BATES – Sunrise on the Middle Fork this morning was almost a spiritual experience. By the time I drove to work, the sun was up but still coming straight at me low over the hills as I headed east toward Bates.

The area is still blanketed by snow and the temperature was cold, compared to balmy John Day – My dashboard told me it was just 10 degrees. But the scene was magnificent. All the willows and pine trees looked like they had been dipped in diamond dust.

And me, without a camera! What a bonehead.

Ah, well, sometimes Nature puts on a private show. Not for sharing, just to warm the heart.