Let It Snow!

The gardens are no longer shivering from the cold rain and wind. I awoke to all kinds of whiteness outside this morning. This is our first real snow of the winter. By the time the day was done, we had a couple of inches, with a promise of a little more throughout the coming week. I finally feel like winter has arrived, although I'm told by The Weather Channel that tomorrow is the day that the average winter temperatures start to rise and the days grow longer at a faster rate.

I always like to go out walking in the first snow of the season, and this was an excuse to wear my new furry boots. I took my camera with me and braved the 28° air. Simba, our 13-year-old Black Lab/Alaskan Malamute/German Shepherd/Unknown dog, just loves the snow, and has been known to curl up and sleep out in the open in a raging blizzard. She was romping and rolling in the snow today and accompanied me on my tour of The Acre in search of subjects to photograph.

While the overall dusting of white is beautiful in its own right, I try to look more closely at the details. Snow can turn the most mundane things into a piece of art. Its inherent beauty aside, it also creates a nice, warm blanket for the plants above and below ground, protecting them from the icy cold winds.

Fun Facts About Snow*

• The largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in the state of Montana in the United States of America. The snowflakes were 15 inches in diameter.

• The snow capital of the United States is Stampede Pass in Washington State. Each year, the average snowfall is 430 inches.

• People buy more cakes, cookies and candies than any other food when a blizzard is in the forecast.

• A blizzard occurs when you can't see for 1/4 mile. The winds are always 35 miles an hour or more. The storm must last at least 3 hours to be classed as a blizzard. If any of these conditions are less, it is only a snowstorm.

• The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour.

*From Suite 101