Winter's First Kiss

This weekend we lit up the fireplace for the first time this season.  We had some chilly, wet nights, though it wasn't quite cold enough for snow.  

Last night was the coldest yet, and Nederland did get a few inches.  We got up early this morning and headed up to Ned because I was eager for snow.  Driving up the  mountain, we entered the snow clouds, a cold and foggy world where golden aspens, dark green pines and massive boulders emerge silently from the mist.  At the top we again drove out of the snow clouds and into sunshine bathing a snow-kissed landscape.  Looking back down toward the Boulder Valley it looked like it had been filled a half mile deep with whipped cream. 

 

There's a little grocery store up there called Mountain People's Co-Op that bakes muffins fresh every morning.  It's kinda like going into grandma's kitchen, if grandma were a mountain woman.  We stopped in and I peeked my head into the kitchen to ask when the muffins would be up.  A cute 

young girl (definitely no grandma) opened the oven, poked a muffin with her finger and said, "Any minute!  You want me to bring you out a couple when they're done?" 

 

And so we had hot muffins, fresh coffee and our first walk in the snow.