NOTE: This is my first week of “Derek Maul, Monday and Friday” posts. I’m still trying to adapt to this new rhythm of sharing…
I love walking in deep snow after it’s been on the ground for a little while and the temperature has dropped close to 20. Sparkling on the surface, trees glistening – deep, even, cold, and crisp underfoot.
This latest winter storm came in to Wake Forest Wednesday, took all day to move through, dropped over six inches, and was the most significant snow we’ve seen since we moved here in 2013.
The birds flocked to our feeders, Rebekah and I walked the neighborhood, and even Scout felt motivated to get her creaky old bones out into the garden.
Wake Forest is beautiful to start with, but this week’s addition of a pure coating of lovely crystals made everything picture-postcard perfect. It was the ideal North Carolina snow: beautiful, lots of fun, the town shuts down for two days, then it goes away. No downside, very little inconvenience, all good.
Earlier this morning, with the melt already set in and everything dripping, I walked into town to have coffee with a friend. Little by little, the normal untidiness and the imperfection is being revealed as the pure coating of snow changes into water and drains away.
At our house all those leaves I never raked up are (unfortunately) still there – even though I couldn’t see them for a few days. The dead branches are no longer hidden. The spider webs are still on the window sills. The paintwork that looked so clean covered in snow is still worn and crying out for help.
The snowfall gave me a glimpse – a welcome reminder – of how things can be when I stay on top of the cleaning, the repair work, and the day-to-day maintenance.
I guess it’s the same in every aspect of my life. A fresh snowfall only goes so far. But it sure makes for a helpful nudge.
– DEREK
(I have a lot of photos today, and they do tell a beautiful story. The pictures track the day it snowed, the beautiful snowy sunshine Thursday morning, then my walk back from town today. Enjoy them if you have the time. It really has been a winter-wonderland around here.)
Thanks for the gorgeous pictures! Wish we’d get some nice snow here in Kansas.
Thanks! We sure have enjoyed this!
The photos are absolutely gorgeous!
Love the pictures. Made me wish I was there….just for a minute. 🙂 Remember the silence after a fresh snow and how it didn’t really feel cold when we first stepped outside. But if the wind picked up with an icy breeze we would duck inside for a fresh cup of cocoa. Thank you for your story,
Evie
Thanks, Evie – good to hear from you 🙂