Today was a fun day. 8 inches of snow in the Williams, Oregon area. I'm spending time with my friends, so what do we do? We take a beat-up wood working truck up a road we're all familiar with. First we scrambled around the house for snow gear, I packed a pocket knife and a lighter in the zip up pocket of my jacket just in case. And off we went! It was a blast! The snow was so deep it went up to the truck's axles.
After we went as far as we were comfortable going the rest of us got out while the driver turned around... a little difficult, but it got done. The wind blew snow drifts our way, at times like a blizzard, but we could still see well. The snow was perfect powder, white as... snow. It was absolutely gorgeous! Every branch (no matter the thickness) was covered with thick snow.
After pelting eachother with snow balls, we started a race to see who could get to the top of the snow-covered embankment first. There were four of us... one of us being a dog, who was coerced into following up the hill. As I've said before, Oregon is beautiful country, and this was no exception. The view from the top of the embankment was astonishing. You could see the mountain side covered with snow laden trees, the pick up truck far below, and the sun trying to shine through the clouds. Occasional gusts of wind would made it look like a blizzard and then die away quickly.
After climbing down the snow covered embankment, ending up in near knee-high snow at the bottom, we decided to make a snowman. Each one of us (not including the dog) started making a section for the snowman. To make a good section for a snowman, I found there are a few major things to remember. First is to always remember to gently pack the snow as you go, second is to remember to never put too much pressure (or both your hands) and one area and thirdly, don't make it larger than what you or you and your friend can lift. Also fourthly, if you are going for a big one... have your friend help you roll the snow... and get a gentle, steady roll going keeping in mind the above points.
After all the large snow pieces were assembled (looking more like Frankenstein than a snowman), sticks were used to put on: arms, eyes, a nose, mouth, some sort of crown-like arrangement, and antennas. A branch of evergreen pine was used to cover it's lower region, not unlike a Greek painting, or a loin cloth used many moons ago by the snowmen of these lands. The end specimen was probably around 7 feet tall, taller than any of us for by far. After admiring it, taking pictures for facebook with it, and walking away from it, we ran it over with the truck... to much satisfaction I might add.
Running down the mountain, I sat in the back with the dog. As it turns out, we started to get low on gas, but we made it down ok... always make sure you have enough gas. And finally we pulled into the driveway, safe and sound.
The Rogue Valley and the Applegate Valley here in Oregon are usually too low for snow, but the surrounding mountains almost always get snow several times a year, adding to the beauty of this place. And here in Williams, OR, the snow is coming down. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! Have a great day wherever you are.
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