Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas Eve snow

Ferns with a little white stuff
Six Senior Trailblazers met in the parking lot of the Senior Center, realizing that we had forgotten the Center would be closed both today and tomorrow! We waited until the appointed time and then piled into two cars and drove to the Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve. Usually we walk the trails and then head over to the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve, just down the road, but today, the weather was not very appealing. It was, you guessed it, raining. But as we ascended to the Lookout Mountain overlook, over a thousand feet of elevation, the rain began to change to something we haven't seen in the lowlands yet this year: snow.
The high point of today's hike
There is actually a view sometimes through the treetops, but today the view was of the snow-laden branches, making a wonderful treat for the season. There must have been about an inch of snow at the top, and I took several pictures hoping that it would be possible to see the snow was falling as we admired the scenery.
Lacy branches with falling snow
It didn't really work to show the big flakes as they fell. A couple of them found their way right down the back of my neck, big fat ones that didn't melt right away as they headed downwards. I allowed myself to shriek in what might have passed as delight. Or fright.
He's only about eight inches high
Someone who got to the overlook before us had fashioned a small little snowman to (I'm sure) make subsequent visitors smile. I know I did when I saw him and took his picture to preserve him forever. It was a lovely surprise to see the snow, and somehow even though it's just as wet as rain, it was just the thing for Christmas Eve.
Whatcom Falls
We headed over to the falls to see how much water is flowing down after all the rain we've been having. It was quite impressive but impossible to get a good shot without trees obscuring the view. We decided to stop here and have lunch, since it was almost noon and we had decided not to head over to the Nature Reserve but call it a day. We ended up hiking almost five miles and ascending and descending around 1,300 feet in all, so it was just right to end early and get home to our families.

It was a perfect way to spend a rainy (and snowy) Christmas Eve with a few of my friends. I do hope that all of you will be warm and safe this holiday, and that you ended up doing what was just right for you today.
:-)

16 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos (I especially LOVE the one with the snow on the ferns....)
    And how blessed you are to have snow!
    Love you and sending you wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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  2. It is a long time since we had no snow at Christmas. It looks so beautiful out on the trail. Merry Christmas.

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  3. Certainly sets the mood for Christmas, we hit 74 degrees today !
    Merry Christmas dear lady.
    ~Jo

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  4. Ooooh.
    How absolutely lovely.
    Thank you.
    I hope your Christmas is full of peace, love and laughter.

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  5. Your snowy scenes made me smile (as did the snowman!). Merry Christmas!

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  6. Wonderful white pictures. Merry Christmas!

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  7. What a perfect scenery for a Christmas eve. I enlarged your photos and they are gorgeous. Tomorrow it is supposed to be close to 77 F for Christmas here, but by Saturday next week it will be back in the high 40s. Have a merry Christmas.

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  8. Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day! Your hike was snowy! :)

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  9. You got in snow and a snowman for Christmas! Nice!!
    Have a wonderful Christmas Day tomorrow. :)

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  10. I love this! What a great way to spend Christmas Eve. It's 70 and rainy down here in the south...our A/C was on yesterday! Merry Christmas!

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  11. Love the snowman! Seeing your pictures are as close as I will get to snow this Christmas - it's in the 70's here and the AC is currently running. Merry Christmas, my dear friend.

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  12. I'm so glad you had such a beautiful hike. I'm afraid I had to spend my day baking on Christmas Eve, but it was very nice. Merry Christmas to you and your Smart One.

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  13. I spent my Christmas Eve baking also, but loved the pictures of snow on the ferns and branches there! Beautiful! It was 70-80 F here in Texas, but they are predicting rain and possible snow flurries tomorrow...??

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  14. What a perfect Christmas Eve. These photos are a beautiful Merry Christmas dear one.

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  15. how beautiful. thank you for sharing it.

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