Of Winter Wonderlands

I had my first snow day today. At 11:30, I woke up to find that not only was my lecture for Restoration Literature cancelled (sweet!) but the subsequent discussion for that class was also cancelled (double sweet!). Not only that but upon opening my blinds, my sight was greeted by:


A drizzle of snow!

"One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;


And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter"

This was the sight at 12PM.

Then, 4 hours later, here is what it looked like:

"Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place"

Apparently, it's going to be worst tomorrow, which makes me almost giddy with excitement because I've never seen snow like that before. Though I must say, despite the fluffiness factor, walking in falling snow is a pain for your eyes (or in my case, my glasses). Especially when you go inside and everything melts so your clothes end up wet with melted snow. But seeing everything covered in white kind of makes up for the minor irritation factor.

I threw a fresh snowball at my neighbors and slipped on the sidewalks coming back from the grocery store. It's amazing how the presence of snow makes you feel like a kid. I can hear people outside laughing and throwing snowballs even though it's nighttime. As for me, I'm relaxing with a cup of hot chocolate and Kristin Chenoweth's Christmas CD.

"For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is."

- Wallace Stevens, "The Snow Man"

ETA:
According to the New York Times, this is the worst snow storm to hit Britain in 18 years and its expected to get worst. The snowball fights and frolicking this morning now makes a bit more sense. Thank goodness for heaters and hot chocolates.

"Heavy Snow Takes Britons by Surprise"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/world/europe/03britain.html?em