Happy Solstice!!!

At last - the shortest day of the year and the longest night. From here on out, little by little, the days get longer! I am such modern day wuss. It's not like I've been living in total darkness, lit only by firelight or candlelight like the ancients endured. But still, we seem to be hardwired to welcome this day and the annual return of the light.  I know I do!  

21 F out there right now. I stepped outside in nightshirt and flipflops (only as far as the porch) to take some photos of the trees that are now frosted in white. So pretty!

The Japanese Snowbell Tree in front of my house.

A detail of the lights in the Japanese Maple.

One of the Hawthornes in the neighbor's tree belt.

They're still saying we'll get freezing rain on top of this, but if it holds off long enough I really want to go out and build a snow cat!

Okay - that was just practice snow

Now we've got the real thing! It's been snowing since last night and we've got about 4" here in the city. Much more up in the West Hills.

My little Japanese Maple decked out in Christmas lights.

The back yard.

The snow is still coming down!

It might even keep snowing until Christmas!  My Nephew in Law missed his flight from Atlanta this morning and is now stuck in Dallas.  Trying to get him onto a flight to Eugene (probably via San Francisco or L.A. - there's almost no flights direct to Eugene) instead of Portland so that he doesn't have to get there from here.  It's just rain in Eugene - 110 miles south.