First Snow at Our Little Acre

Nancy at Soliloquy has been hosting the Garden Bloggers First Snowfall Project, where garden bloggers around the world have been posting photos of their first measurable snowfall. I've been waiting and waiting for the day when I could participate and finally, that day has come! It's interesting that when I looked back to see when we received our first snow last year, it was nearly one year to the day (December 5, 2007).

I find it difficult to make the transition into winter, partly because I'm not a big fan of winter in the first place, but mostly because living in a climate such as ours, there are those periods between the seasons that are enough to drive a sane person mad.

When our exchange student Karina, who was from Quito, Ecuador (where every day is like spring), lived with us, she found it puzzling that once the calendar declared it to be winter, there wasn't cold weather and/or snow every day until March 21st. And on that date, she thought there would be no snow anymore. She also thought that snow stayed white until it melted. But of course, it isn't that way.

We have beautifully warm days in the fall and then in the span of 24 hours, the high temperature for the day can be 40 degrees colder. The next week might be warm again, and so it goes, until finally - once and for all - it's really and truly winter. When that time comes, I want snow. If it's going to be winter, give me snow!

This morning, I awoke to light flurries and they continued off and on through the day. It wasn't that nice, dreamy snow that drifts down lazily from the skies. The wind was blowing at a pretty good clip and it just looked downright nasty out there. I'd been down with the flu (or something) for the past two days, so there was no way I was going out in it to take pictures. It didn't look all that pretty anyway. But something did.

Luna had apparently run out of the garage when Romie left for work this morning and I could see him huddled in the cold out by the trellis garden. I opened the door to let him in, and I noticed the door mat. Luna took a flying leap over it, into the warm house, and I grabbed the camera.



This is the 2008 version of The Door Mat. It is just outside the back door that leads into our family room. Maybe you can see that the snow contains sleet, which looks like minuscule pellets.

The 2007 version of The Door Mat is of the one just outside the french doors in our dining room.




While I stayed in the house all warm and toasty, the inside cats enjoyed a little Cat Theater, watching the blue jays chase the house finches away from one of the window feeders. I'll admit, it was pretty entertaining to see. I was never able to get a photo of any of the jays; every slight movement sent them flying off. But the house finches didn't care. They were just hungry.



It's late and we're to get a little more snow by morning. I'll venture out tomorrow and get some pictures of "the real snow" and share them here.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!