Snow Day

I cannot remember much of my dreams last night, since when I woke I was distracted by the full moon setting in the west. It was glowing incandescently, the brightest light in the pre-dawn landscape other than a single porch light several houses away. When I brought my attention back to my memory of the dreams, I struggled to remember them. Once again I became distracted by the light outside. The moon was gliding downward, hovering just left of the tops of the trees on Shy’s Hill. It was reflecting the sunlight as both heavenly bodies hung opposite of each other in the sky. In the east was only a golden glow seeping between the branches of those trees. The sun was still below the horizon from my vantage point. I headed outside to see it all in person. The quality of the light was coolly luminous; the snow a pearly fleece of blue covering the ground. By the time I got back to my memories they were gone mostly. I noticed as I did the previous morning that my body ached. I tried to think if I might be coming down with a flu bug, but the aches were muscular. I remembered waking often during the night, wrestling myself into a full body stretch meant to relax my hands, neck, shoulders and back. Back inside drawn to the window, I gazed slovenly watching the birds feed on seeds that were left for them a couple days ago. The moon set, the sun rose and I headed to Radnor for a hike. I forgot to remember anything more about my dreams. I am glad of this.

The sun was sending angular pieces of light from the edge of the horizon as I headed into the woods. The creeks were running swiftly, ink black and chilling. As the lake came into view the apricot mists seemed to be pulled from the water toward the sky. Thin ice edged the shore as my boots crushed the layer of frozen snow on the path. Once through them treads hit the soft snow below. I thought about the deer with narrow cleft hooves making fresh tracks. The squirrels light enough to skip along the top seemed jolly and pleased with it all working for them today. The geese were floating in random gaggles among the rising smoke-like air. Occasionally pairs would break to the right or straight on causing temporary shimmers on the glass surface below the misty frosting. The only other sparkles were on the snow itself as the sun rays hit the crystallized surface.

Snow is rare in this part of the country, but it came finally. The schools closed, the children rejoiced. Snow fell, then icy sleet followed by freezing temperatures. In the west it would have been perfect conditions for avalanches. Not an issue in the rolling tree covered hills of Middle Tennessee. Yesterday was a good day to stay in, build a fire or stay out and play in it. The boys and their boyish fathers mounted tractors mucking around the neighborhood pulling strings of sleds filled with children. Small bodies spilled off the sides of their mostly homemade skiffs, sled being a word used loosely. There is so little need for really good winter equipment here, that everyone makes do with whatever is around. The selection of winter rides runs the gamut from 3 year old plastic scoops, to boogie boards more familiar to the beach scene, to large pieces of cardboard. The crew is decked out in mismatched or ill fitting winter clothes. Sweater covered bodies are stuffed into rain coats, cotton sweatshirts are swapped out for dryer versions when a chill sets in. Everyone pitches in when the towing engine runs into a ditch. It is a cold messy all day party.

Today is the sunny version of yesterday. The sun melts away at the white billowy fun. It will freeze again tonight, cause panic to the locals foolish enough to drive in the slop. The memory of it all will be filed away by each participant to savor during the dreary days ahead. Perhaps the dreams tonight will have snow in the forecast, followed by the full moon at dawn and another sun snowy day.