First Snow

One advantage to having a child who is a morning person is that there are days when it is nice to be the first ones up. This morning a very excited four year old rushed into my room to announce: "There is snow outside, and it is covering everything!"

Our street did look very magical in the pre-dawn light, so we quickly threw on some warm layers and boots and headed out. Adelaide started with some snow snacks.
I tried to capture the Seattleite's view of snow. The fact that we get out the camera and rush outside to document in is telling in itself, but it is rare enough here that it feels very exciting.
We didn't see much activity in the neighborhood with the exception of a few running fanatics (Shorts, really? As you tromp through icy puddles?) and over-confident drivers (note to self, no car trips today). Adelaide did some tracking of what she decided was a deer, and I headed to some of my favorite trees in the neighborhood to see them decorated with snow.Next we found a spot in the park to build our snowman. The snow was not very cooperative, so we kept the figure simple and got creative with the adornments. We were lucky to have a hawk circling above us as we worked.
After about an hour in the snow, we were cold and ready to come home for cocoa and Christmas cookies.

I'm grateful to the snow for bringing us out in the early morning. Being under the trees while the light changes to day, breathing cold clean air and hearing only the crunch of snow and ice under our boots and the delight of a child in fresh snow will serve as my most magical gift this holiday season.