Southern snow

Yes, the city is paralyzed, and we like it that way.

I had wondered if the weather predications were correct, but sometime shortly after 1:00 p.m., it started snowing.

Lily finds snow fascinating. She tries to catch it. She watches it intently. I had to let her go outside to investigate it up close. I did get worried as she disappeared for some time, but she reappeared, almost totally dry and snow free, so I can only wonder where she went to watch the snow.

We have a Japanese maple in the front yard that looked so lovely with the snow coating it. It made me think of Nimloth, the White Tree of Gondor, and how it may have looked when in full bloom during Aragorn's reign.

The other pictures were taken at various times just to show the depth of the snow. Snow is rare down here, and I enjoy it for a little while.

This morning when I rose, the first thing I did was look outside. In the early morning light, against a crystal clear blue sky, the trees across the street had an almost golden glow.

My little point and shoot, while a most convenient camera to carry, was unable to truly capture the light correctly. There are many pine trees in our neighborhood, and the golden tint of the sun on the snow with the hint of the deep green on the pine needles was breathtaking. I made Keith look out the window before I let him go back to sleep.

I've been attempting to take pictures of the birds. I love the way cardinals look against all the stark white of the snow, but they were being cunning and not allowing me to take any really good shots.

I had to take this one from inside.

None of my pictures have faithfully captured the colors of this morning. The sky is a crystalline blue, not the pale, overheated blue of summer or the intensely deep blue you see out west, but a rich, sky blue, entirely cloudless.

The snow is currently falling from the tree limbs, glistening like diamonds in the fresh sunlight. It looks like another snow storm, this time of silvery glitter in the clear light. The snow beneath the trees is no longer smooth, but is now pockmarked into craters, some large, some small, as snow falls from the limbs in both clumps and shimmering separate flakes.

I've waxed poetic long enough. I'd say enjoy the snow, but all too soon it's going to be a slushy, muddy mess with our cars covered with sand and salt. Ugh.