Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Sunrise through a snowy landscape

Roundtop Mtn. was brushed by the latest nor’easter to wind its way up the coast . I didn’t get a solid hit from it, but even that was still enough to drop 5-6 inches of snow, which is now followed by more wind than I like.

The snow that fell was powdery and fluffy, so there is little traction. It’s a bit like trying to walk or drive on tiny ball bearings. By evening, this kind of snow should compress enough for the traction to be better, or so I hope.

The sky is still just clearing, so my photos suffer from the barely-there morning light. I won’t complain too much about that, though; at least I can take photos in the mornings again. That’s an improvement of being 20 days past the shortest day of the year.

Last night the dogs and I heard an unusual fox bark as we stood outside in the snow.  When snow covers the ground, I don't wear or need a headlamp, and we take our nightly walks with only the night sky and the white snow to guide us.  At first I suspected the sound came from a gray fox, and that may be the case. This morning I am thinking instead it was the mating bark of the red fox. The bark was a two-note bark and made a reasonable amount of sound. Most of the time when I hear the foxes bark at each other, I think the sound is like a dog with laryngitis. The cadence is right, but the voice is hoarse. Once we startled the fox, it took off running, but didn’t stop its occasional barks. I could tell where it was as it ran down the mountain, getting further and further away until I couldn’t hear it any longer.

The sunrise photo was taken during a snow squall that veiled the sky, turning the rising sun a brilliant red and creating a beautiful sight to guide my slippery drive off the mountain this morning. Sometimes, the mountain landscape seems like a fantasy world, so different than what I see off the mountain, and this morning was one of those times.

7 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Gorgeous sunrise. I think we had the same fine, slippery snow 2-3 days ago. Wicked driving.

Carolyn H said...

Lynne, I don't like those slushy concrete snows, but I also don't much care for these super-powder snows either. I like a good snowball-making snow.

Carolyn H.

Darcy said...

Hi Carolyn! We just had the nor'easter brush by our house in southeastern PA a night ago and received about 5" as well. Makes for a very beautiful setting! I just discovered your blog about a week ago and love it. I see a red fox passing through my yard daily as it heads down the the pond behind my house. Would love to hear the mating bark and thanks to you, now I know what to listen for.

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Your photos demonstrate that, despite its inconveniences, winter sure has its charms! Lovely.

Carolyn H said...

Darcy: Welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying my blog. I like winter quite a bit, usually, but the wind can stop anytime now.

Carolyn H.

Carolyn H said...

Woodswalker: oh, yes, winter has a lot of charms. I can never figure out why people are always moving to Florida where they will miss all of it.

Carolyn H.

Cicero Sings said...

Lovely sunrise hues. We've been getting snow ALL day from about 3 A.M. LOTS of snow. Shoveled twice but had help. Supposed to snow for a couple of more days yet. I won't be able to toss the shovel fulls high enough!