Snow!

There'll be days like this....

“When it's not always raining there'll be days like this
When there's no one complaining there'll be days like this
When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch
Well my mama told me there'll be days like this.”

-Van Morrison

Winter wonderland. Magical. Snow, snow SNOW!

Those were all the words thrumming through my head as we headed into the mountains this past weekend. I haven’t been in a place with snow on the ground for a VERY long time. The last time I was cross-country skiing was probably 30 years ago; downhill skiing was many more. And now we were heading off for a morning of snowshoeing; for two of the four of us, it was the very first time.

Just like I am smitten with water light, snow-light captivates me as well. Snow light seems to glow from within the snow, sometimes creating that other-worldly translucent blue colour alight below the surface. Other times the under-light brightens the base of the dark green trees in the forest. When there is snow, the clouds seem to merge into the trees above: either by one melty fizzle, or by wisps. Sounds are softly muted, and the world seems a peaceful place.

For those of you who live with snow, I am sure you have many days when these are not the thoughts you have at all. As someone who has only been a weekend visitor to snow, or, when I was living in it, someone else was responsible for keeping the paths clear and the heating on, I have only had the best parts of snowy life to enjoy.

My first year at University as soon as it snowed the first time, I squealed with delight. I spent hours looking out windows watching the brick and stone buildings and their landscapes transform into a completely different scene. The dark concrete sidewalks and streets were now white, reflecting the meagre light into a soft glow. The green gardens were also white with curvy shapes and a smooth consistent texture replacing the spiky shrubs and dotted boxwood hedges.

My camera was with me all the time, walking to and from class, and sometimes I just meandered around to see how the campus had changed into new light and forms. I recently unearthed my old university photographs and there are entirely too many taken from those snowy winter days. I remembered my excitement at the light, and why I took all those photos; while I enjoyed seeing them again, I didn’t need to hang on to ALL of them (remember kipple?). 😄

At the snowy summit last weekend, we arrived early at the trailhead. Putting on the snow shoes was incredibly easy, and

thankfully we had brought sufficiently warm clothing this trip to be outside for a couple of hours in the freezing temperatures. We shuffled off slowly to begin with, getting our step movements synchronised with our new longer and wider “shoes” at the end of our legs.

The trail was well-packed snow so we didn’t need the snowshoes and groups we saw later were just hiking. But there were many others, like us, tromping along with snowshoes. It felt so great to be outside in clean, fresh air, surrounded by tall green conifers and eventually when we were father from the trailhead, in a hushed quiet forest.

There were signs indicating an adjacent wildlife preserve, but between the number of walkers and their dogs, there wasn’t any wildlife to be seen this midmorning, with the exception of a couple of ducks on the pond. No matter.

We were breathing, revelling in snow light, and enjoying a new way to move outside in the snow. Apparently I haven’t smiled that much in a long time, I was told later. I don’t think it has actually been a long time, but I really was in a very happy place that morning. With my family, in nature, moving my body, trying something new: what’s not to LOVE.

I wasn’t the only one smiling!

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While warm sunshine is where I generally go to keep my body happy, movement is also key to staying healthy and feeling a lightness to the day. As long as I am not cold, I love the light and air in crisp frozen climates. For a short while anyway.

Next week I’ll be back in the UK. It will be cold, but not THIS cold, and probably more rain again. But it’s home, so there we will be and back into our normal routines.

Meantime, I’d leave to hear: What do you like to do, if anything, in colder weather. Do you like snow? Do you seek it out or do you just tolerate it (or both, or neither!)?

Until next week, stay warm and dry!

xoxo Sabrina

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