Christmas Time in the Rockies - Let it Snow

It's been frightfully cold in Evergreen

The wind won't stop howling,
the forest is cloaked in a mysterious light.
Somber foothills are set against,
majestic mountains of a ghostly white.

The weather in Evergeen can be scary,
that's what makes the seasons such a treat.
Especially the summers,
they're oh-so-sweet.

This December,
it's been frightfully cold.
Just look at the thermometer,
it says eighteen below.

The gusts blowing down through the meadow,
will make your bones ache.
Under gray clouds drifting,
old boots blaze a trail to the frozen lake.

Up here,
you learn to live with extreme weather.
The summers are short,
persistent winters seem to last forever.

Don't be afraid,
artistic storms paint with a thick impasto.
It's Christmas time in the Rockies,
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Painted with a thick impasto

Winters seem to last forever

Weather in Evergreen is unique

The wind is bone-chilling

The temperature was eighteen below

The forest is veiled in mysterious light

The mountains are ghostly white

Christmas time in the Rockies

Let it snow

Comments

  1. Sue Ann BowlingDecember 20, 2013 at 10:08 AM

    A mere 18 below? That's normal December nighttime temperatures, here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerJanuary 1, 2014 at 5:44 PM

      I know, but for us Evergreeners down here in the banana belt we got a little chilly. We're not as tough as you Alaskans. 50 Below! That's unreal. North Pole, Alaska must be an amazing place.

      Delete
  2. judi December 22, 2013 at 12:35 PM

    It looks very Christmasy there in Evergreen Dan - 18 below is very chilly for us here in New England!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerJanuary 1, 2014 at 5:46 PM

      It's very pretty here when it snows. It just usually doesn't get that cold for that long. 2013 has been a crazy weather year for us. Hopefully, things will settle down in 2014.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lair O' the Bear and Dunafon Castle

Image
The restored Dunafon Castle Lair O' the Bear Park is nestled in a steep canyon about six miles east of Evergreen, Colorado. John and Matilda Johnson emigrated from Sweden with their two young boys and purchased the narrow meadow in 1902. They named it Mountain Nook Ranch, built a four-bedroom house and raised Red Durham cattle. Their two sons, Finis and Francis, attended school in nearby Starbuck, now known as Idledale. It was originally named for John Starbuck who won the town property in a poker game. John Johnson was a master gardener and his popular, fresh produce was sold in Evergreen and Denver. They planted over 200 cherry and apple trees in the area. If you look closely many can still be found throughout the park today. The unruly Bear Creek sculpted the beautiful scenery and provided the needed irrigation for productive crops but it also wreaked plenty of havoc. There was a constant fear of extreme flooding. The Lariat Trail (Highway 74 today) crossed Bear Creek s
Read more

Clear Creek - A Transparent Torrent

Image
Clear Creek at Golden, Colorado On a gorgeous evening in Golden, Colorado, Clear Creek is undeniably liberated from winter's icy grasp. As the cold season draws to a close, we are challenged to emerge from our dark den. The great thaw continues and soon this silent stream will be transformed into a transparent torrent, flowing below a series of rustic bridges. Off towards the setting sun, a deep gorge was hewn by this wonderful waterway. Rushing down out of the foothills, a deluge of glacial water causes the snowy banks to collapse. Bordering the rock-filled river, bare trees are unable to divert the air of changing seasons. Packed with deep snow, the canyon trail is mired in an eternal shadow. Backlit beneath billowy clouds, the blue mountains remain anything but glum. A cheerful spirit permeates the entire landscape. It's on a special night just like this that I'm reminded. When an extraordinary light shines down from above, it reveals a certain truth and bea
Read more

The Brook Forest Inn - Ghosts, Germans and Gold

Image
The Brook Forest Inn is southwest of Evergreen It was the summer of 1943 near Evergreen, Colorado and the Brook Forest Inn was a luxury resort nestled in a stand of lodgepole pine at the base of Black Mountain. Carl was at work in the nearby livery stable when he learned that his wife, Jessica, had been unfaithful. Jessica also worked at the inn and she was preparing the Monte Carlo Room for that evening's guests. Carl stormed in, confronted her and a violent altercation ensued. Fueled by a jealous rage, Carl strangled Jessica to death. Overcome with guilt, Carl returned to the stable, constructed a rope noose and promptly hung himself. The stunning tragedy shocked the idyllic mountain community. A few years earlier, before the outbreak of World War II, a suspicious group of German tourists checked into the hotel. They claimed to be on a bicycle tour of America. Come to find out, they were actually spies. They used the place as a headquarters while they studied and mapped
Read more