“..it looks like a Norman Rockwell painting John Allen..” is perhaps the best compliment my Mom ever gave me.   And it was about this pic which hangs in her room.   I had eaten many a burger (and root beer float, swear to god its on the menu)  at Cottonwood restaurant high above the town of Truckee California.   I always thought the town looked so quaint from the parking lot, but I had only really seen it at night whilst sipping on one of my favorite deserts.   We prayed to the snow gods to release us from the drought and in early 2016 we were given salvation in a wonderful pineapple express that blanketed the Tahoe area with tufts of the white stuff.   Only, we were set to go back down the hill that morning which meant I had to ask the real boss if we could take a small detour before hopping on I-80.  Luckily she granted me permission and in the morning I rushed us out of the house and drove up the hill to the parking lot where I could see the clouds were starting to break up which meant I might get some really good light even though it was late morning.   Problem…snow shoes were back at the cabin.   No problem its only a few feet deep.   While my lovely wife and son watched,  I presented some morning entertainment trying desperately to get into position for the light.   I fell once (my wife says I fell more) but quickly picked myself up and dusted the powder off trying to get into position.   I set up and just as the clouds parted, I got myself my compliment.   Not a particularly difficult shot.  Graduated neutral density filter, polarizer to take any glare off snow, and I over exposed by about a stop and a third to get the snow white.   I’ve had many requests for this shot, but number 1 of 10 was taken when the shutter clicked.