December in Santa Fe :)

Winter greetings to you on this last day of 2012! 

While it seems winter came a little late this year, we have been blessed with a fair amount of snow this December. I love the seasons here, and I find it particularly beautiful here in winter after a fresh dusting of snow... it sounds cliche, but it truly is like walking in a winter wonderland! I'm sharing a few photos I've taken out & about on my rare days off this month~ hope you enjoy them!

:)

My Driveway~ early December.

:)

~St Francis Cathedral~

~Holiday reflections~

~Christmas lights on the Plaza~

Below is the Christmas Eve walk on Canyon Rd. I hadn't done this in a couple of years, as I had simply been too tired after work... but I'm really glad I went this year. 

It had just started to snow as my friend & I arrived... making it all the more festive. They close down the streets to car traffic & farolitos line the path from the beginning to the end of Canyon Rd.

It was a really nice way to spend Christmas Eve. I woke the next morning to a white Christmas day of relaxation. I had the day off, but rather than join friends for Christmas festivities, I chose to stay home & relax, & talk to family back home. I had a fire going all day & into the evening... it was wonderfully cozy!

I'll miss my place when I move. While it is funky (which I love!) & expensive to heat in the winter (which I don't love...) it has also been my one of my favorite places that I have lived in Santa Fe. It's within walking distance to the Plaza... and as I woke to another dusting of snow this morning, I thought I'd get out & about on this beautiful New Year's Eve for a little photo walk around town.

:)

Snowy New Year's Eve on the Plaza.

Window on Cienega St.

Graffiti on the railcars.

Snowy Railyard.

I am lucky to live in such a beautiful place!

☺

Wishing you all a very safe & Happy New Year & the very best in 2013!

☼☆☼

Silent Night

It's always so festive in the Plaza at Christmas time! I hadn't yet been out walking the Plaza at night this December... it's been a little chilly for an evening stroll and I have to admit I've been a little partial to staying home in the evenings with a cup of hot chocolate! But after a bit of snow yesterday, I figured it would be the perfect time to get out for a little photography. So glad I did!

Wishing you all a very, very

Merry Christmas!!!

:)

Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Well, according to the weather forecast, it won't likely be snowing here on Christmas... but we did finally get a little snow this week! Not the 4-6 inches that was predicted (we started the week off with rain!) but enough to dust everything in a wintery white... a beautiful day to go out walking... and as luck would have it, I had the day off to do just that! 

 I walked around town for quite some time, in awe at the beauty of it all... smiling a goofy smile. It was one of those days where you just feel happy to be alive... and thankful to have the leisure time to enjoy it!

:)

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Well, not quite the Winter Wonderland that was predicted by the weather service, but enough to give us a fresh dusting of snow, and w/ temps in the low 30's today... perfect hiking weather! I took these while out hiking Picacho Peak today with a friend... it was a beautiful day to be out & about. Thankful for heat right about now, as our lows by monday night are predicted to be in the single digits & more snow on the way!

Hope you're all staying warm out there!

:)

High Sierra Loop Part 3

Our backpacking loop was short but sweet~ I'll take 3 days in the backcountry over none any time! Here are some photographs of our last day of hiking~

Large snow field near Evelyn Lake.

Morning sunlight on frozen ponds... yes, it froze during the night at our high camp, though daytime temps were perfect!

Evelyn Lake outlet looking toward still snow covered peaks~

Evelyn Lake reflections.

Saying goodbye to Evelyn Lake,

and Hello to Fletcher Lake... a great spot for a lunch break!

Beginning the descent, looking back toward Vogelsang & Fletcher Peaks.

Further down the trail... it is always amazing to me how quickly the scenery changes in just a few miles!

Looking down towards Tuolumne Meadows... we still had a ways to go to get to the thickly forested area in the distance.

Made it! Our last section of the hike took us back along the Tuolumne river. It was a great trip, and so nice to be up there again. I am always overcome with a sense of gratitude spending time in the Sierra. It is hard to explain, but I think John Muir describes it perfectly when he says "Going to the Mountains is going home..."

:)

April Snow Showers Bring May Flowers?

Well, I'm sure they will... but not just yet. We had some blustery-trying-to snow-in-town type weather yesterday (yes, along with those winds!) It looked like the mountains got a little dusting, so I figured I'd head on up this morning to see what I could see.

Here's the road to the ski basin~

It was a chilly 26 degrees on the mountain when I started out on my little walk, but the exquisite beauty of nature always warms my heart.

♡

Most of these photos were taken walking along a small creek that was in various stages of freezing & thawing.

(Click to enlarge for a better view.)

I had to include the one below, because it made me chuckle to see the bbq grill, something associated with summer, surrounded by a fresh dusting of snow.

12 or so miles down the hill from here, our trees are beginning to "green up" for spring, but at higher elevations, it still looks a lot like winter. 

To see this area in last year's fall glory, click here. 

An appropriate quote for our Spring weather here in Santa Fe~

"In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours."

  ~Mark Twain

:)