Winter Wonder
Cameron and outlying areas received its third snow event of this fall. While it presents hardships for many, snow has its own beauty, and its own place in the natural world.
Snow is silent. It falls silently, muffling everyday noise. There is an eerie quietness about the land, as the world pulls up a soft blanket of downy white stillness and takes a needed nap.
Snow magically transforms the countryside, providing a landscape both quiet and enchanting. We see familiar trees and shrubs, businesses and barns transformed into a painting worthy of the artist and the poet.
“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” is perhaps the best-known work of Poet Robert Frost, begins: “Whose woods these are I think I know, his house is in the village though. He will not see me stopping here, to watch his woods fill up with snow”.
Those words paint a vivid picture in the mind. We can almost see the snow falling, the darkness of the woods. His poem ends with “the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep”. It is true for all of us but taking a quiet moment to simply watch and enjoy is a tonic for the heart.
On the practical side, snow provides many benefits. It insulates the soil, it helps conserve soil moisture, it minimizes the damage to roots, and dry plant parts. Everything in nature has its purpose, including ourselves. A snow fall can remind us to rest a moment and simply enjoy one of nature’s gifts.
