Comments, relating to the topic, are welcome, add a great deal to a blog, but must be in English, with no profanity, hate-filled insults, or links (unless pre-approved).




Monday, December 27, 2010

Northwest winter scenes


In terms of weather, a typical Pacific Northwest Christmas is generally about interesting, constantly changing gray skies, rain, fog, with snow covered hills and tall mountains in the distance-- when you can see the distance. That's not to say we never get snow for Christmas, but at my elevation it's rare.

When a Christmas snowfall occurs, it is usually followed by boot deep mud with flooding rivers and streams. I am not complaining at the lack of white Christmaes, mind you (not much anyway). There is a wild beauty in what I do see when I walk up the road behind our farm as we did Christmas morning or go for a drive out into the main valley as we did the day after Christmas. I will never take what I see those times for granted.




The rainbow was the day after Christmas in the Willamette Valley-- not far from our farm. Click on the image to enlarge as it's one of the few times I've seen the violet color so intense. Usually with rainbows I see the other colors but violet blends into the gray sky. This time it stood out along with the shadow rainbow.

We had waited by this fence row hoping a Northern Harrier hawk, there when we first arrived, would return for what would have been a great photo of the white and black tipped wings with that rainbow. It did not cooperate but maybe you can just imagine it being there.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That rainbow is magnificent, rain. What an incredibly beautiful shot. Love seeing the pics of your neck of the woods.

Kay Dennison said...

As always, glorious photos!!!

Robert the Skeptic said...

I do love living in the Willamette Valley... though I must say I am a bit envious of our friends who spent Christmas on the Big Island Hawaii and will ring in the New Year in Los Cabos. I'm feeling a bit "mossy" myself.

Rain Trueax said...

Last year I was in Tucson for Christmas Day. That was nice although I enjoyed seeing our grandchildren on Christmas Eve this year. Where I'd like to have been though, not considering grandkids and kids, was in Montana where the snow would be falling and it'd be mountains around me. Ideally a mountain cabin to go along with it.

mandt said...

We love this wet, wild time of the year in Northern California. The hills and valleys are emerald green---so beautiful. Then, in a few weeks all freezes and we live in an icy, fractal world of glistening color. peace, m

Ashleigh Burroughs said...

I've never seen the violet, either, Rain. These photos are magnificent. I love the open spaces and the small red berries and the fact that you just can't take it for granted.

Looks like a lovely Christmas holiday.
a/b