It has been unusually cold and dry in the high altitude mountain valley where we live. We usually have deep snow on the ground by now, but instead the snow pack is thin and has low water content. From left to right: mouse tracks in the fresh snow this morning with our Great Pyrenees dog on guard as usual (1-15-13); South Mountain in the Ortiz mountains, soon after sunrise; South Mountain as the rising sun first brushed it in gold; the sun pillar this morning, caused by tiny single crystals ice all floating horizontally in the perfectly still and cold air this morning.