Surprise snowstorm! Spring 2010.

December’s here and for the first time this winter, snow has popped up on the weather forecast for Cerrillos, New Mexico! In between researching, interviewing and writing my latest batch of stories for EARTH, I’ve been hauling firewood, chopping kindling, insulating pipes and making sure everything is battened down in case we get a real storm.

Snow covering the solar panels. I had to climb up on the roof and brush them off so I could get some power!

When it snows off the grid it’s not unusual to get to stuck out here for a few days until the road becomes passable. That’s one of the challenges to living down a very long, unpaved, private road: no snowplows! I don’t mind though. I always keep a supply of rice, beans, pasta, dog food and books on hand just in case. And when cabin fever strikes, I go for a good long snowy walk!

My driveway. Yeah, I'm not shoveling out of here...

See more Cerrillos snow pictures here and here. Enjoy!