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.