The Glowing Snowscape

I have not spent much time driving in snowy landscapes.  As a kid, I lived in KC, MO and we had snow there.  I didn't drive much at 12, so my frame of reference was much smaller. 

 This month has had a lot of snow driving.  A LOT.  Not all of it has been coming down at the same time as the driving.  In fact, mostly I have driving through landscapes with lots of snow, but not much on the roadway.  

At night, the snowy landscape seems to have it's own light - it almost glows.  Since the trees and bushes are stark and slender, there is nothing to block the view of the ground.  Add to that the white blanket of the snow and it really starts to get interesting.  

In addition, snow seems to be the great equalizer of the winter landscape.  Small yards full of junk get covered up and turned into charming cottage scenes.  Add a fireplace sending out puffs of smoke and some golden glowing windows and what was squalid in the summer is now cozy and inviting.

I had a bad case of "Soup on the stove" yearning last week.  Thanks to my Mom, I did not get any farther than looking at properties on the internet.  Craigslist has been removed from my favorites until I can learn to "look responsibly".  Did you know you can get down to google street level and check out a property really really well?  One place was a corner house that we could even go around the corner and check out the back yard!  I really had it bad at one point and totally had visions of living a happy life in this darling house on a corner in a small town in Indiana.  

Never mind that we are totally happy and successful in this job precisely because we do not live in a happy little house in Indiana.  No mortgage and no need to go home are why we can stay out on the road and make such a good go of this!

So, my Mom talked me down and I was able to take a couple of head clearing breaths.  

Thanks, Mom!

We went to Canada this week from Detroit and came out through Buffalo.  I like that trip - it's like skipping a space on a board game.  We are heading out of Memphis to Augusta, Georgia.  We might actually be heading for some time-off and a mini vacation of sorts.  Asheville, NC has been calling to us for some time now.  We are going to visit the Biltmore Estate and do some groovy art gallery window shopping and just enjoy to winter landscape in the Smokies.

Leo might even get to do some snow snorkeling.  It requires lots of fresh powdery snow that has not fallen around a truckstop!  He loves it.