The first snow. It changes the world overnight. We thought we weren’t ready for it. The bikes are not yet hung in the garage. The last of the carrots were just picked a week ago and the garden tilled then put to bed. Now we must be ready for winter. The snow blankets everything, putting the work we still had to do to rest.
Even Nature is caught with the early snow. High bush cranberries hang bright red in contrast to their white blanket.
The big flakes of snow come down fast and heavy. Beautiful.
We search for boots, hats, mittens. What still fits?
Our youngest, Katlyn is ready to switch from riding her bike to sleds and skis.
She can’t wait until Rosie, the youngest of our dogs, is harnessed and ready to pull her in the plastic sled. Last year, they literally wore the bottom out of the sled with their multiple trips up and down the road. Katlyn laughs as she tells me how much fun it is to go fast behind Rose. Exuberantly, she explains about how much fun it is to go down the hill so fast that she passes Rose or wipes out. It doesn’t matter to her which one she does, they are equally fun.
I stop to admire the snow. I too love the change. The chickadees are chattering their song and visiting the feeder during the daylight. I stop to hear them too. Their songs so uplifting. I marvel at how they survive the long winter even though they can fit on the palm of my hand.
It’s perfect. 28 degrees, flat light, warm body, and cold cheeks.
As we continue to enter life’s many seasons, we must pause to enjoy the present, because too soon, it will be a memory and we will wonder if we took the time to enjoy it.
