Got our first snow last night. I knew it was coming, just didn’t expect a couple inches this morning. Of course, this impacted everything we were thinking we would do on a Friday morning or for the rest of the day.
Friends on social media shared snow photos over the last week or so. Some from the northeast, some from closer to Washington. My old high school buddy in Oregon shared a picture of his back yard from Monday, then from Tuesday morning after the snowfall.
My nephew in southwestern Wyoming shared a picture of his yard after a significant snowstorm. My brother-in-law shared that they had just had a blizzard in central Alberta.
Of course, fellow motorcyclists in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Arizona who are still out riding their motorcycles and having a great time. (So jealous!)
Yep. It’s Winter.
This morning’s snow was wet and heavy. Had it been colder and the snow more powdery, it likely would have been four to five inches deep. As it was, it was wet and heavy and the snow blower just couldn’t handle it. So, I shoveled it out of the drive and sidewalk.
The forecast over the next couple days calls for high winds with gusts in the 40-50 mph range, and more snow. This can cause some problems here. Leaves are still on the trees (see the branches of my apple tree above) and the snow is holding up in most of the trees. When the wind comes, this could cause tree falls and damage to power infrastructure.
We’re resilient, though. And, prepared.
Last weekend was SpoCon, as you know if you’ve been following along. I had a pretty good time there. Met some new fellow writers, and got to catch up with a lot of old friends. Panels were pretty good.
The sad part is that this was the last SpoCon. Economic and financial issues drove the decision to close it out after this. Science Fiction and Fantasy fans evidently get most of their information and access to authors via the Internet and social media and don’t go to conventions as much any more. The costs of hosting conventions is getting prohibitive and the income from dwindling attendance just can’t support them. There will still be some conventions in our region, RadCon, MisCon, NorWesCon.
One of the things I love about conventions is, being a pro guest, sitting on some of the panels and participating in far ranging discussions about the craft, science, story, and other topics. I may get to some of the other conventions in the region in the future. We’ll see.
For now, we’ll just get through the seasons and hope for a good Spring.
Keep writing!
