Snowscapes

Snow is much prettier when you're not driving in it.

We just returned home from a 2,720-mile journey to move Brent to Columbia, S.C., for graduate school. We left the County Line on January 2. When we packed up his belongings here at home, there was a fine layer of snow. Our snowy boots coated the inside of the U-Haul trailer and turned it into an impromptu ice skating rink.

So we began our journey with snow. And we ended it with snow, too. Surely there's a metaphor there somewhere: I'm just too tired to figure it out at the moment.

On Sunday, we stopped in Little Rock, Ark., because of snow. We had started the day in Atlanta, but left at 6:30 in the morning because snow and ice was forecast there. We had four states in our rearview mirror for the day and were well into our fifth. When we started seeing fender benders and cars careening toward ditches, we decided it was time to call it a day.

We left Little Rock Monday morning, and Randy drove at 30 to 40 mph for the first couple of hours. The scenery was pretty from the passenger seat with the snow frosting the trees along the roadway. We just didn't like the snow frosting I-40. But during the time I was clicking the camera, I wasn't chewing my fingernails - always a plus!

Then, even though it was overcast, road conditions improved after the first couple of hours - until we got to Wichita. The trip from Wichita to home included a detour down the Halstead Road to U.S. 50 when a wreck closed K-96 Monday night.

We blasted through a few small drifts along the County Line before we arrived home Monday night about 8 PM.

Yesterday, I braved the cold temperatures to get a few photos of the snow. Like I said, it's much prettier when you're not driving (or riding!) in it.

This was the scene at a neighbor's pond. I'm guessing his two fishing chairs will remain empty with temperatures in single digits. Of course, I suppose he could take up ice fishing. He still probably won't need the chairs.

A tire swing near the pond was a study in light and shadows. It's not getting much action these days either.

Neither is the swing in our back yard.

The snow in the wheat field looked like modern art or one of those sand pictures - without the neon colors available at the state fair booths.

A blanket of white covers the winter wheat crop. Hopefully, the snow is protecting it from these frigid temperatures.

It was a good welcome home scene.

Home Sweet Home!