Winter sojourn

 

I drove to Twisp yesterday with my new local friends K and B who have a home on the river just down the street from us. They come to Seattle often to visit family, and were nice to take me back with them. I really enjoyed their company on the long drive. When I'm ready to go home, John will drive over and we'll go back together in one car.

Of course that means I don't have car now, but it isn't a big deal since I can walk everywhere in town (very carefully, in the snow and ice.) The girls are on winter break this week so we'll keep busy while Amanda and Tom are at work. Today we're going to the Winthrop ice rink.

You're probably thinking "winter wonderland" but the fact is by late February winter has pretty much worn out it's welcome in the Methow Valley. We're getting into shoulder season, not exactly Twisp's shining hour of beauty.

Town looks pretty bedraggled but Maya doesn't care. Think muddy streets and mountains of dirty snow melting then refreezing at night. On top of that, a major storm later this week followed by record cold temperatures in the Valley. Down to zero on Wednesday night. La Nina is not slinking away quietly this year!

So why am I here? Well, the house is clean, warm and peaceful and the yard full of sleeping deer. And the fact is, I miss this crazy place after being gone for a few weeks. Every season has its charms if you know where to look-- you just have to look a little harder in February.