Snow day off, or no days off

And yet, I'd absolutely have it no other way. Last night was the first big snow Cincinnati has seen in years, so to not embark on a winter trek seemed to me like a complete waste of the glory of the day. Snowfall brings excitement and magic with its gradual creation of a wintery white landscape, right before your eyes. I have found its presence to be comforting and encouraging of rest and retreat - the perfect accompaniment to winter's inherent quiet.

I love how nature's darkest season is also accompanied by its lightest embellishments, as though to remind us that there is always beauty to be found, even amidst barrenness.

There's a specific magic about the days following the season's first big snow, when the sunlight lightly falls upon the blankets of winter. And they glisten. Suddenly the dark season is brought out in a new light (literally and metaphorically), and it becomes the season of sparkles and a rejuvenating hope.

And suddenly you see how all of the dimly lit days served as preparation for later ones to shine.