The snow started last night around 11 pm. Chris and I were at home, fire roaring, watching movies when the flakes started coming down. At just before midnight, we bundled up, pulled on our snow boots and headed out into our neighborhood, which was completely still and silent. There was already a good two inches of snow on the ground and it was coming down hard, in big, wet flakes the wind blew sideways. It was if we were the only people in the world. At midnight, we were standing under a street lamp in the middle of the road and we stood listening as people cheered, firecrackers went off in the distance and church bells started ringing. It was magnificent.
It continued snowing through the night and we woke to a good ten inches of the white stuff. As I write this, it's started snowing again, with a couple more inches promised before all's said and done. Cars are moving slowly on the main roads and Chris has burned about a thousand calories shoveling our sidewalk and driveway, but it doesn't look like there's any need to leave the house. The fridge is full, we loaded in plenty of fire wood and we still have movies left to watch, plus a million books to read.
As Chris shoveled, I grabbed my camera and trudged out through the neighborhood to take some pictures of the winter wonderland, naturally. I just think there are few things more beautiful than fresh-fallen snow and it strikes me as particularly fitting on the first day of a new year -- just a clean, sparkling slate wherever you go. Here are a few of the things I saw:
