Before I went to bed last night, the weather forecast claimed we’d be seeing less than an inch of snow during the day today. As of 10:30am, I can see at least an inch and a half piled on the lawn furniture and the tree branches outside the windows. It’s been snowing steadily for the past three hours, at least. The trees with their fall colors look out-of-place being blanketed with snow—almost as much as the trees with leaves that have barely started to think about changing.
I don’t remember how old I was when my initial reaction to the first snow changed from excitement to dread, but I’m sure it was some point after the responsibility of adulthood set in. The advent of working from home has certainly lessened that knee-jerk reaction, but seeing the untrimmed shrubs bending under the weight of this surprisingly heavy first snowfall gives me a familiar stab of regret. My gardening style is frequently called “benign neglect,” and the first snow frequently puts a halt to the remainder of the season’s best-laid plans.
For today, though, I can sit and enjoy watching the huge, wet flakes falling on the tree branches—and on the birdbaths and feeders and furniture that I haven’t brought in yet—content in the knowledge that the snow will turn to rain this afternoon, and I’ll have a second chance to finish the fall gardening chores before winter truly sets in.
