That's my front yard below, with the gorgeous snow-covered White Mountains (called white even when there's no snow, of course) in the background. Crowley Lake is snowed and iced under, so the usual blue strip (lavender, sometimes, at sunset), doesn't exist.
Digging my Honda Civic out from two feet of snow.
Even though I can't drive the Civic until I learn how to put the cables on the front wheels (somehow I avoided that last winter, due to my purchase of the Ford Bronco, which is currently in the shop), it's still empowering to dig it out. Plus I'm told it's better not to let a car sit around with more than a foot of snow on it - hurts the axles, suspension, and what-not.
Digging a Yukon loaner car out from two feet of snow after digging Honda out.
Which is another thing I love about winter here in Mammoth: neighbors who help each other out. Bea arranged for me to borrow our mechanic's car while he's figuring out why the 1987 Ford Bronco I purchased from him last year for snow days, doesn't always start in the morning. Because that's what I DON'T love about winter: having to ask Bea to help me jump start the Bronco every cold morning after digging it out from two feet of snow.
Watching dogs romp in freshly-fallen snow, especially before any of the roads are plowed and it all seems so virginal.
That's Fly, my neighbor Bea's adorable border collie. She was trying to tell me that she really wanted to help me dig out the Honda, and realized that my back might start hurting if I didn't stand correctly while I was shoveling (i.e. doing it from the legs, not the lower back!).
Knowing that my neighbor, Bea, is shoveling out two feet of snow from my front door and hers while I dig out the cars.
Bea is the most amazing neighbor, friend, and landlady I've ever had rolled into one. Which means: the only amazing neighbor, friend and landlady I've ever had rolled into one! Which is a thing I love about Mammoth in all seasons. But last winter, she taught me everything I know about how to make it through the winter - like don't put the emergency brake on or it will freeze, lift the windshield wipers up or they will freeze, don't allow the red and black parts of jumper cables to touch or you will fuck it all up, leave keys in the car in case others have to move them, etc. She's tough and practical, plus she's a great cook and has really good taste in books which she loans me because she knows she'll get them back. (Which is another thing I love about winter: trading books!)
Looking forward to figuring out how to snowshoe in this gorgeous landscape when we have even more snow.
Right now, I admit one thing I don't really love about the winter is that I can't just get out there and walk in it. It's too deep for that, but not yet deep enough for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. We need another storm!
View of snow in pines and the solitary ski-lift chair in the front yard, with McGee Mountain beyond.
One of these mornings, I'm going to put tracks in that snow-covered front yard so I can sit in the ski-lift chair despite the cold and snow and look out over the gorgeous views with an ice-cold Stella Artois in my hand and drink to the beauty all around me.
