Hurray for Snow!

 We'll get to the snow in a moment, but first I'll start with a bird photo, because, well, I really love birds! On the Snake Valley Christmas Bird Count (CBC), we came across this bird, which we thought was a Ross's Goose. I went back a few days later...

...the pond had frozen over, but the goose was still walking around and I got a better look at it. A friend suggested an immature snow goose, and I think he's right. Neither one had ever been counted on Count Day for our CBC. Woohoo!

After such a dry year, it was amazing to get some really nice snow this December. Great Basin National Park plowed up to the trailhead of Baker Creek, allowing for some different winter experiences. 

I found the trail up too steep for my skis, so went down to the Baker Creek campground on the connector trail. It was great!

Smiles!

Baker Creek itself looked beautiful, and I spooked an American Dipper, which was a fun find.

Here's a spring in the valley I went to in order to search for birds. I found a snipe near the springhead. The green watercress makes for a nice contrast with the snow-covered grass.

It was cold enough that the water droplets were frozen to the grass above water level. What a fun sight.

We got in a little sledding a couple days in December.

The short days made it easier to go enjoy sunrises at a reasonable hour.

This old wagon just looks cooler with a bit of snow on it!

Although I like landscapes, sometimes it's fun to focus in on the tiny stuff, like the bits of snow each barb holds on this barb-wired fence.

It's not often that it snows enough to cover the sagebrush.

When everything is coated in white, it just looks magical.

The park got some new road signs. This one replaced a sign with incorrect mileage.

This sign replaced one that had "Visitor" spelled incorrectly. It's nice to have correct signs!

One night it looked like the sky was on fire. It was amazing.

Wishing you a wonderful New Year! Hope it's full of lots of love and appreciation of your surroundings. The world is a beautiful place, especially when we take the time to slow down and savor it.