The dawn was cloudy and gray this morning. After the first light the snow started to fall; small and delicate, the flakes floated slowly to the ground. There wasn’t much wind, so their gracefulness was beautiful. Within a few hours the snow stopped and the clouds cleared. This was a direct contrast to the snowfall we had earlier in the week. With winds up to 40 mph and snow falling at over an inch per hour, those blizzard conditions were anything but quiet and peaceful. That snowfall accumulated to 10 inches; today’s was a light dusting.
snow
The delicate side of winter
Winter can be cold, blowing, bitter, and rough. But there is also a uniquely delicate side to this season. The snow can fall quietly and softly, and it can alight on the most delicate of surfaces, gracing them with its white coating. These bee balm seed heads seemed to cup and receive the snow as it came down, holding onto it in the center. Without the weight of a wet snow, the stems stayed upright and beautiful – proud of their place in the winter wonderland around.
Another delay in the change of seasons
The temperature dropped and winter came back to Minnesota during the past mid-week. The blue skies and hope of spring were delayed and side tracked by a fast-moving front that dropped snow and brought back winter’s cold winds. The gray sky that accompanied this snow seemed gloomier than usual, perhaps because of the desire for spring. But as I wandered the hills, listening to the rattling of the oak leaves in the wind, I saw a brief opening in the clouds – just long enough for a shaft of light to come through and give hope again for an eventual departure of winter.
Moving into winter
Last weekend’s snow disappeared with the rain that followed for a few days. Once again our ground was visible, and winter seemed far away. But the snow started falling again last night, and by this morning we had six inches of fluffy white snow on the ground and the trees. There was no wind, so the snow stayed where it fell, gracing the branches and trees. This delicate hydrangea bloom was a recipient of the dusting, and it seemed to sparkle with the flakes scattered over its blossoms. The temperatures have been below freezing the last few days and the lakes are icing over. This afternoon I saw a large skein of Canada geese heading southward. They were much higher in the air today as they continued past their usual stops in our area, knowing that they must continue further south to find open water. And there was a noticeable stillness in the air tonight; a nearly full moon shone down as the snow glistened in its light absorbing the sounds as we quickly move into the winter season.
Fresh blanket of snow
We woke up this morning to a fresh blanket of snow — on the ground and on the trees. It was a wet snow, and with little wind it was clinging to the trees and piling up on the branches. Everything was fresh and white. As the morning wore on and the temperature stayed near 30 degrees, people were out enjoying the winter landscape. I saw a family building a snow fort, numerous snowmen in various shapes and stages of development, people walking and running, dogs playing in the snow, and even some sleds were brought out for the first time this winter.
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