Thinking of Snow

It's that time of year when Alaskans have snow on their minds. Whenever the clouds lift from the mountains across the bay, one squints and guesses how much further down the side of the mountain the snow line is today than from that last time the mountains were clear. On clear nights there is a decided chill in the air, and frost on the deck come morning.

For the record, the snowline today seems to be about 3500 feet...

Last night, on my way home from work, I saw my first holiday lights of the season. Guess I should screw my courage up and brave the spruce trees out back to get my own lights in good working order sometimes before late November. I mean, I hate to break the tradition of standing on a wobbly ladder in the freezing rain getting stuck with the frost-hardened tips of the spruce needles as I track down the one errant light of the string that isn't working but maybe for just this once I can forego the pleasure. We'll see.