Snow Monsters

January 29 2012 - Ok, the above isn't an actual "snow monster"! But it is a great photo of the deep powder that they get in the mountains for skiing. And no, that's not me. Sooooo not me! All of today's photos (except for the very last one) are courtesy of Mr. Simon Bernard. I have decided he is a guru of the Hakkoda Mountain experience.

http://www.hakkodapowder.com/

http://www.powderhounds.com/Japan/Honshu/Hakkoda/Hakkoda-Guided-Tours.aspx

With his permission I opted to go with some of the shots he has taken this winter. His photos have been among some of the most gorgeous I've seen. (plus we haven't been out this week....colds, runny noses, and stress run amok in the house)

Above: "Snow Monsters" or "Juhyo" (in Japanese) with the night lights of Aomori City in the back ground. The snow monsters are the once tall trees that are on the mountain. The snow is so deep, that you can walk, err, ski, around the tree tops.

Below: Taken from Mt Hakkoda. Mt Iwaki, Hirosaki City and the Tsugaru Plain caught in the twilight.

Above: At the top of the Ropeway. Look at the contrast of the picture below (my own photo from October....my lone contribution to the photos this week). That is the same radar station.
My thanks to Simon for getting us "out of the house" this week. I'm not much of a skier...well, truth be told, I don't ski. Yes, I've tried it multiple times. I like the theory of the sport. It just doesn't seem to like me much. It could be my lack of balance though. But that's ok, I'll stick to living vicariously through others. Though I'll have to admit I'd love to back up the ropeway just to take pictures. Easier said than done in the winter time however.

So another week ends/begins. I'm hoping to get out today. 6 inches of snow fell yesterday, today the sun is shinning, perhaps a drive about is in order!

Once again, my thanks to Mr. Simon Bernard for giving me permission to use his photos. I appreciate it so much!

Winter time

January 17 2012: Well it finally happened. The snow came! Andi is so happy to have snow piles in the yard again. This means it snowed enough for the front loaders to come push the snow off the roadway and make "king of the hill" piles!
I think it was about 16 inches over the weekend. The neighbor child tried to walk on through, but found having Andi pull in the sled much easier. I'm not sure how Andi feels about this arrangement, as she too would like to be pulled. But I'm not out there playing. (something about a nasty chest cold....yeah, cough, cough)

Though I am oodles proud of Andi. Saturday I shoveled 3 times, and Shane once. Sunday morning Shane and I did another round. Sunday afternoon Andi took it on herself to shovel the whole driveway. About 2-3 inches, light and powdery, but we have a WIDE driveway. This is her halfway break. When I went out a little later, it was clean as a whistle! WOW!
Of course with this much snow our narrow streets become a little more narrow. This is why they don't plow in Misawa, there's no where to push the snow. (let alone walk your dog)
So, how do I pass time on long dreary days when it's to cold to go out, to slippery to walk...why I feed the wildlife. I've been feeding the chickadees for about a month now. They are very regular and very vocal when I'm late putting out fresh food. There is so many of them now that the crows don't even bother trying to score some food (they did at first, but there is power in numbers!)
The disadvantage of the snow pile is that it is right outside the living room window. I swear they are watching me! Perhaps they are watching TV...I don't know...
but that feeling of being watched just isn't going away....