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A perfect snow. Our
first snow this season
was perfect for people: it came on the weekend, enough to look good
without being too much to shovel, and not too cold. This one is
for everyone else: a little rain (in December!) to start – a last
dose of moisture – then, as it got colder through the day, thick,
fluffy, insulating snow, more than expected (10 inches!), blown
smooth by the wind. And now it’s cold – 20°F and falling fast.
Deep snow keeps squirrels away from the feeders so the birds can
get their fill: cardinals, goldfinches, house finches, chickadees,
nuthatches; woodpeckers – pileated, downy and red-bellied; and
blue jays. One hawk circles overhead, following his air currents
west, and a bald eagle, white head gleaming, soars north over
the Minnehaha Creek wetlands.
