Our weather has remained cold this past week with temperatures hovering around zero at night. With this extended cold snap all the lakes within the Cities are frozen over. Until a snowshoe hike yesterday, it has been awhile since we’ve seen any open water. We ventured to the far southern edge of Dakota County, Minnesota to the Miesville Ravine Park Reserve. Way off the beaten path, and down a winding gravel road, we had the park all to ourselves on this late afternoon. The crunch of our snowshoes broke the silence of the cold air. The trail followed alongside a small creek which accompanied us with its sound of tumbling water. There were a few bird calls and one squirrel that was racing across the snowy landscape, but otherwise we were alone as the sun was beginning to move low on the horizon. We crossed the road to where the creek joined into the Cannon River and were surprised to see bits and pieces of ice floating in the water, sometimes gathering along the shore and becoming more dense. The sun was shining on the hillside opposite of the ravine causing the barren trees to take on a golden reddish hue. Their warm tone was a beautiful contrast to the white of the snow and the ice on the ground.
snow
All’s quiet on Christmas eve
We awoke on Christmas eve to more snow. In what has become our snowiest December on record, another five or six inches of snow served to freshen the white coating. After taking care of last-minute shopping and dinner preparations we decided to take some time for ourselves. A drive into Saint Paul brought us past this lovely neighborhood park, complete with a beautiful tree shimmering with a fresh dusting of snow and sparkling lights. The perimeter of the park was marked by luminary candles, and off in the distance were the lights of the Cathedral of Saint Paul where people were making preparations for Midnight Mass. For the time we were here at the park, this night was still and quiet. This was the time to appreciate the evening, the beauty we enjoy during winter, and this magical and hopeful season of Christmas.
Morning after the blizzard
This morning dawned bright and cold. The air temperature was hovering around zero, the wind was blowing sharply from the north, and the sun was crisp. Our surroundings in the Twin Cities had changed over the previous 24-hours as we had added 17 inches of snow to the five inches that remained from our last snowfall. With the forecast on Friday of heavy snow by Saturday, people were busy preparing for the worst. At 9:00pm Friday night the grocery store parking lot was packed, and all the checkout lines inside were 10 to 12 people deep. Saturday saw very few people on the roads as the snow fell all day long, with the wind blowing it into drifts that were beautifully artistic, not to mention deep. I’ve learned that in a snow of this type, you do NOT wait until the snow stops to shovel. Those people who didn’t begin to shovel until today were faced with snow up to their knees, and that was once they had cleared a way to get out the door. For all the gray and snowy skies of yesterday, the bright sunshine today was welcome, even if the temperatures stayed only in the single digits. It is a beautiful white landscape here, and I’m sure it will be a white Christmas in the Twin Cities this year.
Winter’s textures and lines
The fluffy, powdery snow started falling Friday afternoon and continued throughout the night. By the time I got up on Saturday morning, we had about seven inches of fluffy, white snow covering the ground and trees. With no wind, it was beautiful! I headed over to one of the nearby golf courses. What I found was a beautiful study in the textures and lines of winter. The branches of the old oak trees were outlined in white. Their rugged bark was dusted with snow in places, and was a sharp contrast to the smoothness of the snow on the ground. And the side light from the sun was adding its own lines and shadows as it cut over the snow at an angle, sometimes creating a bright sparkle as it caught a crystal of ice just right. What seemed like a simple, nondescript scene became one of interest and beauty, and I found myself marveling at all the little nuances that were there before me.
Winter’s arrival
We knew it was coming. We knew it wouldn’t be much longer. We knew it was inevitable. But we were enjoying our moderate temperatures and fall-like weather, when all of a sudden winter arrived. The temperature dropped 30 degrees, the wind blew, and the snow fell. And it fell, and it fell, until we had over six inches of wet, heavy snow. Overnight our neighborhood because populated with snowmen & women.
And with winter’s arrival, I’m reminded that the holidays and the new year are fast approaching. Please be sure to check out my holidays cards and 2011 desk calendars. With original and distinctive images, the cards are a memorable way to send your holiday greetings. And the desk calendars will brighten anyone’s day — a great gift to give, or receive. The information about both the holiday cards and calendars can be found as separate pages on the top of my blog page at www.LindaStaatsPhoto.wordpress.com or you can click on the links from my website at www.LindaStaatsPhoto.com. As quickly as the snowpeople appeared in our neighborhood, the holidays will be here! Don’t be scrambling at the last minute for cards and gifts!
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