Cold Magic

I took a walk in the woods yesterday as the snow was still falling. Most of it had arrived over night. I left behind deep footfalls as I made my way into the white. A snowy forest is a quiet and still place and I could here the snow falling and after a while I began to notice the flakes sticking to my coat. It seemed a marvel that with my naked eye I could easily see each snow flake, crystalline and unique. They started out tiny but got bigger and I watched in wonder as each flake landed like a miracle. Soon, I laid out a blanket upon which to catch the flakes and began taking a flurry of photographs with no special equipment. These flakes were about the size of cupcake sprinkles and needed no magnification to see. What a gift, I thought, to be able to see such design in nature. Perhaps this isn't that unusual but I certainly have never seen snow such as this. I hope others in my neck of the woods noticed, too. It was some kind of magic to behold. Though winter and snow often feel like burdens, there are always reminders that it is truly a gift and with it comes the promise of spring, of green, and other magic soon to come. If only you take the time to look, to see.

Flakes on my dog, Derby's fur