Five Inches of Snow


It snowed overnight. Wet puffy snow has covered everything. I’ve been transported into a Christmas card waiting to be signed and sent on its way.

Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)

It’s the second snow here this winter making winter seem a bit more like the way winters ought to be. The winters that I think of when I think back to Kilmer Street and that wonderful hill. A great sledding hill, and oh! those snow forts!

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

I’m roaming this morning. Me with my camera getting pelted with snowballs as the wet snow dropped from the trees. We stopped to get a picture of the berries of Smooth Sumac that the Northern Flicker, and Hermit Thrush love to gobble.

Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)

The snow has really accumulated on the leaves of the White Oak tree. Young White Oak trees often keep their leaves during winter. Other trees that have this same characteristic are Beech, and Hornbeam. They are said to be marcescent.

White Oak (Quercus alba)

The snow has collected in the Flowering Dogwood trees as if they are stocking up on snowballs. Getting set for that big snowball battle surely soon to happen.

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Camera and I follow the tracks of a wild turkey for a long way, until the tracks take a turn up and over a rock wall. We don’t feel like climbing.

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) track. Glove added for scale.

The turkey’s track is about 4.5 inches long and the big critter has a stride of 2.5 feet. WOW!

Forsythia

The Forsythia has reached up, catching many clumps of snow. Stretching to where the sun might have been on any other morning. Stretching tall, other branches drooping. All waiting for the warmth of the sun. The warmth of early spring to be brightened by its blooms.

Perhaps those blooms will wait a little longer. I don’t think winter is close to being over. I hope not.


4 responses to “Five Inches of Snow”

  1. what I enjoyed about your photo sojourn was how you melded or blended the black, white, shades of gray and pale with the wondrously subtle colours.

    • Hi Ken,

      Although I absolutely LOVE bright primary colors, I too LOVE the black and white and shades of gray landscape of winter. Subtlety is the name of the game and it is extraordinary!

      Thank you for your kind compliments and thank you for reading my ramblings.
      Bren

  2. Hi Bren:
    Seeing the Witch Hazel made me go out to check mine. Sure enough, full bloom. I can’t figure out how to send you a picture here, so I will send it in a regular email if that will work. I planted this a long time ago and the flowers look different. I will have to check to see how many varieties there are.

    • Hi Nancy! What you are seeing in my photo are not flower petals but the sepals that are left after the flower fades. Talk about a small tree listening to its own drummer! Just now reading about its cycle, flowering to maturing of the seed capsules. Amazing.

      I sure appreciate you reading my posts Nancy!
      Bren