First Snow

We had our first snow last weekend. It was not too bad as these things go. I did not have to get out and about in it much, which allowed me to focus on how beautiful it was rather than worry about slipping and sliding.

Here is some of that beauty. (Played with a bit, of course, just because I can!)

Snow storms are very instructive.  They break through whatever nice little stories we are telling ourselves about how we are in complete control of our own little worlds.  They reveal the things that we need to do but have not yet done.  Is the car ready for winter?  Do my boots have holes in them?  Did I replace that broken snow shovel?  Why oh why have I not yet bought those YakTrax or stocked up on soup and TP?  Snow storms bring up the Big Questions too, like why in the world do I live in a place with such crazy weather?

I am, in some aspects of my life, a rather elaborate procrastinator.  The fact that I was oh-so-clever and got the routine maintenance done on the car the day before it snowed feels like a major victory.  The fact that I should have gotten it done two months ago fades away when I give myself the gold star for getting it done before the snow came.  The bullet dodged is far more satisfying than avoiding the gunfight altogether.

My goal for the next few months is to avoid the gunfights. Or at least buy the YakTrax!

(Also —  beware of metaphors within metaphors. An icy gun fight could be really dangerous.)