snow

We were dusted with 2 or 3 inches of snow last night. It started around 6 pm and slowly accumulated through the night. I drove home last night after it had been snowing for a while. Snow had already drifted over the hood of the vehicle and stayed put until I reached the state line (and thus the end of the asphalt). Once I hit the washboard gravel road, the snow on the hood started to dislodge. A spray of snow would whoosh over the windshield every few moments, like a distant flash of lightning out of the corner of your eye. When I pulled into the place, a nice young buck deer was standing in front of the bunkhouse. A deer in the headlights, quite literally, he stood for a moment and then ran through the yard towards the pond.

I have been looking forward to some eventual snow, having missed the last eight winters out on the west coast. Nevertheless, I could have enjoyed a bit more autumn than the measly three weeks we've had so far. And considering that there was snow on the ground last April, this could be the beginning of six months of wintery weather (which is a little more than I had bargained for, frankly). Then again, it was 85 degrees on Sunday. I spent the better part of the day taking off the window screens and putting up the storm windows...in a tank top. It seemed a bit ridiculous at the time to be preparing for winter, but such is our wildly unpredictable weather. It really is true what they say: "If you don't like the weather in the Sandhills...wait ten minutes."

I put on my boots and coat, while I was waiting for my coffee to brew this morning, and went outside. I had forgotten the silence that follows the snow. All the noise around you is muffled and you feel so pleasantly alone in the world. The only sound is the soft cadence of your own breath. It felt nice, as did the cup of hot coffee awaiting me inside.