A little over a month ago, I made a quick trip up to Yosemite right after arriving home from Arkansas which was relatively soon after returning from my trip to the Colorado Rockies. I really hadn't planned on a trip so soon after arriving home, but the forecast was calling for 6-10 inches of snow in the valley and the travel restrictions in the valley had been lifted, so off I went. The juxtaposition between the two seasons couldn't have been more striking as the oaks were just hitting their peak almost everywhere you looked as I arrived. By the following morning, heavy snow blanketed the entire valley and I spent most of the day looking for opportunities all over the valley floor. This shot was taken during a brief break in the weather and it was snowing heavily again just an hour or so after this shot was taken.
The weekend would have been even nicer had it not been for the ominous knocking that began to emanate from my engine when I started it at 4 AM in the middle of the snowstorm up at the tunnel. It banged and rattled fiercely for about 30 seconds but then settled down. I hoped it was not too serious and I headed home a bit earlier than planned as I was worried about the drive back. Turns out that Priuses aren't overly fond of being driven for 10,000 miles almost non-stop, especially when they are nearing the 200,000 mark. After returning home, my mechanic informed me that my head gasket was shot and that a new engine might be in order. Just when I was beginning to think that Toyotas were truly indestructible…
As 2020 comes to an end, I find myself grateful for the experiences that I have had, but I won’t be sad to see the back side of this year. I think back to a trip that I had made to Yosemite 11 months ago…I had no idea what was coming. In spite of all of the challenges that we currently face, including missing some of our loved ones this year due to travel restrictions, I am hoping that all of you will have a very safe and Merry Christmas. Here’s to a much brighter 2021!
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