It’s getting progressively colder every week here in Gifu Prefecture. I’m stoked to be able to wear actual coats again. I’ve even gotten to wear scarves a few times! This state of affairs is much appreciated.

Last year, while it did technically snow several times, the snow didn’t really stick down here in the lowlands. I could see the trees in the hills and mountains cloaked in white crystal – which I very much enjoyed – but I was never able to build a tiny, little snowman outside my apartment. Honestly, even in Seattle, I didn’t get to build a lot of snowmen, but it still snowed (and stuck) more often than here, providing significantly more opportunities. And if I was really hurting for some snow, I could always drive up into the mountains. Well, I say mountains. I really mean one specific mountain, my favorite mountain, the best mountain in the world fight me: Mt. Rainier. Rainier gets positively dumped in snow during the fall and winter, and even clear into spring sometimes. This is an El Nino year, which means there will probably be even more snow than usual. To be honest, I’m quite jealous of my Stateside compatriots who will get to reap the benefits of that climate cycle. The last few years, El Nino skipped us.

For now, I recognize that even for the hills and mountains, proper snow is still a ways off in Gifu Prefecture. Maybe come December, I’ll trek out to Mt. Kinka to enjoy an eyeful, but for now I’ll reminisce over old photos of Rainier.

Stay warm, everybody!