Winter Wonderland

10am and the sun's getting ready to peek between the mountains:

 

 

By 11:00 it will have moved behind the mountains again. Technically, the sun is rising around 9am and setting around 4:30, but that doesn't mean we actually see it for long. It is so weak that the slightest clouds block it out.

The snow is here to stay. It came late this year, and we didn't get any serious accumulation until the end of October. Now, everywhere you go it's a winter wonderland. Truly beautiful. The trees are all frosted white and it looks like you are walking through Narnia. It has snowed almost every single day for the past week. Good thing it's light and fluffy. We'll be snow-shoveling experts by the time Spring rolls around.

They do not salt the roads here. They would have to use so much for so long it would cost a fortune. Plus, all that salt melting off into the rivers and streams would be bad news for the fish, not to mention the wildlife (bears) and people who eat them. Fishing is a way of life here, and a huge tourist attraction. So, instead they throw down sand and gravel. Your car won't corrode, but you might lose a few windshields. Our street has been an ice block for weeks. They plow, but it only scrapes off the top layer of snow and does nothing about the inches of ice beneath. Now, it's obvious why Alaskan drivers are so slow. Six months of driving on ice and snow will do that to you.