The Moon and the Snow.

[TheMightyFavog]

It Snowed today.

All day, the snow came down, in heavy wet flakes. It kept falling, making a big mess for everyone who had to drive today. The children were fortunate. Every public and parochial school in my area had closed for the first snow day of the year. Yes, it had snowed, all day and into the early evening. However, let us jump forward a bit. Let us go to 11:20 CST. It is clear. There is not a cloud in the sky. The moon is out. Tonight it shines so brightly, it’s almost as if it’s daylight. I could distinctly see my shadow projected on the blanket of snow that now covers all that I see. As I wander through my yard, I hear my footsteps crunching on the snow. In most spots, the first fraction of an inch of snow is fine and powdery, like fine sugar. They seem to magically sparkle in the bright light of tonight’s moon. Below this powdery layer is a heavy, compressed layer that gives a satisfyingly loud crunch under my feet. There is a brisk, cold wind out of the Northwest. It seems to cut right through my thick, brown parka as I seek shelter from its frigid bite behind the pile of logs that my father had ordered for heating our home. As I wander, I look to the sky. There are the stars, little pinpoints of light shining in the black sky. I see Orion, up there in the southern sky, on his hunt with his two canine companions. This is the part about Winter that I hold near and dear to my Wisconsinite heart.

[LeftCoast]

1. Growing up in SoCal

I never appreciated snow. Then I moved to the midwest for a while. One day it snowed and that night the skies cleared and there was a full moon. I went out for a walk and everything was completely quiet and all I could hear was the crunch of the snow under my boots. The snow was filled with little sparkles from the full moon. Magical!

[TheMightyFavog]

3. You know what?

After taking this little walk outside, this is the first time in a very long while that I feel at peace and relaxed. The Stress of Finals Week next week and the myriad of stuff that needs to get done just seemd to fade away.

[VOX]

2. Beautifully written, JC.

Your keen observations reveal the heart of a poet. We so often find ourselves griping about the weather that we do not take the time to revel in its beauty.

My dad lived in Milwaukee for awhile, and I remember a joke that locals told -- that summer occurred on the 4th of July.

Although I am in Southern California, I've been lucky enough to experience snow many times -- my grandmother owned a lodge in Idyllwild, and we spent many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays there. There was something quite magical about feeling the mountain shrouded within the clouds, then seeing the first few flakes, and watching the whiteness accumulate on the ground, until everything was covered with a pure, unsullied blanket of snow.

Best wishes :toast:

[Duncan Grant]

4. That brings back fond memories of "home", thanks.

I was raised in the midwest and I can still remember the muffled weight of the atmosphere after a long snowstorm; even old familiar sounds subtilely change.

That you can see (and write about) the beauty of that moment is a true gift to yourself (a great habit to cultivate, btw).

Ah-h-h, your post has made me *so* sentimental for a cold, quiet, snowy night at my parent's home. A lovely memory, thanks very much.

[TheMightyFavog]

6. Good old Calvin and Hobbes....

Great strip. They just don't make them like that anymore.

[NJCher]

5. writing that touches

Thanks, I saved it for re-reads (on other cold winter days).


Cher