I'm dreaming of a white...Thanksgiving?

As a native Oregonian here in the Willamette Valley I grew up dreaming, in vain, of a White Christmas. In reality I never experienced this phenomena until I was 22, engaged to Mr. P, and spending Christmas in his home town in Eastern Oregon where the snow is abundant. Those of you familiar with the valley know that Christmas is rainy rather than white.

Therefore it was to my awe and surprise last week as we drove east on I-84 into a white winter wonderland. I wish I could have taken pictures from the car. We were driving from Portland, Oregon where we had met up with Mr. P's parents and their snow tires, to Walla Walla, WA. What should have been a 4 hour drive turned into a 6 hour drive over solid ice. However, it was perhaps the most beautiful drive I have every been on. While we've driven east many times in the winter usually the snow doesn't start until you hit the Blue Mountains or maybe Pendelton. Due last weeks storm across the Pacific Northwest the entire Colombia Gorge was blanked in snow and delicate ice cycles had formed along the various rock formations. It was simply breathtaking.

We arrived in Walla Walla to a frigid 0 degrees and 6 inches of snow and woke up to this:

Our Thanksgiving started with a snow walk. Then we watched the parade, cooked, ate, watched football. We ended the day with a classic, The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Friday we watched our #1 Oregon Ducks beat Arizona. Assuming a win against our instate rival, the Beavers, Saturday we are headed to the National Championship for the first time!!!! I have to say that while I remember a lot of exciting football seasons here in Eugene, with two Rose Bowl trips and the Joey Harrington years, there has never been a better year to be a Duck!