Baby It's Cold Outside!

Photo by Penny Hall,  my work table

Photo by Penny Hall, ice on the window

It was about ten below zero when we woke this morning.  Ice formed around the metal windows and sliding glass door.  The door froze shut and the lock on the front door froze as well.

Needless to say I am happy to be indoors working in my studio.  It is warm and cozy inside.  Outside the birds are busy dining at the feeders and the deer are cleaning up any seeds that fall to the ground.

The mother deer has been tilting one of the feeders and emptying it.  I think I managed to place it high enough to prevent that from happening again.  So far it seems to be working.

It is hard to tell exactly how much snow we got from the storm.  The wind blew constantly.  I would guess it was somewhere between two and three inches.

Today skies are clear and the wind is silent.  The cat however is complaining loudly.  The cold weather interrupted his normal routine and he is not happy.

Pink Sunrise

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

Christmas day we woke to a magnificent pink sunrise.  We marveled at the weather.  It was beautiful, clear and in the mid thirties.  It was not your normal weather for December.  Travel for our guests was a breeze.

The wind has blown steady for several days now.  Actual temperatures were in the low thirties but the wind made it feel much colder.

As you can tell by the second photo a storm is headed our way.  The wind is howling and light snow is beginning to fall.  Temperatures are in the mid to high twenties. 

I have been busy taking trash to the dump, buying groceries and getting packages in the mail before the storm hits.  The weather man predicts between six and ten inches of snow.  Temperatures are expected to drop as low as 21 degrees below zero tomorrow night. 

Could Be A White Christmas

An inch of snow fell last night in downtown Ennis.  Virginia City Ranches reported about four inches.  As you can tell our roads in town are still ice and snow covered from the last snowfall.

The thermometer on the car said it was twenty-seven degrees when I headed out to the post office a few minutes ago.  The sun is shining bright and melting snow from the roof and driveway.  It feels much warmer especially since there is no wind.

Looks as if Christmas day will be a lot like today.  That is good news for family traveling from Bozeman. 

Christmas is almost here.

Holiday Artist Appreciation Show

Over night Donna Evans and Kathy Carpenter transformed the old bank building downtown into a temporary art gallery showcasing the incredible talents of our local artists.  Last night the artists gathered from three in the afternoon until eight in the evening to greet the public.

No one seemed to mind the lack of attendance by the "public".  Art has a way of warming hearts, lifting spirits and stimulating positive creative conversations and ideas.  This local family of artists came together to celebrate life through creative self expression.

Surrounded by magnificent works of art we quickly forgot the light snow and thirteen degree weather outside.  We were too busy sharing our own journey and encouraging each other in spite of life's challenges to follow the spark of the divine within and share the beauty of life through art.

We came together for a reception.   We left with a warm glow in our hearts somehow changed by the experience. 

Thank you Kathy and Donna for listening to the voice that led all of us to this little slice of heaven in the midst of a cold winter.

Heading South

 Photo by Photographer Ken W. Hall

Ken captured the Madison River on his way through Bear Trap Canyon to Bozeman on Saturday.  Snow abounds in the Madison Valley as well as the Gallatin Valley.

Today we have been busy preparing to head south to Texas for a wedding in Ken's family.  I will post again when we return next week.

It is thirty- five degrees outside now.  The wind has blown steady and hard all day long.  The sunshine was a welcome sight.

A new storm is headed our way and should add more snow to the area starting Friday.  If all goes well it will have passed by the time we return on Tuesday evening.

Morning Snow

Photo by photographer Ken W. Hall

Yesterday it was snowing when we got up.  Ken took this just before sunrise.  The storm left a couple of inches of snow and passed through.  By noon temperatures were in the high thirties.  The higher temperatures and lots of sunshine helped melt some of the accumulated snow.

The lack of wind was welcome as we prepared for the annual Christmas stroll.  A small group of artists gathered in the old First Madison Valley Bank building downtown to offer our hand made gifts for holiday shoppers.

The event was well attended as children of all ages enjoyed hay rides, Santa, refreshments, shopping and fun in downtown Ennis, Montana.

Temperatures dropped overnight into the single digits and soared to a  whopping nineteen degrees this afternoon.