Branches were bare last evening, starkly dark against the white background of the ground and cloudy sky. Things changed overnight. An overwhelming sense of light met our first view of the morning, though the sun had not yet risen. Snow had fallen, adhering to every surface, and has continued to fall all day. A band of this weather has mostly gone through and we should see colder and clearer skies. Good! Some solar gain will be nice.
![snowy-fruitplants](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/snowy-fruitplants1.jpg?w=300)
Planted in a row, marching down the hill from the Aspen grove, fruiting bushes provide shelter and a playground for bunnies and birds.
These fruit plants are right outside our bedroom windows and are popular with various creatures, big and small. Tracks abound in and around them.
![snowy-aspens](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/snowy-aspens1.jpg?w=300)
Snowy aspens and snowy satellite dishes. Shortly after I took this picture, we lost our connection. A tromp through the show, broom in hand, fixed the problem. It is really picky.
![snowy-aspens2](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/snowy-aspens21.jpg?w=300)
Branches collect and hold snowflakes until wind arrives, or temperatures rise, or one too many flakes land. Then whoosh, a cascade of snow flies through the air to the ground below. Sometimes I help this along by shaking a tree, if Dan is standing in just the right location.
![snowy-fir](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/snowy-fir.jpg?w=201)
Fir trees are probably my favorite when it comes to the way the snow collects on the ends of their branches.
Dan did plow the driveway but I haven’t shoveled any paths yet as I will have to do it again tomorrow anyway, and might as well do it once instead of twice.