The Joys of Snow

I love when it snows...here are a few of the reasons why...mostly, it brings out the child in me :)

This morning, when I stepped outside for the first time, I was greeted by the incredibly crisp, clean smell of fresh fallen snow.  So refreshing, lol!  And then I spotted this interesting needle ice sprouting through the dirt...really neat looking...they are formed when the temperature of the soil is above freezing (32 degrees F) and the surface temperature of the soil is below freezing...as the unfrozen water in the soil freezes as it hits the surface, and the resulting pressure keeps pushing the water up through the surface, creating the tentacle like crystals.  Fascinating and beautiful, each and every crystal is unique and individual, just like us! Couldn't stop myself from saying that, it's true after all!

Another thing I love about fresh snow is the sound of crunching beneath my feet as walk across a new bed of snow (the sound does depend on the moisture in the air and snow, but there is always 'snow walking music').  Click on the video to watch and listen (if you have received this blog post by email, click on the title to go to the web site posting to see the video).

Footprints in the snow are another pleasantry of newly fallen snow...I came across these prints on the bridge over our creek, not sure what they are, they had already begun to melt a bit, but it's fun to see the evidence of wildlife passing by!  Any guesses on what they might be?

Having nothing to do with the snow, I (Johny was in town today) had an impromptu visit with our friends Ursula & Dick, who after calling because they were in Franklin (much closer to us than their house in the GA mountains is),  and stopped by with their dog Gretchen to say hello (truth be told, Dick really wanted to check out our deck, he hadn't seen it yet). It was a nice to see them.  Relaxed.  Comfortable.  Good conversation.  And they liked my Spritz cookies!

One thing that didn't happen today was sledding...Mountain Man and I are waiting for "the big snow" that will give us enough ground cover to sled...it brings us back to our younger days and fills us with giggles, hoots and hollers (in addition to a few bumps and bruises we inevitably gain during our sled runs!).  I can't wait to share videos of that with you...so let it snow!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise