January 2024 – Roadkill Crossing

Sunset from Mole Hill

Sunset over the Allegheny Mountains. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

I watch the sky for any hint of a colorful sunset. I have to go outside to do so since our house faces north. The view southwest, where the winter sun disappears, is obstructed by neighboring evergreens and houses.

When I think the potential for a colorful evening sky is favorable, I grab my cameras and head west. Mole Hill, an extinct volcanic core, is one of my favorite spots.

From Mole Hill, I have panoramic views in every direction but east. Recently high, wispy clouds stretched across the sky like fingers from the Allegheny Mountains 30 miles to the west. It looked good for a blazing sunset.

However, by the time I reached Mole Hill, upper-level winds had scattered the clouds, except right over the mountains where the sun would disappear. I waited, nevertheless.

My patience paid dividends. While the sky over the old-age mountains blazed orange behind the stubborn clouds, pinks and mauves blossomed south, southeast, and north. I happily snapped away.

Please click on the photos to enlarge them.

The Moon in a Mackerel Sky

I like to walk. Our neighborhood is the perfect place. We have little traffic in our little subdivision west of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Even though there are no sidewalks, the roads are wide and paved.

I walk as often as I can. But I enjoy the many things I see and sense as much as the exercise. The clouds caught my attention as I rounded the corner to our home in the crisp, cold air.

I recognized them right away. Meteorologists classify the high, scalloped clouds as Altocumulus clouds. Oftentimes, these clouds appear with other types of clouds. But on this winter’s day, they sailed the cerulean sky beneath a nearly full moon all alone.

The scene was too glorious not to share.

Winter Blues

Blue sky and dark blue shadows on snow. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

You don’t need me to tell you that the winter weather has been brutal in the first few weeks of 2024. And yet, it has its serenity, too.

I always loved how the long shadows of winter played across snowy landscapes. Even in suburban settings, the sky, trees, and shadows mark stark but lovely contrasts against the snow.

Such beauty helps us through blizzards, snow drifts, wind chills, and freezing temperatures. Altogether, they help chase away the winter blues.

Taking the Chill Off

Decaf Mocha Lattes. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

The temperatures in Virginia’s snowy Shenandoah Valley were in the single digits again this morning. There’s nothing like a cup of coffee of your choice to help take the chill off the coldest morning.

My wife and I enjoy mocha lattes. We have to drink decaf at our age. What’s your favorite hot drink?

Amish at Recess

Swartzentruber Amish sled riding at recess in Wayne Co., Ohio.

There is “snow” better way to enjoy the January cold than sledriding. These Swartzentruber Amish students certainly enjoyed their afternoon recess gliding down a slippery hillside near their one-room schoolhouse.

After attending a meeting in Kidron, Ohio, 11 years ago, I decided to take some back roads home. It had snowed a few inches overnight, but the clouds had moved out by afternoon. The clear sky’s bright sun warmed the cold January day.

This scene came into view as I rounded a bend on a narrow township road. I knew I had to get a photo of these Amish schoolchildren sledding at recess. I also knew that I had to be discreet since I always tried to honor the Amish position of no photography.

I secured one photo undetected before moving on. The joyous laughter of the happy scholars made the satisfaction of this photo all the more enjoyable.

Ice is Nice as Long as You Stay Inside

An ice-laden grove of trees. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Much of Virginia was pelted with freezing rain all day yesterday. When we thought it was over, our area was engulfed in freezing fog for several hours this morning.

The temperature hovered around the freezing mark of 32 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day yesterday, with sub-freezing temps this morning. That condensed the fog into tiny droplets of frozen ice that clung to everything. It was the icing on the cake, so to speak.

To stay safe, my wife and I never ventured out yesterday. Our kind neighbor even voluntarily brought our mail to the door.

We would have been buried under a heavy snowfall if the temperature had dropped even a few degrees. That would have been very pretty but also rather inconvenient. I am thankful the ice melted nearly as fast as it accumulated until nightfall when everything froze.

Despite the freezing fog, we drove the five miles to church for another wonderful worship time. The roads were just wet.

By the time church was over and we finished visiting with friends, the sun had burned off the fog, and only scattered cumulus clouds floated through the sky. The ice-coated trees glistened in the warming sun, making for a lovely drive home.

Tuesday’s forecast is for more of the same for all of Virginia. Like an Amish farmer friend used to say, “We’ll take whatever weather comes our way.”