The first snowfalls in the land of the big skies are magical.
Cloaking the world around us with softness, wiping clean the memories of last winter.
Winter welcomed with open arms.
The anticipation of Christmas, the joy of the season, it’s enough to keep us warm.
We pause to take a breath and be fully immersed in the novelty of snow fluff.
The soft glow of the sun as it tries to climb out of the clouds infuses every inch of the outdoors with pearly tones.
Come outside, it’s not as unforgiving as it looks, it lies to us, and we believe it. Anything to see beyond the four walls of stifling indoors.
Fingers numb, toes cold, skin bracing, nose prickling, it’s well worth the effort to bend limbs stuffed with multiple layers into jacket sleeves in order to capture this frosty glow.
We are pioneers, we are strong, we lie to ourselves, look at us dashing through the snow, camera in hand, how brave. Look no mittens.
It’s a winter wonderland, fence posts laden with snow like candy canes, and sugar plums to our eyes. See that tree, the bare branches piled high with white, the road even looks like sugar dust. Click, and hold the camera to our warm bodies as it’s battery dies down… just one more shot, pleeeease.
The warning signs of frostbite, numbness in the button pushing bare finger ignored as worth the cost of agonizing tingles to come later. We are tasked with capturing brown branches sprinkled with white garland, a dusting so light it blows away with our breath.
Click as the birds soar above our heads, everything looks magical in this light. We are in danger of shattering with the cold, clouding over brings a chill unwelcome, but we must capture the light… and then it’s gone.
Hidden behind a cloud, it cries tears of snow as it goes.
Warm memories of heated rooms, and purring cats draw us home.
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening…