Silent Snowfall and Crunchy Footsteps

I found Sean's car this morning. All the while, it had been sitting there under the snow. The milder weather made it reappear. Magic.

The Christmas lights on the veranda of the Duck and Cherry had the same problem. There was so much snow on them, little flickers of light fought their way through the white, fluffy cold stuff to be seen. I had to go out and shove some of it off.

Snow.
I am sure there are both pros and cons for it - long lists with up- and downsides. E.g. my 88 year-old mother-in-law has a hard time maneuvering her walker in the snow, while the love of my life gladly shovels the driveway over and over again as long as there is enough snow to go cross-country skiing.

There are tests for knowing if it is a proper winter--cold and white.
1. Breath in through your nose- If your nostrils seem to stick together, then it is legally cold.
2. Listen for sounds when walking outside on snowy ground. Does it crunch under your feet? If so, then it is also quite cold.
My mother told me of her memories from WWII, how the trodden down, snowy roads made crunching, crackling sounds underfoot. Every time I experience the same, I think of my parents, young and in love, walking the streets of Oslo during the war.

Ergo, if the cold, white winter does not present itself as such--cold and white--you can test the above statements. To me, it's also beautiful when the snow falls quietly, and walking Hector, the Wheaten Terrier, can be done makng no sound at all, only the soft, hushed feeling of serenity.

The word snowfall seems to mean different things to different people.

“Is it snowing where you are? All the world that I see from my tower is draped in white and the flakes are coming down as big as pop-corns. It's late afternoon - the sun is just setting (a cold yellow colour) behind some colder violet hills, and I am up in my window seat using the last light to write to you.” 
― Jean Webster, (1876-1916), Daddy-Long-Legs

So poetic. I can see her there, writing, feeling lonely.
I also enjoy the following quote. Vivid pictures dance in my mind, two brothers; playing, teasing, laughing together.

“It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.” 
― Dylan Thomas, (1914-1953), A Child's Christmas in Wales

Today I have chosen two of my winter water colors.