Like it or not, I had to go to town yesterday. The sun was shining here when I made a run for it, but three miles away I hit the first snow flakes. It snowed heavily all the way across Bucks Bar (a winding, twisting, two-lane road with some twelve-degree grades) and the wipers were packing it down on the windshield by the time I got to Diamond Springs. From there, it was clear to Cameron Park and back, but I was again pelted with snow on Bucks Bar on the way home. I wasn't looking forward to unloading a month's worth of groceries in rain or snow, but the white stuff seemed to be limited to Bucks Bar Road and it wasn't even drizzling here. I was putting the supplies away when the hail started. I truly hoped the chickens were inside, because this stuff hit like shotgunned rock salt and would have brought the little girls to their knees (do chickens have knees?). Bess went out to survey the damage, and this is what the deck looked like after just three minutes of hail. The temperature has remained constant at thirty-six degrees, and all this white stuff is still where it fell. Now that it's light enough, I see the hills across the way are covered in snow, and the wind is howling. The cats have opted for their indoor box, and Bessie Anne remains snuggled up in bed. Guess it's going to be just me and the goats (and Poppy) outside today.
