baby, it's white outside

There's something about waking up to an unexpected snowfall. No idea it was coming and more is, apparently, on the way tonight. I woke to hear D saying 'whoa, it's a good thing I got the snow tires put on yesterday' and looked out my window at a true Winter Wonderland. Well, no sleighbells ringing, but the scene was picture perfect.

The fields, browned and mangy looking only yesterday, were pristine. The fences were outlined in white and every branch was carefully balancing an inch of snow. All was grey and white, except that the evergreens looked very smug, as if to say they had gotten the memo about the monochrome color scheme but wanted nothing to do with it. They still bore the snow on their broad shoulders, but insisted on adding color to it all. It was peaceful, that sort of hush that only comes on a snowy day.

The girls underwent that sublime change from half-asleep to wide-eyed and wide-mouthed as I woke them and pointed out the window. I think M and A were ready to go out and play, jammies or not. A visit to a friend's new home later resulted in the construction of the winter's first snowman. He was pretty dingy thanks to their still-dirt yard, but a snowman it was.

The dogs seemed to be puppies again as they jumped for snowballs, while the chickens stuck out their heads, pecked at the snow, but refused to set a toe outside. Wonder what they'd so if I just carried them out and dropped them in it?

And more on the way. Tonight I shall curl up with a book (almost through A Tale of Two Cities. The best of times, worst of times and all that).