First Snow

Snow is a rarity in California. People living in towns like Big Bear or Arrowhead will read that sentence and then send me hate mail, but it's true! Er... with the exception of the Sierra Mountains and a few other communities (there, happy?). California, on the whole, is not usually subject to snow. So when the meteorologist predicts snow for the Santa Cruz Mountains, one greets such news with a certain degree of skepticism. Early this morning, however, the Arctic air that was sucked into our low pressure zone from Alaska supercooled the clouds above Boulder Creek, turning our (apparently ENDLESS) rain into a fresh blanket of the genuine article!

Staci's parents were visiting us for a few days, and it was her father who first noticed that our skylights were covered in white. We threw on coats and scampered outside taking a million pictures like the bunch of Southern Californian fools that we all are. We opened our mouths to catch snowflakes and even engaged in a snowball fight (half of which is pictured below - turns out we were both terrible shots). We continued this silly behavior until the fact that we were all wearing pajamas with coats on over them sort of started sinking into our bones, and then we quickly re-entered the house to fix hot cocoa and huddle by the wood burning stove.

Curious about just how low the snow came, we went online to Google Earth to figure out exactly what elevation I live at. It was here that we made a truly shocking discovery. I live less than 500 feet above sea level.

... eh? I looked again. It was still true.

This hardly seems possible. I live on top of a MOUNTAIN, in the FOREST. It's freaking COLD in the winter and boiling HOT in the summer. We just got snowed on for heaven's sake... it can't be true. I can't possibly live closer to the ocean than the top of the Golden Gate Bridge... it makes no sense. I could go on and on and on about how flabbergasting this was, but I will spare you.

Oh well, having the snow was seriously cool - our neighbors have informed us that it snows here approximately every other year, so Staci's parents lucked out on the timing. The best part about it? It was completely melted after about four hours. (Sorry Big Bearians and Arrowheadites.)