We had about five inches of the white stuff yesterday from this unusual snowstorm. Luckily, we did not lose power, although the lights flickered often and the internet cut out once. Here’s a few pictures from around the house:
We had a bit of snow fall last night — roughly 2 feet!
Here’s a few pictures I took last night and very early this morning. More Snow Here
Finally ventured outside this morning to take a look around and, after wading into a hip-deep drift while walking out to the street, wisely gave up on the little shoveling I attempted by myself.
And here is a very neat video of the storm taken down in Belmar, NJ:
In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
Long ago.
Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), In the Bleak MidwinterIt was evening all afternoon.
It was snowing
And it was going to snow.
- Wallace Stevens, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, 1923Photo: Hagley Castle 1 by Tony Hisgett, CC By
Loreena McKennitt’s lovely rendition of Gustav Holst’s composition:
Ahh, a snow day! We had a lovely snowstorm Sunday night into Monday with somewhere around 6 to 8 inches, based on my dog wading through the drifts. I woke up around 2:30 a.m. and peeked outside at the flying snow. The bright otherworldy glow of a snowy night amazes me. Such a contrast to the soft evening light of a snowstorm in the day.
I love the snow. I grew up in Southern California where snow was that hazy, faraway stuff on the distant mountains that took far too many hours to drive to. So these days, while my husband groans and moans at the messy white stuff, the magical transformation of drear winter browns to glitter-white fairyland still raises a thrill for me.
Most of my stories have some snow in them and I enjoy writing the winter scenes. The treacherous beauty of a winter setting can add to the mood and the conflicts. Not only do the heroes and heroines have their adversaries to contend with, the winter weather is another challenge, as a snowfall, an ice storm or a frozen river confound the hopes and plans of good guys and bad guys alike.
Snow also can allow some of our characters to unbend and reveal a hidden playful side. The heart of one of my heroines begins to thaw toward the hero after watching him organize a snowball game with some children.
What do you love about snow in fiction and in real life?
Writing Prompt: Write a 250+ word descriptive passage for the castle snow scene above, adding in physical sensations and emotional reactions to the setting.
You are either leaving the castle or looking to reach it. Are you on foot (hmm, two legs or four paws? Or on wing for that matter), riding a horse, in a carriage or a car. Are you ready and dressed for the weather or caught by surprise? Coming home, escaping or seeking shelter?
What's a girl to do when her summer lover wants forever?
★★★★½ Scorcher - RT Book Reviews
Haunted by dark memories of her parents’ volatile marriage, artist Kay Browning keeps her heart locked behind a free-spirit facade and contents herself with the comfortable affair she has every summer with easygoing photographer Nate Quinn.
The only trouble with her plan? This summer Nate’s come to Lake Mohave to claim the lover he can’t let go. He’s done with the endless traveling and settling for temporary homes and temporary loves. Kay’s always been more than just a vacation fling, and now he must convince this woman, who sees love as a course to certain heartbreak, to take that leap of faith and learn how safe love with the right man can be.
