Snow Business Like Show Business...

Stacey, a barista at Moody's Organic Coffee Bar in Mendocino, says the last time it snowed here was in 2011, just a dusting. This morning's surprise was three-inches on my and my three writing buddies' cars, less than a hundred feet above sea level. Mike and his wonder dog Mookie graciously and almost anonymously cleared all our front windshields as we three gals cleaned the fridge and prepared to pack out of our Air B 'n' B of four days. It was stunning to write and look up from the page and see the ever-changing steely Pacific.  The varied light show played all day!

When I lifted my trunk lid to put suitcases in, all the snow from the back windshield fell into the trunk. It gave me the giggles. So incongruous is snow in my world.  I started whisking it up with the handy-dandy dust pan my honey gave me for sand and stickers and leaves, Oh, My! and tossing the part-hail, part-snow, part-sleet onto the already muddy dirt driveway.

Robins in the yard were surprised and delighted by the treat of sluggish, half-frozen worms for  breakfast. Guess they were moving as slowly as I was - not wanting the glorious write time to end!

I wonder how snow looks to the whales under the surface. They're migrating south toward Baja California - their favorite spawning grounds. It was snowing ON the ocean! How extraordinary that is for California!

The novelty gave Moody's coffee customers stories to tell while we all waited in line for our lattes, cappuccinos, espressos or Americanos. The last time I felt a similar sense of permission to gush enthusiastically to strangers and to listen to their experiences was when the Golden State Warriors won the basketball championship in 2015 (the first of three times!) Throughout Oakland and beyond, barriers melted away between classes, genders, races, and ages. Everyone was talking about their experience of the winning game and Love for the Dubs. 

Sunday morning in Mendocino, the topic was cold white stuff falling on everyone equally.

Next, I suppose the water-cooler-hot-topic will be the Oscars. With so many films with diverse casts, I think it will be a record-breaking year that will lead many to sigh, "FINALLY!" 

This is Show Biz at its better... not Snow White.

 Snow on Mount Cobb above Healdsburg... Pens and Needles Writer's Retreat at Bishop's Ranch, February 4 through 7, 2019

Snow on the deck of the Air B 'n' B in Mendocino. That's the glorious Pacific in the background.

February 7-10, 2019 we four writers holed up writing and riding out the storm that dumped SNOW on this part of the world!

Backyard where fat robins found half-frozen slow-moving worms for Sunday Brunch.

 Four cars waiting to be cleared to drive home. 

 Front porch covered with powdered sugar.

Mookie Dog on Mike's lap. Terrific Mascot didn't let the Muse go missing for any of us!