Early last week, as piles of snow transformed to shoe-sucking mud I was missing the way snowfall continually recasts our favorite, familiar landscapes in winter. It was spring though, and naturally it had moved onward—melting into Maine’s lakes, rivers, vernal ponds, and ground.
I appreciate all New England seasons, even the mud one. I was glad to see backyard birds return, hear peepers on my run, and see the faint suggestion of budding trees. I also was a little downcast knowing I’d have to wait months to experience snow’s silent transformations.
I was wrong. Since then a snowstorm left eight to nine weighty inches of precipitation on trees and downed power lines for days. We skied snowy circles around the yard until it turned to mush and cooked meals over an open fire in the fireplace. Another storm followed days later, this one with a deluge of rain and high wind gusts that made the lights flicker and scattered branches across the yard.
Spring is fickle. Within days the snow melted into mud (again), the rain filled streams, and yesterday, as the sun shone and birds investigated our swamp of a yard, I looked out the window and saw…snowflakes in the air. It is a confusing time for everyone, including Mother Nature.
Nature can be unpredictable. Rather than railing against its uncertainty, let’s celebrate its unexpected moments of beauty. These are a few pictures from last week’s April snowstorm. I’d call them a final celebration of this snowy season, but I won’t assume what winter-spring will do next.
