A Skiffin'

Saturday December 16 2017

I was getting a little antsy, seeing as we were 11 days behind the date of the start of last year's epic winter snowfall. The Owyhee mountains have actually held snow for about 2 months now (!), but down here, we'd had nuthin' until last night.

But this morning: a half inch of snow on the ground and a wind to chase away the icy fog that's been sitting on us for the last 2 weeks.

It's only a skiff, but it's the first one down here, and we'll take it!

(That's Hillbillie Willie, sporting the snow nose... why does he always look dorky?)

The Best Part

Wednesday October 22 2014

Riding a handsome horse on a cold autumn morning with the first snow in the mountains.

I don't know what the best part of that statement is:

riding
handsome horse
cold
autumn
first snow

or a combination thereof.

Bring It On!

Thursday November 18 2010

The timing is about right: last year we got our first skiff of snow on November 14th; the first real snowfall came on November 22.

I've heard that, due to one of the Niñoa weather siblings (Niño or Niña, I can't tell the two apart) this will be a cold wet winter.

Bring it on!

Delirious!

Sunday November 22 2009

It comes - it really comes today!

The first 'real' snowstorm - more than a skiff. Small and insignificant and brief as it is, it clogs the air with fat wet flakes and leaves a solid white carpet on the ground, enough to stand up on the fence rails and drop a thick blanket on backs and butts and tails and manes and my own locks.

I'm intoxicated with the sight, and delirious with the sounds: the rubbery squeaky crackle of every footstep in the snow, the muted-desert winter-silence but for the flakes that hit my hat and jacket - fft fft fft; the cows walking down from the mountains to Oreana a day late, bawling their cantankerous opinions "Mabel - I TOLD you we should've left yesterday!"













The snow stays for a few hours, just like the clouds; then it evaporates, just like the clouds, leaving only a cold wind and a golden light over the snow-covered Owyhees up the crick, and a promise of more serious snow to come this winter.

Skiff

Saturday November 14 2009

Just a skiff of snow is all we got after the 80% chance... but it was good enough for Smokey!




Note the hang time.


It was good enough for everybody else too.

Jose and Dudley playing.


Oops! I didn't do it.


Rhett is not sure he should be seen with this snow on his nose.


Stormy getting into the action. Doesn't look fat here, does he?


Half brothers Jose and Kazam.


Smokey has lots of boyfriends already.


Stormy doesn't look fat here either, does he? Admit it, he just looks good.




I could have used a bit more snow this time; I just have to wait a bit longer for the Big Storm.