I Drove Through Beauty

Last week I went out for a drive, heading south and east, up into the mountains.  It was very beautiful... I wish I lived up there.  Actually, there is a house for sale that I would like to own, but it costs about $50,000 more than I can afford.  If you happen to have $50,000 you would like to donate towards making me happy, please do let me know!   

Meanwhile, below are a few photos I stopped to take along the way.   Once I got up into the mountains, where the altitude was over 8,000 feet, there was still a lot of snow on the ground.  This first photo gives you a good idea of just how much snow there was, as you can just barely see the very tips of fence posts that are probably 4 or 5 feet tall.

These next ones are of a stream that was still partly frozen.  I was taken with this beautiful weathered tangle of roots from a fallen tree which was resting in the stream.  In the first photo I really like the green reflection of the wood in the still water.  And in the last photo you can almost make out the figures in the roots; they look as if they are hugging each other, or perhaps dancing together!

Another site that caught my attention was 'El  Lodge', with it's funky old sign directing you to a driveway filled with several feet of snow...

And these last photos are my favorite, of the clouds that so clearly look like smoke signals coming off of the hilltop.