An unexpected Sunday gift: the beauty of snow

Sunday morning. I wake up to the sound of  curtains swooshing open. A pale, almost glowing light enters the bedroom.

“It snowed last night. They were right.”  my husband says.

I follow him by the window, and take in the whiteness. It’s still early, and  no one’s out.

“Do you think it’ll be dangerous to drive all the way to St. Anne’s park? I’d like to get pictures while the snow’s clean and nobody’s around.” I ask.

“It should be fine. Let’s try.” P. answers.

And so we quickly wash and  get dressed, grab a couple of cookies and head to the park. We see only a few people, all wrapped up in heavy clothes, their dogs bouncing around excited.

It’s bitterly cold, but I love every minute of our walk. The air smells fresh, crisp. At times a light breeze shakes the trees, and snow drops from the branches as if it were snowing.

The pond is partly frozen, and a few ducks float on the water, looking for food.

“We forgot to bring bread for the ducks…” P. says. We plod on.  I stop often to take in the beauty of the pristine snow, and try to capture the fairytale scenery with my camera.

I see beauty all around me. Don’t you?

Mighty oaks, with their lace-like branches.

Yews, with their Christmas-card green needles and red berries.

Rose hips enveloped in snow.

A lone, frozen rose.

A tiny robin.

It’s been more than an hour, and I cannot feel my fingers any more.

“Did you take enough photos?” asks my husband.

“I think so…why, do you want to go home?” I answer.

“I’m frozen. I’m dying for a cup of coffee, and I’m starving!” he says,  rubbing his hands together.

” I guess that means yes. Let’s go have breakfast.” I say with a smile.

We head back to the car. The park is getting busy now; we nod at people walking their dogs, families with small children carrying makeshift sleds, and a lady with her camera.

The tide is low, and we can see Howth in the distance, white and indistinct.

We  spend the day resting and reading by the fire, then at sunset I pop out again to see another beautiful gift from nature.

Hope your Sunday was beautiful too.

Tagged as: beautiful nature, Inspiration