WINTER

Winters have always been interesting and quite unpredictable in the state of Utah, where I live. Granted, we are known for "the greatest snow on earth", where the snow seems to pile up in the mountains... bringing adventure to snow bound thrill seekers and skiers. But in the valley, we can get a wide range of weather patterns.

Below the rugged peaks of the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah, the winter months range anywhere from drought and warmth, to ice and freezing temperatures. Sometimes the snow comes and goes as fast as it falls. But if we settle into a cold spell, like this year, it will linger longer, giving ample opportunities to build a snowman, ice skate, watch icicles form, and even shovel snow! 

I combined two writing prompts to this week's post. I went back into my photo archives to see what winter was like, starting in 2008. This gave me a glance of what our winter's have been like over an eight year stretch. And as contrasting as they were from year to year, I was not a bit surprised! This is what Winter looks like in my neck of the woods.

2008 - lots of snow! back yard in home town

2009 - winter rain, front yard in town

2010 - the snow is piling up! front yard in town

2011 - a beautiful winter morning from my balcony, on our farm in the country

2012 - a warm, sunny Groundhog's Day

2013 - freezing temps, beautiful icicles form on the eaves of our house

2014 - Springlike weather. A bird's nest remains intact, 

a reminder how mild the winter months have been this year.

2015 - Warm enough for the kids to run around the yard. It was 53 degrees F.

2016 - A long, cold winter. It's bringing the deer 

down from the mountains in search of easier access to food. These deer tracks are only a couple feet away from the front door of the house. With each passing day, we see more signs of them making beds underneath the maple trees. 

Some things never change... Winters in Utah are unpredictable, but always beautiful!

The only thing that has changed is that we moved from the town to the country. And, to me,

that was a very good move!