Christmas Time in the Rockies - Let it Snow

It's been frightfully cold in Evergreen

The wind won't stop howling,
the forest is cloaked in a mysterious light.
Somber foothills are set against,
majestic mountains of a ghostly white.

The weather in Evergeen can be scary,
that's what makes the seasons such a treat.
Especially the summers,
they're oh-so-sweet.

This December,
it's been frightfully cold.
Just look at the thermometer,
it says eighteen below.

The gusts blowing down through the meadow,
will make your bones ache.
Under gray clouds drifting,
old boots blaze a trail to the frozen lake.

Up here,
you learn to live with extreme weather.
The summers are short,
persistent winters seem to last forever.

Don't be afraid,
artistic storms paint with a thick impasto.
It's Christmas time in the Rockies,
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Painted with a thick impasto

Winters seem to last forever

Weather in Evergreen is unique

The wind is bone-chilling

The temperature was eighteen below

The forest is veiled in mysterious light

The mountains are ghostly white

Christmas time in the Rockies

Let it snow

Comments

  1. Sue Ann BowlingDecember 20, 2013 at 10:08 AM

    A mere 18 below? That's normal December nighttime temperatures, here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerJanuary 1, 2014 at 5:44 PM

      I know, but for us Evergreeners down here in the banana belt we got a little chilly. We're not as tough as you Alaskans. 50 Below! That's unreal. North Pole, Alaska must be an amazing place.

      Delete
  2. judi December 22, 2013 at 12:35 PM

    It looks very Christmasy there in Evergreen Dan - 18 below is very chilly for us here in New England!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerJanuary 1, 2014 at 5:46 PM

      It's very pretty here when it snows. It just usually doesn't get that cold for that long. 2013 has been a crazy weather year for us. Hopefully, things will settle down in 2014.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lair O' the Bear and Dunafon Castle

Image
The restored Dunafon Castle Lair O' the Bear Park is nestled in a steep canyon about six miles east of Evergreen, Colorado. John and Matilda Johnson emigrated from Sweden with their two young boys and purchased the narrow meadow in 1902. They named it Mountain Nook Ranch, built a four-bedroom house and raised Red Durham cattle. Their two sons, Finis and Francis, attended school in nearby Starbuck, now known as Idledale. It was originally named for John Starbuck who won the town property in a poker game. John Johnson was a master gardener and his popular, fresh produce was sold in Evergreen and Denver. They planted over 200 cherry and apple trees in the area. If you look closely many can still be found throughout the park today. The unruly Bear Creek sculpted the beautiful scenery and provided the needed irrigation for productive crops but it also wreaked plenty of havoc. There was a constant fear of extreme flooding. The Lariat Trail (Highway 74 today) crossed Bear Creek s...
Read more

Ibis - A Symbol for Danger and Optimism

Image
White Ibis The white ibis is a wading bird that is very common throughout Florida. Their traditional habitat has always been the Everglades but they've recently adapted to a more urban environment. During our visit there this past summer, we frequently saw ibises on freshly mowed lawns rooting for large bugs as well as stalking aquatic prey along the shoreline of ponds, lakes and marshes. These splendid, white birds have evolved a long, downward-curved bill. This distinctive feature has helped them develop into efficient hunters. Their legs are long enough to wade in shallow water but they are also perfectly at home on dry land where they can use their pink beak to probe for insects. The white ibis is a symbol for danger and optimism because Native American folklore held that the bird was the last to seek shelter before a hurricane and the first to emerge afterwards.
Read more

An Approaching Storm - Colored Pencil Drawing

Image
"An Approaching Storm" Colored Pencil In the midst of an already grievous winter, an approaching storm gradually extinguishes the landscape’s last sliver of light. The inclement weather rushes in aggressively as it envelopes the magnificent range of rugged peaks. Extending across the page, a strip of turquoise sky is still visible above the embattled scenery. It won’t be long, though, before a cloak of cool-gray smothers the valley in a shroud of deep snow. The high mountains assume a defiant posture as their sharp edges tear through the soft atmosphere, creating patches of bare rock. The kaleidoscope of broken terrain sparkles in blue-violet before the impending storm’s onset. The forested foothills are distinguished by three different, overlapping tiers of conifers. As the woodland ramparts recede into the distance, the wintery colors gradually become several shades bluer. The wide, white meadow sweeps across the foreground, its smooth surface decorated with elongated shado...
Read more