Welcome, snow!

I didn't miss it! The snow, that is. It's here, and more is coming by the hour. The gentle quiet of snow surrounds Brandy Hall, muffling the world's ordinary sounds with the settling of tiny flakes, one after another, onto every surface. Cars, trees, sidewalks, even trash cans, become beautiful in one continuous white coat of cold, wet fluff. It really is magic, snow. It never fails to make me feel like I'm 3 again, at least on some level. The first big snow storm of my life came when I was 3. A couple of feet of snow transformed my neighborhood overnight into an unrecognizable fantasy world where the cars had beome huge snow walls, and all that was familiar was now dazzling white in the sun's cold rays. It was awesome! My dad played a game with me where he'd pick me up and throw me into the snow...there was so much on the ground that I could not possibly have gotten hurt, and he knew this well. I loved it! After each throw, I'd climb out of the hole that my impact had made, laughing with 3-year-old delight, oblivious to the cold, fascinated by the fact that the snow was considerably taller than I was! What fun!

Well, there is nowhere near as much snow settling around Brandy Hall tonight, nor will there be. This is not a large snowstorm, just a little one to remind us of winter's beauty. And I didn't miss it! When I was away this past weekend, it snowed here, the first really measurable snow this winter. And I was bummed because I was afraid that that would be it. We've had such a mild winter so far that I was sure I'd missed the snow. But no, new snow is falling, silently, coating everything in lustrous, 3-year-old magic. Much as I miss Tallahassee sometimes, I would not be enjoying this snow there. Brandy Hall's winter looks very good in white.

Welcome snow. I'm so glad I didn't miss you!