Snow

For some us, there is way too much snow. For some it might be a way of life. Most of us are already hoping for spring. And then you have that small population who want more snow. It's not that I hate the snow, it's just that I am tired of it. I am tired of the white all around me. But, at the same time, it is quite beautiful. I can look across a field of untouched snow and how the sun explodes over it  and it is radiant. Then there are other times I have this urge to run through the snow just to put my footprints in it.


Several years ago, I lived in New Hampshire. A blizzard- like storm came in and it snowed and the wind blew like crazy for hours. The only time I went was to take the dogs out and then went right back in. Sometime in the early evening, the wind stopped just like magic or if an unseen someone turned off the wind machine. I can't remember if I took my dog Buster out (he loved the snow whereas my other dog, Snoopy hated the snow) but I dressed in couple pairs of pants and put on my gloves and coat. At the time, I lived in a development but it was a rather dark neighborhood, there were no street lights. The only light was provided by outside lights at the garage or the front door. The snow came down in fat chunks which always me think of cloud crumbles. I flopped in the snow and it was deep and I could hide in the snow. Looking up to the sky it  was stained in pink. I could never figure out if this is normal or light pollution but even now, I live on a mountain and I still see the pink night sky especially before or after a winter storm. So I am laying in the snow and I can already feel the cold stinging my ass but it didn't bother me. The chunky snow fell on my face and the only sound was the distant plow truck. I was probably 15 or so but I can remember just laying in the cold snow and feeling peaceful.

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I were fixing an inner tie rod on my car. There was some snow on the ground and it was really cold. There is a sweet silence that filled the air. Even the crows found solace in roosting wherever it is they hang their hat. The only sounds were those from the highway which is about a mile away and the occasional sound from the main road only several hundred feet from my front door. No children, no birds, just a gentle breeze the creaked the large evergreen in my neighbor's yard. Although my toes were about ready to fall off, it was rather calming sitting in the cold snow.

Yesterday, my husband and I went to Denny's and then to Wal-Mart for a little shopping and seriously I need to get out and do something because all these storms have been putting a damper on any plans, except for  running to the grocery store or the Laundromat.  We stepped out of the nice warm Wal-Mart and a gust of wind rushed by and took my breath away. It picked up snow and swirled it around as if it were smoke or foggy climbing from the swamp at night. The snow swirled and raced across the highway and made snowy worms squiggly on the salt-stained blacktop. The sun was covered by the blowing snow, but to see it was mesmerizing. If I had a camera, that would be a perfect photo.

Tomorrow, NWS already issued a Winter Storm Warning which means another 6 inches of snow or more. I want to complain but there are other people who are way worse off. But I am going to say I am looking forward to muddy shoes and muddy floors because that means the snow is melting. 

You know what really blows my mind about snow? Why it is white... For the science people you know why it's white because it reflects white light and our brain sees white. You know, this is mind boggling, at least to me. If you catch a snowflake, one of those perfect little flakes that drift lazily out of the sky, and you look at it, it is clear. Which makes sense, a snowflake is a frozen water crystal. But then when you have tons of snow all you see is white. But if you scoot down in the snow and find one snowflake, which you can do especially when it's mostly powder snow, it's clear. Do you see how amazing and mind boggling this whole concept is? Imagine if snow reflected purple wavelength, wouldn't that be weird, the world covered in purple.

Looking forward to weed whacking and wasp fighting....