First Snow

We woke up this morning, to a grey light that felt much more like dusk than the first light of day.  The air was gloomy and damp and had us lifting our noses in the air before saying, "it smells like snow."  Then just as I walked Payson through the school doors the snowflakes flooded around me.  I took the long way home.  To the south a few blocks before making a loop back to the trailer.  Our little Boston Terrier was pretty sure I'd lost my mind and I'm sure she was cussing me for not putting on her little coat before we left.

I had business in Fort Benton today and was quick to head out the door, thinking the storm had hit and the roads would get worse by the hour.  But I was fooled.  I hurried into my "town clothes" and stepped outside to sun breaks and no snow.  The roads were clear.  The Highwood Mountains were surrounded by those eerie, misty clouds that mean the snow is falling hard up there.  They could only manage to peak out from behind them for moments here and there.  Down on the highway the sun was out and the winds had calmed.  Black Angus cattle herds were laying close together in the coulees of their wheat field, winter pastures.  Trying to catch as much sun and rest as they could before they'd have to brace themselves for the icy wind and snow that promised to come off the mountains sooner or later.

Afternoon brought more wind and dark grey clouds.  Occasionally a handful of flakes would tease us again.  But by afternoon I was sure the forecasted 1-2 inches would pass us by.  They had "cried wolf" all day and I didn't believe them any more.  Fooled again.  At dusk I glanced outside and in the glow of the street lights, I could see that the flakes were falling rapidly.  As if to make up for lost time.

As I write the snow is still falling hard.  We've already reached the predicted amount and I believe by morning we will have much more.  The winds have died down the way they do when a storm sets in to stay a while.  All is quiet....