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Sunday, November 11, 2012

First Big Snow Storm

It snowed Friday.  There was a lot of snow but not much stuck to the road.  Saturday was a different story.  I woke to a blizzard and the walks and roads were covered with snow.  I had about a foot of snow in the yard and I shoveled the walks a couple of times.  Finally it stopped snowing and the sun came out. My back yard was beautiful.  Three days ago the grass was still green and it was 70 degrees. Three days ago, neighbor kids were in shorts and tee shirts, riding bikes.  Saturday they were in parka's, snow pants and stocking caps.

I looked out the window and saw five or six deer in the back yard.  I grabbed my camera and went out side to take a few photo's.  A few of them are posted below.

As I walked down into the yard, although it was sunny, a breeze was blowing snow from the trees above me and crystalline flakes floated down onto my head and my camera. They were cold as they landed on my face and neck.  Although I just turned 60, the beauty of nature is just as exciting to me as when I was a boy. The deer watched me as I slowly descended the snow covered steps toward them.

I whistled at this buck and he was kind enough to pose for me.


After a few minutes of posing, he walked away. Can you tell why they call them white tail deer?


This buck and the three doe seemed to wonder why I was disturbing them.  There were a couple of other deer munching leaves just outside the frame of this photo.  The yellow leaves add a nice highlight to this photo


We have a stream that was flowing beautifully.  If I was a kid I would probably try to walk across the fallen limbs.  As an old man I have either learned better or I have lost the courage for such an adventure.



The deer crossed the stream and were hidden in the trees.  But I could see them and they knew I could see them.


If you look carefully on the left side of the silver pole you can see a deer in the trees.The stream is between the deer and me.



I have a couple of benches that always look picturesque in the snow.  This summer the Lovely Sharon wanted me to sand the wood sitting area on this bench and then revarnish it.  I planned to do it for two reasons; (i) she asked me to do it; and (ii) it needed to be done.  Sadly, I put it off until now it is too late.  I will definitely do the job in the spring.


This  plastic bench is just a few feet from the stream.  Sometimes I sit there and read, listening to the stream.


Looking up at our house from the yard. You can see the lower patio to the right of the hot tub building and above it, the upper patio with its snow covered railing.



I like this photo, the snow, yellow leaves, green leaves and barren trees. The stream is just behind and below the snow covered stump.

 

One last photo from the lower patio looking down into the yard.


Our yard is too big for us but it is so beautiful in all seasons.  It is a park, an oasis in an urban environment.  I often walk ouside just to look down at the yard.  Its beauty always amazes me. I think it is suppose to warm up this week so this first snow will likely melt and the grass will be back for awhile but then another storm will cover the yard.

Sometimes when I stand looking down into the yard and see the snow covered lawn and trees, and watch the stream slowly meander through snow covered banks, the words of Robert Frost come to mind

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
 
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
 
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake. 
 
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
 
 
For a comparison of the winter photos set forth above, look at the autumn photos of the yard I posted a couple of weeks ago.
 


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