First snow.

This time of year, when the last of the fall leaves have fallen and the landscape changes from vibrant yellows and reds to a drab brown, we turn our focus to the event which heralds the next season: the first snowfall.

It came this week and we awoke to fat flakes fluttering to the ground. Waking up to new snow is magical; it transforms everything overnight. Truthfully, I have a love/hate relationship with snow. But it feels right at this time of year, with the holidays creeping up on us and nostalgia setting in. If the landscape is cold and stark, it might as well be covered in a blanket of snow, right? The sky is a different shade of blue next to the blinding whiteness. My hikes become more of a workout, my steps muffled in the powder. The sweet birds at the feeder puff up their feathers in an adorable way. I can see prints from local wildlife in our backyard- bunnies, deer, and elk. Cholula’s joy is unmistakable (not to mention my ski-loving husband’s). The piney hillsides feel like Christmas for months. There are puffs of smoke wafting from chimneys and I can hear the sound of snow shovels around the neighborhood. This little storm was short-lived, only leaving behind five or six inches of snow. It has already begun to melt in the November sunshine, the icicles drip-drip-dripping and big clumps of snow plopping off of tree branches. But there will be more, hopefully a lot more, and I know it will stick around until May…so it’s time to embrace the sparkling beauty of winter.

After all, a long, white winter is what makes springtime so fabulous.

One year ago: Butternut Squash and Apple Frittata with Bacon and Cheese.