First Snow

One weekend ago, Ryan and I stood in our backyard, in t-shirts, tearing down the remnants of summer and raking up the remnants of fall.

This weekend: snow.

The snow surprised me, actually. Sure, they predicted it, but we were on the southern bubble, and it seems like in the past few years, when the first snows are predicted, the promised accumulation is actually a dusting. So this time, I expected the dusting.

We still went to the store the night before, because I figured there would be the panicked folks who would go buy up all the bread and milk, and while this would NEVER be my choice of food staples for a blizzard, both things were actually on my grocery list, so I wanted to be sure to beat the crowd to get them.

The first flakes were the kind you have to squint to see - the kind that count only if you're in some kind of a contest to see the actual first snow. I figured the flurries were about to fizzle out, and then they didn't.

I sat in a restaurant with my friends and watched as snow-globe-esque flakes fell. We watched as they stuck to the cars and then the road. We watched as other people entered with giant, almost fake-looking flakes clinging to their coats.

Not just flurries.

We picked our way home from lunch, respecting the heavy, wet snow that sloshed against the wheels, and hoping those coming toward us were kind enough to do the same.

I grabbed the camera and headed into the yard to capture a winter made more beautiful by the safety of the yard.

I prayed as I took pictures, because I knew somewhere out there, people were wrecking cars and finding the hard part of first snows, even as I was overwhelmed by the powdery beauty of the same snow.

The snow was lovely but so thick and wet...I had to let my coat and hat dry out when I came inside, and I had to dry off my camera with a towel.

I heard from some of you {east and west coasters, I'm looking at you!!!} who didn't get snow, so I wanted to share some of ours in pictures.

I have to say...it's so much more fun to enjoy snow when you're not driving in it. Here's to a winter of not commuting!

Linking up!