It Snowed!

I had no intention of being absent from my blog all month!

My excuse is a simple one,

we've been very busy!

So, now I need to do a little catching up.

We had an early snow!

Across the state snow was falling.

Within 40 miles snow was falling.

I almost got in the car to go see the snow!

I didn't though, I waited and waited;

watching the windows as I went about my day.

Finally, I saw flurries!

The snow fell steadily for several hours.

The bushes and trees reminded me of children

stretching out their mittens to capture the falling snow.

It's not too often that you're able to see two seasons at once,

Don't they go beautifully together?

The next morning brought sunshine.

I stood for a very long time watching the wind blow the snow

and leaves out of the trees.

It was magical!

This was a quick snowfall.

Arrived in the afternoon.

Left before noon the next day.

It was just enough to make me wish for more.

You know me,

I. LOVE. SNOW!

"The first fall of snow

is not only an event,

it is a magical event."

~ unknown

The Beauty of January

Winter makes me happy. There's something about it's cold crisp air that makes me smile. The first day of January was a beautiful day with a gorgeous sunset. Just look at all that golden color! 

Even grey misty days brought magic. I only have to look for it.

This year we've had our share of freezing days. In central Arkansas our average January daytime temperature is in the low 50's. As you can tell by the ice on this small lake, it's been well below that. It's not easy going out when it's bitterly cold, but I go out everyday looking to see what's new. 

Today I found water dripping off the corner of the house, creating tiny ice sculptures around blades of grass. Yes, I know it's very weird, but the grass is still green in spots!

I went to check the small creek in the woods behind the house. It's swift moving water has kept it from freezing solid, but there is a thin layer of ice on top that makes fascinating patterns.

January has brought pretty days with blue skies, grey days with drizzle, cold days with sleet and ice, but the best day arrived on Tuesday! It snowed! It finally snowed! I didn't get to stand at the window with a mug of hot chocolate and watch the falling snow because it began about 9 p.m. and quit before morning, but there it was when I woke up and rushed to the window. It was a fine, powdery snow and the wind was gusting, so it didn't stick to many of the trees. 

There was no way I was straying inside even if it was only 13 degrees and the wind was really blowing. I put on plenty of layers, snow boots, and a toboggan and was ready to endure the elements! I wasn't the only one wearing a cap, so was this rock in the creek, only my cap was warmer than his.

There's so much to love about winter in Arkansas. I hope wherever you are, you're enjoying your winter whether your inside or out!

An hour of winter day might seem too short.

~ Robert Frost

Needing A Little More Winter

Spring is in the air, even though it's not quite time for spring.  I don't mind the beauty of spring, the flowers, the colors, the rains, the warm breezes, but I am sad that we didn't have a winter. I know many of you did. You had a rough winter with above normal snowfall. You had bone-chilling temperatures. You may have been without power and isolated in your home. Here in Arkansas, we have breezed through this winter. We only had one snowfall. It was a beautiful one, a perfect one; several inches of snow one day, roads clear the next, and life went on. I know I'm different, but, oh how I missed the snow, the cold fresh air, the rosy cheeks, and frozen fingers. This winter wasn't enough for me. I don't think I'm alone in this feeling, just in the minority. People give me strange looks when I say I love the winter months. Today, I'll think of winter one more time and put away my snow boots and heavy coat and move on. Today, I'll go outside and find some small sign of spring to cheer me up!

Hiking In The Snow

There are things in our life that we want to do, but circumstances don't always allow them to happen. Such was the case with my desire to get a picture of the Old Mill in the snow. I've wanted to do that for years, but it's in an area with hilly roads that become slick in snowy/icy weather. Finally, I was able to get there in the snow. The roadways were clear, but the snow was still on the ground. I knew it had to have been much prettier the day before when all those trees were covered in snow, but instead of feeling disappointed I decided to just accept what it was and be thankful that I got there at all!

My sister was with me and we decided we weren't ready to head home. We were enjoying the snow and the sunshine, so we headed to Pinnacle Mountain State Park. In the picture above Pinnacle is in the distance covered in snow.

Near the visitor's center is a beautiful quarry. I don't know what type of minerals are in this water, but it is a beautiful blue/green. Beginning at the quarry is a trail that we've never hiked. We debated whether to hike it for about, oh, five seconds and then we hit the trail.

We realized as we began walking that no one had walked the trail since it had snowed. We couldn't decide it that was cool thing or if maybe others knew better than to walk the snowy trail.

As we went deeper in the woods, the trail became less visible under the snow. If the trail had not been marked so well with green paint on the trees, we would never have competed it. Who knows where we would have wound up. At least, we knew we couldn't get lost, we only had to turn around and follow our footsteps out.

There is just something so magical about hiking in the snow. It's amazingly quiet. Sometimes the only sound was the water flowing down several small creeks that we had to cross. 

After seeing all the snow in other parts of the US, it makes me very grateful that when it snows, it's usually only small amounts; six inches this time. Our lives return to normal pretty quickly!  Of course, there's nothing normal about Arkansas weather!  It was up in the 60's today and will be close to 70 tomorrow! 

Snow Day

It began as sleet peppering against the windows.

Around midnight it turned to big fluffy flakes of snow.

By morning we had at least six inches.

It didn't take me long to bundle up and head outside.

It's a different world out in the woods with everything covered in snow.

The usual browns of winter had turned to almost black and white.

The pine trees were gorgeous, their branches holding layers of snow.

There is nothing like the quiet in the woods on a snowy day.

All I could hear was the sound of water,

a few birds, and my own footsteps.

It was the perfect snow.

The snow fell.

Children got a snow day from school.

Snowmen were built.

Snowballs were thrown.

The sun popped out mid-morning.

The roads began to clear.

By mid-afternoon life around the city was pretty much back to normal.

Perfect!

I want to thank my friend, Katie Austin, for showing me the beautify of the world through a crystal ball. I love snow globes and now I feel like I can make my own!

Let It Graupel?

It fell softly this cold January morning.

Little bits of snow surrounded by ice crystals.

Snow pellets I call them.

They landed on my garden bench.

They fell on the window of my car.

A little acorn collected them in its bowl.

They were caught in silky spider webs.

Little bits of crystal wonder.

After I came in to warm up I did a little research on snow pellets. They are called graupel. They form when snow passes through cool water in the atmosphere. Ice crystals form instantly around the outside of the snow. They are also called soft hail or tapioca snow. Tapioca snow sounds much better than graupel to me.

Winter came down to our home one night

Quietly pirouetting in on silver-toed slippers of snow,

And we, we were children once again.

~ Bill Morgan, Jr.

Renewing The Journey - Part 2

This week's exercise for Renewing The Journey involved returning to a familiar place or subject and taking at least fifty pictures.

There are places that I repeatedly visit with my camera. Some because I find quiet and solace there, some for their beauty, and some to capture it in different seasons. Different seasons was the reason I found myself at the Pugh's Old Mill. The mill is a historic re-creation of an 1880's water-powered grist mill. It was used in the opening scenes of the classic movie "Gone With The Wind" which was released in 1939. I've always wanted to take pictures of the mill in the snow, but icy, snowy streets have prevented me going. This latest snowfall was followed by warm days. While snow was still on the ground, the streets quickly cleared. This was my chance to capture the mill in winter. Although a lot of the snow was melted at the mill, there was enough left to show it's winter.

Returning to a familiar place is an opportunity to look at things differently; to find different perspectives. It's a chance to explore, to see something you haven't seen before. When you return to a familiar place, the time of day you're there is different creating different light and shadows. The sky is a different color in each season. This time the light, the sky, and the water were perfect for a good reflection. As I took this picture, I knew it would be my favorite. I am fascinated with reflections. I saw several reflections and took several pictures, but this one remained my favorite. 

The bare trees created beautiful shadows on the side of the mill. I found the mill to have a lonely feeling in winter without the leaves on the trees and the beautiful garden flowers of spring. The mill in spring makes me think of romance. The mill in winter makes me think of a cold, harsh living.

Going to a familiar place can never be as exciting as seeing it the first time. I remember the first time I took my camera to the Old Mill. I took hundreds of pictures. This time there were far less to cull through.

I have always enjoyed returning to a place with my camera. To me it's like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while. The person is familiar and the place is familiar, but there is growth, changes, and things not seen before. I feel the same way about parting, too. I'm never quite ready to leave an old friend and I'm never quite ready to leave a place I enjoy.

I added a couple of pictures of the mill so you could see the differences in spring and summer. Now, I only need to get there in the fall.

Sunday Sundries - Edition 45 - Snow and Fog

"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Snowy Shadows

The sleet came first. For hours I could hear it peppering against the windows. 

Then came the snow, but sadly it came after I was asleep.

I  missed seeing it fall soft and powdery on top of the ice.

When I woke up the sun was shinning bringing light and shadows.

Delicate shadows beneath my azalea bushes.

Crazy shadows of limbs stuck in the snow.

Even the barbed wire cast a fine shadow.

By late afternoon the snow was melting off the roof,

dripping on the front steps,

creating tiny ice sculptures.

The persimmons were right. We finally had lots of snow.

The groundhog was right. We had six more week of winter.

I think spring is not far away

I will miss the winter.