New Years Eve: Foggy Ascent

I told him we were entering Middle Earth








The fog made it feel quite Hobbitly for some reason.





























Sweet pure snow . . . ahh! The magic!






























The Indian border.







Walking in fog all day was exhilarating and beautiful but there was always the nagging feeling that we were missing the vista of the Himalayan mountains. Somehow the fog heightened my senses and I noticed a lot of small things that I might otherwise have missed.



















A cheese (paneer) press







The sweet smell of pine







Rich textures







Weathered beauty








Hospitality of the proffered chair







The warmth of the kitchen





















Hanging on to life . . . by a thread







The beauty of the handmade and the hand making is breathtaking at times . . . in it's simplicity and unassuming backwater normalcy.














Tea . . . the great bringer-together of cold people.




























Keeping warm.







Friends





























For those crazy about machines. Old UNICEF Landrovers from the 50's.







Finally at our destination.







Goodbye decade!