Snow

Last week, husband and I were in Minnesota to visit my family for a late Christmas. I was so excited. I got to see all three of my siblings at once AND go cross-country skiing!

My sisters, an aunt, my brother, me and husband.

Unlike here in the Panhandle, Minnesota generally has good cross-country skiing snow.

Elm Creek Park, to the northwest of the (Minnesota) Twin Cities had nicely groomed ski trails.

Pretty sumac fruit, avec niege!

Yes, Minnesota has snow. But, as we discovered on our drive back, Nebraska got some, too. The roads through South Dakota were mainly clear. Then we got to Nebraska. The roads got yucky right at the state line.

I still dislike Nebraska’s winter roads classification system. There needs to be one more level between “extreme caution” and “road closed,” like “only an idiot would be out driving, but we’ve not closed the roads yet.”

I think some of the roads in the northern Panhandle were in the latter category upon our return.

 

Um, guys? Where are the lane lines?

Hooray plow!

There are those lane lines! Sorta. And the sun's getting stronger. Yay!

I loved how the late-afternoon shadows started to match some of the blues in the winter sky when the sun emerged.

Pretty!

The snow-coated hay bales that dotted the countryside made me think of frosted shredded wheat cereal.

The cattle were frosted, too. Don't worry, cows. It'll be 40 degrees soon!

Yep. We made it safely back home. Didn’t wind up in the ditch (ahem . . . borrow pit) even once!

Copyright 2011 by Katie Bradshaw