It starts the descent from high in the sky, swirling softly in a spiral going round and round until it gently touches the earth and spreads like batter in a pan.
The flakes are large, the size of a quarter or a tiddly wink token, floating gracefully and covering every surface in a white bridal veil.
It could, and should be considered beautiful, a wonder of nature, following a twisting, turning path steered by the wind ever downward.
The evergreens become drooping sentinels, icing sweetly attached to the once dark green tips as the flakes accumulate to weigh down the boughs.
I am inside, going from one room to another, looking out the glass, with camera at the ready to try and capture what the eye is seeing.
Birds and beasts stand out against the ever more pale background, spotlighted by the stark contrast of feathers against frozen white felt.
But there is no joy in this scene for me, it has played and repeated too many times this year for there to be wonderment and awe. Astonishment and gladness at the sight are gone, replaced by sullen, sober sighing.
There is not enough chocolate in the world to make this feeling of melancholy go away. Only the sun can save me from these depths, with warming rays that will open the budded daffodils.
Frances
Fairegarden 
Frances, the snow is beautiful but we want spring weather now! I hope it will be gone as quickly as it came and doesn’t do any damage to the delicate spring flowers. Enjoy the chocolate!
Best wishes Sylvia
PS picks are back in Blotanical!
Frances my dear friend, I know exactly how you feel. We’ve had our share of winter and snow. Now we want sun and blue skies, temperatures that are rising and spring flowers opening their buds. Snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips… we want it all. But no more snow! Warm dubbelkram gittan
Dear Frances, How wonderfully descriptive this posting is of the snow. I loved your expression of ‘white felt’ and wished that I had written it.
I was amazed to see Cadbury’s chocolate eggs amongst your selection. I did not realise that Cadbury’s chocolate was available with you. However, given the choice, I should so much prefer the Godiva truffles – sheer bliss!
For goodness sake Frances, you’ve got two Creme Eggs. Surely that is enough?
You can’t expect sunshine as well:that would just be greedy!
Yes – enough with the snow – bring on Spring!
Good Morning, Frances. It is this time of year that I begin to grow weary of the gray days and snowy blankets. It seems that winter is trying very hard to remind me of her beauty. Last week we enjoyed snowflakes the size of silver dollars, and then a sunrise which lit up the snow-covered branches creating the most magical scene. It was lovely, though I can’t help but feel ready for the transition to spring.
I hope that spring reaches your part of the world very soon, and that you soon enjoy warmer days with your hands in the dirt and the sun on your back. 🙂
How nice to see your post this morning – yesterday in Connecticut we touched a heartening 50 degrees, and this morning fat fluffy flakes are falling yet again. We know it’s lovely, but we are done!
You poor dear….like a child being trapped inside with the chicken pox looking out the window at the neighborhood kids playing!! Soon my friend the sunshine ball will warm your world!
Nice stash Frances, I do not think that I could wait for a snowy day to eat them, because that is all the time! It is supposed to be a lovely warm week here, hopefully some snow will melt.
It may have been lovely and welcome around Christmas, but now it is only depressing. It is snowing here today, but not enough to close schools, they should, because what child will have his or her mind on school?
Frances,
Me too, I’ll take the chocolate over the snow. We have a dusting of it this morning. We are going to the open house on Saturday at Pine Knot Farms the hellebore specialists in southern VA. Can’t wait for warmer weather.
They are calling for warmer weather this weekend and it can’t come fast enough for me. I feel your pain…it won’t be long now…will it?? A little sunshine would be so much appreciated. Even the crocus here won’t open. They are staying in tight little buds. Sunshine is needed everywhere for everyone. sigh
Frances girl .. I think you have what we suffer from in the Great White North .. CABIN FEVER .. and actually chocolate can help so don’t give up on that medication girl ? LOL
I have to say I like the thought (I’m not being mean truly !) that southerners are realizing what we go through each winter .. how long and “blue” it can get for us .. but saying that I have to also add that extreme weather can instigate extreme HAPPINESS when Spring arrives .. which is wonderful .. I guess I am a dyed in the wool “four seasons” type of gal ? LOL
Better weather ahead and you will be in the garden well befoe me ? wink wink
Joy : )
So very well said ~~I feel the same melancholy and looking outside at the gray, cold day reinforces it. Chocolate hasn’t helped one bit, but maybe the sun this weekend will lift all our spirits. What a winter. It does look good on Fairegarden I must say! Lovely photos. gail
My goodness, these are wonderful photos. The entire post was a pleasure to read and thanks for using the words tiddly wink. The thought of tiddly winks makes me smile.
donna
Dear Frances, I am sorry the snow is making you blue though it is inspiring to your muse. Maybe when you see my new post … hopefully I will be up to it… you will feel better. In any case it will not be long now for all of us to truly enjoy our gardens. We do so need the light to make us feel bright inside. Hopefully the sun will shine down on you in these next days and help your spirit soar again. I love your second and third photos! Your garden looks enchanting! Carol
Frances – we, too have snow. I’ve also lost the delight of seeing the beauty of it. Charm ran around in it this morning like a young puppy. That’s about the most fun we get out of it now.
It WILL be in the sixties on Sunday here. THAT MUST BE SPRING COMING! There is sunshine at the end of the winter tunnel!
I too have a couple inches of snow this morning. It is very wet and slushy…will freeze tonight, making roads dangerous. Enough already!!! I was looking through some of my older photos and came across a picture of Easter weekend (2006??) where we got a dusting of snow…the first weekend of April. When it does finally warm up (and dry out) being outdoors will be so welcoming.
For today I am just waiting to see if ballet is cancelled. My side of the water (from Les) there are schools that are closed. Seems to have been pretty localized accumulation.
I too keep looking at the morning ice. The ground is so slushy. This has been an odd year. I went out and worked in my little pink and yellow garden house. At least It was sunny in there. I am painting the inside of the poor thing. I’ve done the chocolate and still make sure I have a stash. G
The sun is coming, very soon! Just a few more days of this gray colored sky and spring will be giving us a prelude. At least that’s what the forecasters say!
I know what you mean Frances. It’s the mud that’s getting to me. It makes taking care of the horses difficult. The horses look how I feel — disgusted. lol
Hi Frances, firstly, I have to say blue snow is WAAAAY better than yellow snow (trust me, we Michiganders know snow!). Oddly, I still love the snowfall, even now and even later, but it’s what we’re used to. I hate not being in the garden, I hate seeing what everyone else already has blooming, but I love snow. Always have. In fact, the winter I spent in Stuttgart, with rain every day for 4 months, was the most depressing winter of my life. The problem is, of course, we don’t have snow cover all winter. 😦
Sorry about the snow. I’m sick of it too. I’m not like Monica, I loved being in Rome for the winter when the only way I saw snow was to go visit it in the Dolomites or in Switzerland. Cheer up – the stronger March sun will melt it all away before you know it.
The sun’s natural vitamin D
is what’ll cure it for me,
take me outta this snow,
I cain’t shovel no mo!
(I’ll have to post a couple of pictures Felder Rushing sent me of his garden with “blue” snow.)
Snow into March does lose it’s novelty. I hope Spring finds you there soon!
Oh, if it’s Godiva, then there IS enough chocolate. That stuff is manna from heaven. And better blue snow than yellow snow!
Are you sure that the chocolate won’t help? Just think forward to next month and a garden full of blooming flowers :^)
Frances, I feel your pain and your melancholy. I do not understand why we have to suffer through such a lingering, unpleasant winter here in the SE this year. Yuck! (Altho lovely shots, nonetheless.)
Surely that stash ‘o chocolate would lift my spirits…I see someone referred to Felder
Rushing in your comments. He’s coming to SAPS in September…(at great cost, I might add!)
Do come.
I’m SO with you on this, Frances! We’re into day I don’t know how many of dreariness, and neither chocolate nor indoor flowers are helping right now. Happily, I’m really busy so I can’t really go outside anyway, but it’s very draining to look out at grey grey grey. I love the blue blue blue, however. Hang in there, dear heart, and know that spring will come sooner for you than it does for me. xx
Hi Frances.
It is a beautiful snow but like you is not very welcome or as beautiful as the first one.
They have long lost their appeal this winter. 😉 And with so many daffodils ready to bloom in your bed. Their golden heads will be so welcome.
Lona
Your photos are beautiful, Frances, and some of them remind me so much of a scene I saw at last year’s Chicago Flower and Garden Show, a beautiful demonstration of a garden with four season interest. (Did I say that here before? Sorry, but the winter has affected my brain as well.) But I understand how tired of it you are…after mid-January, the snow lost its novelty for me, too. Meanwhile, I’ve eaten far too much chocolate; I probably can’t fit into last year’s gardening clothes anymore:)
Frances I am so glad you told us about pictures of the end of the month in different gardeners yards. I have been looking at them and they have really helped to raise my spirits. It’s so nice to be reminded of the things to come.
Your garden is beautiful in the snow but, like you, I’m ready for spring to get here.
The sun will return Frances, and the snow will vanish. I speak from experience. Last Thursday and Friday we had bout 30 cm. of snow, after not having hardly any all winter. But 2 days later the temperature rose above 0 Celsius, the sun came out and the melting began. As each day passess it is getting a bit warmer and I’m dreaming of sitting on the deck and soaking up the warmth.
Now you know what my problem is every winter!! lol
But take heart, I see lots of spring in your photos ~ like those daffodils almost ready to bloom. I hope the next post is full of sunshine and spring flowers. 🙂
MORE snow? Dang, will it never cease? Well, yes, it will … but it doesn’t feel like it will! Spring has finally come to my corner of Katy and now I have to deal with winter’s aftermath.
I hear you! Here in CA, people are getting tired of the rain already. Not me, though, let those reservoirs fill up first. But, as I always said when I was a kid, it would be best if it rained at night and were sunny during the day.
Frances ~~ It just sucks how crappy the weather has been for you. Surely this has got to be the last burst of winter’s wrath. Enough already. Making this all about me, I’m feeling guilty having such great [albeit equally anomalous] weather. My fingers are crossed. I’m dying to see your gardens.
Geez, when does it end.
Any sign of Iris Pacific Coast Hybrid ‘Victorian-Goth’?
Frances I have glorious sunshine streaming through my window this morning, I’m bottling some up and sending it to you right now!
RO xx
Lingering winter gives us all Spring Fever. I know I certainly have it!
Hi Frances..a beautiful and magical post as always! I love your words of charm and prose. Lovely pics..I love that blue stained glass window..what a treasure to have..gorgeous!I feel out of the loop..I dont think i am recieving anyone’s feeds or updates..I will have to fix this..so I dont miss out on any more posts!Have a super lovely day..thanks for always sharing your magic.
Kiki
That stained glass is amazing!!
Hi Frances…I felt a bit of Spring yesterday.The temps are going up into the 40’s and the sun is out. Snow is receding in my yard. As I look out my window I see branches to be picked up from our River Birch. It won’t be such a job to pick them up this year…a joy to work in the yard.
Balisha
Amen, sister! Chocolate does help, doesn’t it? I checked out your post and thought to myself – boy, I really am tired of seeing snow covered gardens. Refreshing to know I am not the only one. But look at your daffodils – they’re well on there way. Can’t be long now!
Yikes, sorry you’ve had so much snow Frances. Of course it looks beautiful to me. 🙂 I hope you get some of this nice weather that’s finally making an appearance down here. And soon! Meanwhile, chocolate sounds like a great experience.
I’m ready for spring too, Frances! Today we have gorgeous blue skies and it is finally sunny! We are even warming up to the 50’s this weekend. We are almost there!
You are dying for the spring yet I am not looking forward to it. I’ve so enjoyed this winter as in not doing too much gardening. It’s been relaxing and I need that. Got a smile with the chocolate.
Dearest Frances, the view from you window is lovely. I remember the white stuff covering all & also how entrancing it was to watch it fall ever so gentle at night time. Fond memories for me now that I’m displaced.
Spring is on it’s way faster than we know. I have Snow drops, forsythia, & 1 lone buttercup blooming but it’s so wet that I don’t dare tread upon the soil just yet.
I did manage to get my potatoes planted {in a potato bag, I’ll try again this yr} Sunday while the sun shown. I’ve also managed to get some of my huge pots ready for the seed.
I feel the need to get my hands dirty.
I am not yet tired of seeing snow on Northern Hemisphere blogs! Remember you’re indulging people like me who have to go somewhere to look for snow!
I know where you’re coming from Frances. Yes, the snow is lovely, blah, blah, blah. But it’s too much this year, and the melting is going way to slow for my liking. I had hoped to see snowdrops and crocus by now, but they are still buried. Where’s my chocolate when I need it?
Hi Frances
It’s dragged on over here in France too. I NEED spring. We’re forecast a week of frost.
I can’t believe the numbers of comments you get:-) And how kind of you to find time to write back.
I hope your melancholy is better today! I suffer a bit of m. myself when winters are too long and dark.
But this winter we have had so much snow that it’s almost blinding with the snow to reflect the sunshine. And that’s a good thing in my book! If you can endure a bit chill, the days are just beautiful and white, like light therapy! But it will be nice to see some change soon….:-) Take care, H.
Oh Frances what a dreadful state of affairs. I do hope that it has warmed up since you wrote this post. A girl can only eat so much chocolate 🙂
Pingback: Summertime Blues | Fairegarden