Middle Aged Spread Ranch is just spectacular , isn’t it? They got a much more interesting sunset than we did!
Another Master Naturalist friend, Phyllis, shared what the fog looked like from her vantage point. Another beautiful sight!
Foggy mystery, from Phyllis Shuffield.
Later on, I found some amazing images from another Master Naturalist friend, Larry Kocian.
This one, from when the fog was really deep, is spooky, but full of beauty.
He was on a bike ride through the fog right at sunset and really got some great images (he’s quite a skilled photographer). Here is how Larry described it:
…[T]his was taken at sunset on the Country Club golf course across the street from where I live. The fog started on the pond and it grew rapidly and enveloped the entire golf course, making it look like a Halloween theme setting. But then it felt like being in the clouds, experiencing absolute peace and happiness.
Me and my little girl Clarice, (in this photo), rode our bikes into this growing fog bank. It was a great nature experience, being at the right place, at the right time, under the right weather conditions.
There was 100s of birds (unknown species) all over this acreage, enjoying the fresh water from the rains earlier in the day. Also the saturated atmosphere here at the surface, the fog, was very refreshing. It was like refreshing lotion going into the skin. This fog hid everything on the acreage, except for these trees, making them look like they were floating in the clouds. And as you can see, the sidewalk the leads to the pond way down the way disappears into the clouds. We were floating in the clouds, enjoying this unique moment in Nature.
Thanks to Larry for sharing the photos and description! You almost feel like you were there, right along with him and Clarice. And here’s a special treat: he made a video of riding through the fog.
Well, if that doesn’t convince you that our planet is worth taking care of, I don’t know what will. Evenings like this are rare, but the memories will serve as a balm to our senses for a long time. No pandemic can take that away from us!
Once more, our Master Naturalist buddies made sure to preserve these memories. I’m grateful to Pamela, Phyllis, Cindy, and Larry for sharing with all of us, along with my dear friend, Martha.
It’s becoming more and more obvious that the area where I’m staying will be getting more crowded. They will open the mountain resort here on Friday or Saturday (though it has warmed up again and the snow is melting rapidly). I do believe I’ve timed my trip just about right, since my motivation has been staying away from people and their germs.
They’ve cleaned up all the statuary, as you can see.
I’ve been noticing a lot of interesting things as the staff gets busy, and it’s all pretty educational, since my last ski experience was almost 30 years ago.
Unfortunately, the construction around the resort where I am staying has not abated. But, there is a street cleaner (at right).
The easiest way to tell they are about to start skiing is all the convenient ski resting spots they’ve put up everywhere.
This is the main shopping area in Canyons Village
This is right outside our building (nice view of Hyatt resort)
Ski holders
And of course, all the holiday decorations are a dead giveaway, too.
Cheery fire area with greenery
Giant Christmas tree and decorated lamp post
It’s already looking a lot like Christmas.
They are firing up the ski lifts, and I even saw them getting the ski patrol ready to patrol. They sure have a lot of fun ski vehicles! I would like to try some of those out.
Snow vehicles and ski lift in action (though of course you can’t tell)
One thing had been making me wonder as I walk around in the chilly air, and that’s why all the walkways at the main ski resort area are never covered with snow. I was imagining elves getting out at the crack of dawn and working on the sidewalks, but I also didn’t see any piles of snow.
All that fresh concrete behind the cones is heated!
Now I know. I forgot to take a photo yesterday, but workers were making a seating area of rocks around a fire pit, and sure enough, there are all sorts of warming wires on the ground. Today, they are covering it all up with concrete, and you’d never know the heating elements are there. I guess all the walkways are like that!
It looks as if this will be a fun place to hang out, once all the shops are open, but I still like the mountains and the trees the best.
Ski patrol getting ready to roll out, plus people sledding on the hill.
I hope these photos gave you a break from whatever’s troubling you today. Love to all, especially my family.
Not the drug kind of high, we enjoyed the elevation kind. This afternoon, we went to get more groceries, thanks to the Caso rental car. Being easily amused, Kathleen and I enjoyed looking at exotic Utah groceries, like peach and raspberry Coca-Cola. We tried the peach tonight, and it was actually pretty good.
That’s Park City down there.
After fueling up on a fancy coffee (and getting more mugs), we asked if we could take a little ride before the next snowstorm came. So, we took off to explore the Deer Valley area.
Mountains everywhere.
C. kept heading higher and higher up the roads. There were so many beautiful condos, giant houses, and spectacular views. Kathleen and I were like little kids looking at the scenery.
That’s a huge resort below.
Eventually we got to the end of one of the long and winding roads. We got out to take pictures. We were WAY up there. The temperature had steadily gone down as we ascended. And a gale wind was blowing. We were so high up!
You can see the wind whipping our hair.
But it was so beautiful. The ski slopes up there look really scary. All the houses are ski in and ski out but with the lifts not working yet, I’m not sure how one would get back up.
I believe this is the highest up I’ve ever been.
We did see a lot of people getting ready to ski, but I think they were going down cross-country trails. I hope. Plus, we saw a cool inclined train thing (funicular?) going up to the St. Regis resort way on top. That would be a fun place to stay, if funds were available.
See the little car going up? Cool.
We thoroughly enjoyed the huge trees and vistas all the way to Mirror Lake (where we took pictures a few days ago). I even saw a buck in the woods, but no moose. My heart was full of beauty!
Fancy house view with art.
By the time we got back down, we realized we’d made a circle around Park City. We didn’t even try! The snow had started falling, so we headed back.
Right outside the Caso condo this evening.
It’s beautiful out, but I think we wisely decided to cook in the other condo tonight. Theirs is also cozy! It will be a good night for a bath and more coziness back at my empty place. I’ll miss Anita, but I do have a couple more days for fun with the family.
Right outside my condo.
Plus the snow will make it easy to avoid crowds. There’s plenty of mountain fun with all this space!
It’s finally sunny so I can get more cheerful snow pictures. Anita and I ditched the television and got in a morning walk while Kathleen worked.
Snow Anita!
We went a new way and found some great views and fancy houses.
Fancy houses ahead.
We even found a ski slope with signs. We had a ton of fun. I even fell down a couple of times and slid. Whee! The views were so great and the air so crisp!
Nobody came down the ski slope. I don’t know how they’d get up there. No ski lifts.
I don’t think my sunglasses ever got so dark as they did up there. That alpine sun was bright! I must say Park City is a lot of fun, even with just the two of us in the deep snow.
We didn’t get out until around 4pm yesterday. That meant the sun was going down and the snow melt in the paths was starting to freeze. But we persevered.
We did find a snowman, so at least someone else had fun.
We walked along dirt roads and golf paths, and it was not bad. We were rewarded with some beautiful views!
Close as we can get to a sunset view, since we were on the east side of the mountain.
I’ve noticed my breathing is getting better and better, so I must be getting used to the altitude. I’m still enjoying how much exercise I’m getting and know it’s helping me deal with challenges that pop up.
Waiting for spring
Anita and I really enjoyed our day of indulgence, though. Usually I want to go and go during vacation, but we decided to just rest and indulge. We watched two movies (the new Borat movie and Knives Out, both funny).
Nice colors.
I even made all the food yesterday. There was a great chef salad for lunch and soup and biscuits for dinner. With all the COVID cases rising, I’m probably not going to eat out much more.
There’s the sun. I could not get the snow to look white in this light.
We spent all night, and I mean all night, binge watching the television series Schitt’s Creek, which I’d been wanting to see for a long time. Anything with Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara in it must be seen by me. I am also quite a fan of Chris Elliott, so I just sat there and laughed for hours. Why not? We can get all serious again in a few days.
Icicles amuse me, too.
Today I have a couple phone calls, but I predict more hiking in peace and television fun. Safety first.
Sometimes you just want to stay cozy. It was really cold this morning. So Anita and I are watching movies. I am knitting.
I am not doing well with gauge. Oops. Haven’t knitted in a while.
The knitting is less ugly than it was. It’s a table runner. It will block nicely.
It’s nice to just relax. Even though there have been some glitches today, I’m just chilling. Hygge. Yep. Peace.
Got the computer hooked up to the TV, which shows very pretty screen savers.
Life is boring! We’re staying out of COVID in Utah. That’s just fine. I feel lucky to have a vacation with peace and movies. It could be worse. Maybe Thursday we can get out and drive around!
Where did the real Suna go? I’ve been thoroughly enjoying getting lots and lots of exercise since it got cold way up here in the mountains. Like, I volunteer to climb up snowy hills. I pant a bit and go higher. I stand around and think about going even higher or driving to a better hiking place (we may rent a car tomorrow and go somewhere).
When the sun came out it was so beautiful.
Today we went to get more groceries, which was also fun. If there’s a blizzard I’ll be fine. And Anita got lemon for her morning beverage! We’re good! Then we took yet another walk. I just can’t stop. I think I’d never seen so much dry powdery snow before. The crunch crunch crunch is really invigorating! It’s even addicting.
When you get away from condos, it’s nice here.
I think I may need to learn to criss-country ski at some point, though my legs are already yelling at me.
Okay, some of the condos can look nice.
Folks, I never liked exercise as much as I do now. I wonder if taking turmeric and CBD oil has made my body feel better, so I enjoy moving more? Now physical exertion is fun.
Also, though, I never liked being out in the cold much (sorry, Illinois years). I’m from a warm place. What’s up with that?
Plus snowflakes! They are so pretty. Yes, I took a picture of snow.
In Illinois, it was often SO cold and windy, and I had to stand around waiting for the bus, or walk a mile to teach a class too many times when my breath was freezing as it came out. This week, it’s cold, but really pleasant. I’m glad I’ve had this experience.
Look! Clouds hitting the mountain.
All this glee isn’t something I’ve felt in so long. I get that way in Texas when I’m with Apache or out looking at new plants. The key really seems to be living in the moment. Just being present and experiencing what’s going on right around you truly brings joy.
Sun and snow. Good.
What a lesson at such a good time! Most of my life I’ve read about living in the moment. I’ve tried to do it. This year has been hard, so hard, but I think I’ve benefited by making so much progress on being here, now.
What’s out there that can invigorate you? How are you growing in this season of transition?
I had a strong desire to close all my exercise rings today, so I went out in pretty heavy snow while Anita napped and took a walk.
At this point I could still see where I was going.
Good news is that I’m huffing and puffing less after a week in Utah. Better news is that I looked down as I walked down the condo building sidewalk. I saw this.
This is actually the first one I saw.
When the snow falls, it melts into little puddles on the aspen leaves and makes little areas of magnification. You can see so many veins and cells in the leaves.
Look at the magnification at top right!
I also noticed the beautiful colors of the water reflected on the sidewalk.
Also, each leaf is a different color or combo.
I just had to share these images. Enjoy them!
Black and charming MultiplesThat one stem sure is shiny Look how small some little puddles are. And some are big. My favorite. Look at those veins.
Now I finally feel like I am on vacation (and I am for the next week, mostly). It snowed all night last night, and the morning brought scenes of winter beauty. I have always loved it when the snow falls straight down and piles up deeper and deeper. That’s the way it’s been snowing all day, which has made for some really beautiful views, even just looking out the window.
I really thought this tree looked pretty.
Of course, I just had to go out and play in the snow!
I’m all protected. And masks help keep you warm!
Anita and I had a wonderful time walking over to the ski area. It was a lot of fun to swish through the snow, but it was also really good to have a lot of cleared walks.
Eventually we went out into the snow by the golf course and watched the snow machines making snow. That’s always a cool thing to see.
Anita is in awe of the snow blower, but all the snow blends in to the snow that’s already there. Take our word for it, it looked cool.
Next, we got brave and did a snow hike (just a little one). Wow, that was so much fun! The trees were so pretty, and it was so wonderfully quiet. (Yes, it’s Sunday and the incessant construction noise has stopped, briefly.) The snow was not at all slippery, so I didn’t even need my walking sticks. Next walk will be longer, so I’ll take them.
If you look closely you can see little piles of snow on flower seedheads.
We watched some people teaching their kids to ski, on the golf course. That would be a fun place to cross-country ski, but no rental places are open. Honestly, that was a bonus, because it was like we had this beautiful, white world all to ourselves. It was like standing in a snow globe. How could we not feel at peace?
Snow time beauty.
Plus there was a lot of fun to be had in the empty resort area.
Don’t sit on that cushion, Anita!
Surfaces may be hot.
All that trudging made us tired, so we had lunch at the place where I ate earlier in the week (also known as the only open restaurant in Canyons Village). Once again, I enjoyed the garlic butter fries. And the pulled pork sandwich was fine, too. We sat in the “outside” part, where there are heaters, and just watched snow fall. The snow on the glass roof started sliding down, and it was a lot of fun to watch. What a relaxing meal!
This will look even more beautiful once the snow stops and the sun comes out!
Honestly, I’d never considered taking time off in a cold place until the time we went to New Mexico during a winter heat wave, but it’s so darned pleasant. My new coat had me so warm I started to sweat. My hat and gloves kept me dry, and my snow boots that I bought when we were in Ruidoso worked great. I’m ready to get more exercise, read a lot more, and keep knitting on my project (which is looking better now).
Looking better. It will be a nubby table runner when I’m done.
My sincere hope is that all of you are taking a day or two to relax, breathe, and think about what’s beautiful in the world. Our troubles and struggles will still be there later, but a little quality recovery time will be healing for all. Thank you all for reading, commenting, and caring!
The Hermits' Rest 