Sunday, January 27, 2013

no two flurries alike

snow. my childhood winters were steeped in snow.



i can't say i long for those long, dark, frigid winters where scraping ice from windshields was a morning ritual. but i do love a rare central virginia snowfall now and again. the transformation of all the world's clutter to mounds of white sparkle is truly a gift. there is a fragile grace even to cars slowly making their way along an unplowed road. a bird lands on a snowy branch. a cat carefully paws through the heavy.



i was called to a birth in the early morning hours of our most recent snow. the fifteen mile drive into town was slick and sketchy in places, but very manageable. luckily i was able to pull around a pick up truck that was spinning out on a rise in the road.



i feel so fortunate to have witnessed the purest snow hours of the early morning, and to have that magical scene tied to an equally magical birth. what a way to begin a day! i returned home to a roaring fire in the woodstove, popovers that tristan and tashi had baked, and an afternoon of napping and play. school was canceled and tashi was in her wintry element. even though she was born in california, she has a fair bit of a northern snow maiden in her blood.



and to bring a close to the day, dan and i saw yo la tengo play in charlottesville's jefferson theater. the bitter subteens night was nothing but hot in the theater. they performed a perfect blend of music that mesmerizes and melts. i was blissed out, even in the most discordant moments. it was a rare and beautiful thursday.



the following pictures are from yesterday afternoon, two days after the snow, mostly melted but for a few patches that allowed for a tiny snow baboushka and sneaky snowball fight.









what will this week bring? forecasts call for freezing rain tomorrow, temperatures in the high 60's the following day, a possibility of severe thunderstorms wednesday, and by friday, more snow. is it spring? or is it a new season altogether, one yet unnamed? what ever it may be, enjoy each day, each a reminder of mother nature's power over us all!


No comments: