January 2026 • Orchard Valley
Snowfall in the Orchard Valley
A rare, bright hush settled over the orchard rows, muting sound and clarifying every line in the landscape.
Snow in the valley arrives without ceremony. One evening of wind, then silence. By sunrise, the rows are white and the geometry of the orchard appears almost architectural.
Footsteps carry farther in the cold. We walk perimeter first, then returns, checking limbs and supports while the frost still holds.
By noon, meltwater begins threading the lower paths, and the ranch exhales into the familiar palette of ochre, cedar, and stone.