01-JAN-2017
Beaver Dam in Delta Ponds
02-JAN-2017
Snow In The Coburg Hills
The forecast for this morning was that we might get a dusting of snow here in the valley. I was disappointed that it didn't happen. We get perhaps one instance a year where we get snow here at the lower elevations. Since I wanted to see some snow, I thought I would head for the hills, the Coburg Hills, where I knew there was some to see. I went up to where the snow was several inches deep. On the way up and back down, I got some nice shots of enough snow on the trees to make an appealing sight. It was a fun drive, but not so good for the exercise I should be getting.
03-JAN-2017
The Coburg Hills as Seen From Springfield
By tomorrow the Coburg Hills will be whiter as it is supposed to snow quite a bit at that elevation, which is up to 2000 feet. We might get up to an inch here at 500 feet elevation, but I am not counting on it. We were expecting the same yesterday. I enjoy the Coburg Hills every season of the year. The forest and stream are beautiful and the view is wonderful. The view of the Hills from the valley is also pretty, as you can see here.
It is sometimes exciting to drive up there when the snow is deeper. I remember backing down a hillside when I found the road completely covered at the top. The road was on the side of a hill and I had to back down around a corner, with hill on the right and open space on the left. Thank heavens I have done a bit of backing in my life so it was not a problem. That time the snow was fairly deep and, even though I have four wheel drive, I wasn't ready to break trail when the road was completely covered. I figured it was easier to back down. I was alone too, so didn't want to get stuck.
04-JAN-2017
Snow Comes to the Valley
Snow is getting deeper in the mountains and hills, but till now we haven't had any in the valley (elevation 500 feet), until today. It snowed overnight, a couple inches. Hey, any amount at this elevation is fun to see, especially for the kids. We got enough to make the backyard pretty. As you can see, it was still snowing at 10:30 AM.
The problem facing us now is that the temperature will drop into the teens tonight and any snow that melted will turn to ice, making the morning commute a problem for working people. Schools will likely delay their opening. Some routes are on narrow hilly roads that can be dangerous.
05-JAN-2017
Is More of This Coming?
Our recent ice storm was quite destructive. Many trees and power lines came down, thousands were without power for a week or more, there were accidents and injuries on icy streets, and many others stayed in for the duration of it. Now they are predicting more of the same for Saturday, with up to an inch of ice covering surfaces. It won't last as long this time, as Sunday will bring warming and rain, which will take care of the ice. This is what our bushes looked like after the first night of our last storm, and it got worse. I am sure it was hard for this little Junco too!
06-JAN-2017
Our LIttle Fox
Well, he sort of looks like one! :) It's Miko The Magnificent, our little Pekinese\Chihuahua mix. He is a pretty fellow with a real personality, and that huge tail! He pranced around in the snow for a little while and was ready to come inside.
07-JAN-2016
Mischievous Mikayla
Our granddaughter, Mikayla, stayed overnight with us last night. She works in town and it was too icy to head for home in the country. Here she is ready to head for work again. I wanted a picture, of course, so she showed her mischievous self. I got two pictures and liked them both, so decided to combine them for viewing. Sweet kid!
08-JAN-2017
A Little Bit of Ice!
It snowed again yesterday morning, then in the afternoon the freezing rain began. That continued until this afternoon. In the afternoon some melting occurred but the freezing rain continued. It stopped sometime between 3-4 PM. Since then it has been raining, so the ice and snow will melt slowly. But that leads to warnings about flooding. What a winter already! This is how my SUV looked this afternoon.
09-JAN-2017
Let's Have a Picnic
It thawed enough overnight so that I thought I would get out of my driveway so I could check what condition the streets are in. Turns out our street is among those still having ice, as are other streets not used much. I thought I would check out the river, it's only a short drive away. I enjoyed this view. More ice and snow predicted for Tuesday night.
10-JAN-2017
Making Tracks
I liked the curved lines made by these tracks in the snow covering a parking lot. So of course I had to make a picture of it.
11-JAN-2017
Ice Sculpture
I thought that this ice encrusted blackberry vine looked pretty as an ice sculpture. I found it on my visit to Clearwater Park. The ice and snow is disappearing, a bit remains in shaded spots and on the north side of homes. Crazy winter so far!
12-DEC-2016
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
This tiny cutie came for a meal at one of our backyard feeders. I think Chickadees are such pretty little birds, so was pleased to see this one join the Junco's in our yard. It doesn't have the markings and colors of what I usually see, the Black-capped Chickadee. My trusty Birds of Oregon book identifies it as a Chestnut-backed Chickadee, the first one I have seen. But they are shown to be found throughout Western Oregon. It is said to be the smallest of North American Chickadees and normally likes the denser forests of the Pacific Northwest. The book says that the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is less regular at bird feeders than are other Chickadees, preferring denser cover. But it also says that in severe winters, small parties may join other wintering songbirds in urban areas. This explains why I saw it at our feeder. What a treat!