So! For the last two days we have lost power completely!
It happened on Saturday night, when the snow was still building up...and then on Sunday morning, we had about eight or nine inches of snow.
It was
so beautiful. I went outside as fast as I could with the camera--and took one photo before the batteries ran out. Inside, of course, there was no power to charge it.
So, instead I took a notebook. I went back outside and sat there. For a
long time. And this is what I wrote.
I’m sitting outside as I write this. Outside, the cold breeze blowing through the back of my hoodie and the cold metal and snow beneath my legs.
Everything is so beautiful right now. Every feature of the trees or the sky or the snow compliments something else. That’s what makes this whole scene so breathtaking, I think.
It’s all absolutely perfect. The snow has a thousand tiny sparkles, with the rising sun shining over it like this. And the sun shines through the trees, too. Those trees over there—Birch? Poplar?—have ice coating each and every twig and branch. The sun is lighting them up, golden like maple syrup.
But they lean forward, some completely doubled over. They are exhausted from this weight.
Because, as well as this sudden ice, they’ve still got leaves. It’s only October. And now the snow has thrown everything off. It is a curse. A curse, for the trees.
You’d think it’d be silent out here, with me the only one outside. Just my pencil moving.
[Ow, ow, ow, my thumb is so numb I can barely turn the page…]
That isn’t the case, though. There are the geese. The shocked geese. They’re confused—there isn’t supposed to be snow yet. And so much of it. So much, so soon. They fly back and forth against the sky, honking in a panicked sort of way.
But most of all, there are the trees. They, too, were not ready. So now, every second, I hear the soft noise of small branches breaking. Breaking and falling down to the snow below. There are water drops dripping down too.
Everything looks so different in the snow. The trees across the water don’t look laden down like these ones, just frosted white. As though someone dumped flour down on top of them.
The Russian olive tree near me is small. Too small. The snow pushed it down so much that every single one of its branches are touching the snow. It’s a pre-made snow cave.
This is spectacular. Maybe the most beautiful snowfall I’ve ever seen.
The sun is shining. The horses stand stationary in the field.
I’ll be out here again. Later, but I’ll be more appropriately dressed (Gloves, jacket?) I’ll be sledding down the hill opposite, maybe making a snow sculpture or checking out the pre-made cave.
But now is just for observing.
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
Inside is cozy. Although there isn’t a fire in the stove, it’s still warm, which I’m very thankful for after freezing my butt off outside.
The table is littered with stuff—a jar of flowers, a camera, lots of papers and my watercolors. The cat is trying to drink the painty water (I don’t let her.)
The snow stuff is hung up next to the woodstove.
Cozy.
The power didn't come back on until yesterday night. (And speaking of yesterday, Happy Halloween!) A lot of people in the town neighboring us still have no power.
I've been sledding two more times now (it was great) and the snow outside is still deep. It's going to take some time to melt.
I really wish I had some more pictures of the snow on that first morning to post. It was incredible. I do have the one picture though.
Happy Halloween everyone. ☺
--avA
