Winter

Not for the first time in my life, I find myself in the minority. We've had abundant snowfall this winter here in the Roanoke Valley, and while others are busy grousing and wishing spring were here, I am reveling in my good fortune to experience such a winter wonderland.

There is great romance in winter, or as Lewis might put it, a Northernness which brings forth severe beauty and requires a hardiness to survive such a season or climate, both mystery and danger. Lewis put it thus as he described the longing or sehnsucht which such Northernness brought about:

I knew nothing about Balder; but instantly I was uplifted into huge regions of northern sky. I desired with almost sickening intensity something never to be described (except that it is cold, spacious, severe, pale and remote) and then . . . found myself at the very same moment already falling out of that desire and wishing I were back in it.

There is a wildness and a demand from winter and snow. It must be paid attention even as it blankets the ground, absorbing noise and lighting up the night. One must either stop and wait or exert great effort to proceed. Is it any wonder most of nature stops or slows down, and aren't we silly creatures to demand that life should go on just as if there were no winter?

Snow

Loreena McKennitt Snow lyrics

White are the far-off fields,
And white the fading forests grow;
The wind dies out along the height
And denser still the snow,
A gathering weight on roof and tree
Falls down scarce audibly.
The meadows and far-sheeted streams
Lie still without a sound;
Like some soft minister of dreams
The snowfall hoods me around;
In wood and water, earth and air,
A silence is everywhere.
Save when at lonely spells
Some farmer's sleigh is urged on,
With rustling runner and sharp bells,
Swings by me and is gone;
Or from the empty waste I hear
A sound remote and clear;
The barking of a dog,
To cattle, is sharply pealed,
Borne, echoing from some wayside stall
Or barnyard far afield;
Then all is silent and the snow
Falls settling soft and slow
The evening deepens and the grey
Folds closer Earth to sky
The world seems shrouded, so far away.
Its noises sleep, and I
As secret as yon buried stream
Plod dumbly on and dream.
I dream
I dream
I dream
I dream

Since It's So Cold

I wish it would just go ahead and snow! Here's a fun quiz to take while you're waiting for the fun, flaky, white stuff.

Your Snow Test Says You're Independent

You feel like something good will happen to you eventually, but not soon. You don't really like to work, unless work feels like play. You only are successful when you are doing what you love. You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing. Your biggest worry in life is your family. You stay up at night thinking about them. When it comes time to relax, you always go the extra mile. You take relaxing as seriously as anything else in life.

The Snow Test