Winter rears up its watery head again

The rains returned again last night with a vengence, and early this morning, left a shroud of fog everywhere.

This is my first winter here in Santa Rosa and I am amazed at how green everything remains, yet it gets pretty cold and wet. The oak trees look startling and magnificent, leafless yet so powerful and large, it sets a moody canvas with the fog.

When the winter season began, there was a continous drone of acorns pinging on our roof, day and night. Now all the trees are bare, but the small fruit trees already have new buds emerging.

I'm up early every morning because my dog, Sam, likes to play fetch. He carries his treasured tennis balls everywhere we go.