We did have a white Christmas!

We spent Christmas with my mother-in-law in Mount Shasta, in the mountains of northern California near the Oregon border. The days before Christmas were sunny and dry, but on Christmas morning it started to snow. The timing couldn't have been more perfect! 

While I did venture outside to take the photos for this post, this is the view from my mother-in-law's large living room window:

Western redcedars (Thuja plicatilis) with falling snow

Having grown up in a place with chilly winters, I really don't care for the cold, but I love the sight of falling snow. The red barn in my MIL's backyard makes for a wonderful subject:


A few succulents in the snow:

Aloiampelos striatula is considered to be hardiest aloe species. I planted five cuttings in the summer, and they've survived 19°F nights with no damage. Snow's a breeze compared to that!

Opuntia humifusa, the eastern prickly pear, “naturally occurs from arid areas of Montana southward to New Mexico, and eastward to the lower Great Lakes, and along the East Coast from the Florida Keys to coastal Connecticut. Its distribution in Canada is limited to the Carolinian forest in southern Ontario, specifically in Point Pelee National Park” (from Wikipedia)

In the winter, the pads of Opuntia humifusa lay down flat, probably to avoid breakage caused by snow

Snow kept falling throughout Christmas Day:

Hill in front of my mother-in-law's house

Driveway

Rhododendron

Western redcedars


My MIL's house framed by the Western redcedars on the hill


Bamboos in the backyard:

Stone bamboo (Phyllostachys angusta)

Black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra). Planting this bamboo was the subject of my first blog post (October 10, 2010)! Click here to read it.

Fargesia dracocephala 'Rufa' laid low by the snow

Phyllostachys bambusoides

Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'

And more views of the iconic barn:



Here's proof that I did venture out into the snow:


Here's wishing you a peaceful and relaxing rest of December and a Happy New Year. We can rest easy knowing that 2021 will be better than 2020. It simply has to.



© Gerhard Bock, 2020. All rights reserved. No part of the materials available through www.succulentsandmore.com may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of Gerhard Bock. Any other reproduction in any form without the permission of Gerhard Bock is prohibited. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States and international copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Gerhard Bock. If you are reading this post on a website other than www.succulentsandmore.com, please be advised that that site is using my content without my permission. Any unauthorized use will be reported.

Comments

  1. A beautiful sight with the falling snow through those tall cedars. Snow is the iconic Christmas symbol. Yet my hubby and I were wondering why when the original story occurred in a part of the world where there was no snow. Hmm. A wonderful holiday season to you and yours Gerhard. Elaine

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    1. It's interesting how so many histories and cultures have become conflated to create the stories and imagery of today!

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  2. Your mother-in-law has a gorgeous property, even more so with falling snow. Your photos do a wonderful job of capturing the beauty.

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  3. The snow covered trees are so picturesque, they'd make fantastic holiday cards

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  4. My heart jumped into my mouth when I first read your title. Snow in Davis? No way. That would make national headlines. Your pictures are superb (as always). My favorites are the first red barn and the Phyllostachys bambusoides. Thanks for such enjoyment.

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    1. Thank you, Jane. I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos.

      And I agree, if Davis had snow like that, it would make headlines!

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  5. Some storybook images there, Gerhard. I love the photos of the barn and those magnificent trees. I hope you had an enjoyable visit, snow and all.

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  6. Lovely images, especially poignant because looking is not that same as shoveling. Safe drive home!

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  7. Opuntia lie flat in the winter because they lose water and thus are less susceptible to cold

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