The Red Elm Under Amazing Clouds

It is one of the snowier winters I can remember. But fortunately for me, many of our snows and weather events have occurred on Mondays or Fridays, when I don't typically need to be out and about driving anywhere.

Monday late afternoon into evening, we got our latest little snow storm. It came down prettily, softly, gently. It felt like we were living inside a snow globe. You might call it an onion snow, or a sapling bender. Out where I live, we got about two inches of fresh, fluffy snow. In town, they had just a skiff, and it was gone well before lunchtime the next day.

I am a lover of snow. Always have been. And April snow is just as beautiful as December or January snow. But it is not usually quite as well received. We adore those first few snows: Look, how pretty! But in April, the reaction around here was quite different: Ugh, was it supposed to do this?

Still, as I said, I am a lover of snow, and so out I went, first thing on Tuesday morning, ready to capture pictures of the snow before it disappeared. You must move quickly in April, for these snows never last very long.

I love a world covered in snow. It is quieter, gentler. Sounds are muted. The environment is transformed. I read a description a winter hiker wrote recently in an online forum I follow, describing walking in snow: peace on top of peace. Ah . . . just reading that made me feel good.

The clouds were doing amazing things when I arrived, but they started to disappear by the time I left. I found I couldn't resist a few pictures of the red elm with blue sky and a couple of pretty clouds above it.

So here is a shot of the red elm at the juncture of winter-into-spring. I cannot guarantee I will get any more snow shots, so please enjoy this glimpse of such an ephemeral thing.  :-)

I wanted a song to go along with that pretty blue sky, so here is Elton John, with I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues.