Many weather forecasts for mountain weather include the phrase “higher elevations.” Mountain weather is not only regional, it’s perpendicular, too. We’ve seen rain fall in the valley while watching the top of a mountain turn white with snow. Nathaniel noticed white covering the top of a mountain in Maggie Valley, and he wanted to see if it were rime ice. This weather phenomenon was new to us when we moved to North Carolina. That day, though, the white turned out to be snow. John stopped the car so that Nathaniel and I could get a few photos. I wanted to show how the snow stopped abruptly, and I included the grandson who lives at a higher elevation from me when we are in the same house.

We continued to my favorite waterfall. I’ve seen it in winter before, but it seemed rather bleak that day. We rushed on to church, enjoying the play of the setting sun on the mountain tops.