The first snow of the season foretells the winter ahead. This year our first snow was 1-2″, the earliest snowfall of this magnitude in the last thirty years. Often the first snowfall is gray and slushy and makes me want to linger inside by a warm, bright fire. This, however, was a spectacular opening to the season.
The softly falling flakes meandered toward the ground in the still air. The warm snow stacked on branches, leaves and pine needles highlighting everything in white.
It began snowing late yesterday afternoon and stopped sometime after dark (so, after 5pm!). I got up for sunrise, but that would be obscured by the overcast, low clouds. The benefit to that was that the snow would stay piled on the branches all day long.
As dawn began to brighten the morning, three deer worked their way through the yard. I watched from the window. They could sense my eyes upon them even though they couldn’t see me. It took a minute or two for them to settle back into foraging under the trees where the snow did cover to the ground.
Frosty trees across the lake hold the snow, frozen in the early morning light.
Snow Tree Mountain 
Frozen Trees on the Ridge
It’s quiet in the way that only a fresh snowfall can hush the sounds of daily life. All I can hear is a goose that started calling in the distance. Soon, others join in, a peaceful distant symphony to greet the day.
Across the River 
Across the Slough
The snow on the road turned to ice overnight and crunches sharply under my feet. The deer flee, white tails waving. A cat and a bird walked this road before me. A giant raccoon crossed the front lawn.
Giant Raccoon 
Crow Prints 
Cat Prints (bobcat?!?)
The light of the sun burns through the cloud cover in one thin spot, selectively highlighting the beauty in the woods and on the water. I can hardly wait to get out to see what other treasures this beautiful snow will reveal.
Time to get dressed, grab some coffee and go explore.
