Cold Christmas

A quiet, grey start
to the most auspicious day
on our calendar

I was out clearing snow off the driveway at 8:00. Most of the accumulation had been blown away before I showed up with my snow shovel. 

By 8:30 I was on my way down the hill with my camera. I arrived to a very quiet McArthur Island Park to join the only other human I could see there. 

I parked by the pedestrian bridge and stepped out into the -16 C. Someone had left two wreaths on the benches. I spied some deer at a distance behind the fencing. I was not going to pursue them. I walked across the bridge noting that the slough was frozen over completely. There were no ducks or geese to be seen or heard today. The wind gusted taking all my heat away. I looked across the slough to my mountains in the east. I got myself back to the truck in quick time and was on my way home. This was one of my most speedy jaunts with my camera. I was grateful to return home. 

My daughter and I  will get together this afternoon to exchange our gifts. We will have Christmas dinner together.  

We have the prospect of more snow today with a high of -12 C. The temperature is dropping this weekend. We may not see the sun again until Monday.