Winter, Finally

tanjabrittonwriter 78 Comments

In the wake of my recent lament about our want of precipitation, I’m happy to report that three separate storms in the past week have brought some highly-appreciated moisture—in the form of snow. Totals varied based on location, but at the southern end of Colorado Springs we received a minimum of 8 inches (20 centimeters). Being housebound all of last Friday because the heavens never ceased to release flakes, I was determined to get outside on the following day, before another anticipated weather front on Sunday.

Nach meiner nicht lange zurückliegenden Klage über einen Mangel an Niederschlag freut es mich, daß drei separate Stürme in der vergangenen Woche hochwillkommene Feuchtigkeit mit sich gebracht haben, und zwar in Form von Schnee. Die Gesamtmengen waren je nach Lage unterschiedlich, aber am Südrand von Colorado Springs haben wir mindestens 20 Zentimeter erhalten. Da am Freitag der Himmel pausenlos Flocken fallen ließ, und ich die ganze Zeit drinnen war, nahm ich mir vor, den folgenden Tag im Freien zu verbringen, besonders weil die nächste Wetterfront für Sonntag vorhergesagt wurde.

On Saturday morning, I was greeted by azure and windless skies. A gleaming quilt covered the ground and mountains, and the boughs of trees and shrubs were flocked with glittering crystals. At Stratton Open Space, one of my favorite local haunts, which is situated nearer the mountains, even more snow had accumulated. Thanks to a few skiers and other hikers, a trail had been broken and I gratefully followed its meanderings. Up and down hills, in and out of stands of trees, under a nearly cloudless firmament I stomped through the white splendor. The sun climbed from the horizon toward the zenith, and as the thermometer followed suit—from 18 degrees F (minus 7 C) to the mid-30s F (1 C)—I sensed its increasing warmth through my layered garments. Listening to the chattering of birds, and watching little tufts of snow leave their perches and drift through the air and onto to ground, I felt even more part of the whole when some of them brushed against the exposed skin of my face with tender caresses.

Am Samstagmorgen wurde ich von einem azurblauen und windstillen Himmel begrüßt. Eine gleißende Decke überzog Boden und Berge, und auch die Äste von Bäumen und Sträuchern waren mit schimmernden Kristallen beflockt. Stratton Open Space, einer meiner Lieblingsorte, der näher an den Bergen liegt, hatte sogar noch mehr Schnee angesammelt. Dank einiger Skiläufer und Wanderer war ein Pfad niedergetrampelt worden, dessen Windungen ich dankbar folgte. Unter einem fast wolkenlosen Himmel stapfte ich durch die weiße Pracht, Hügel rauf und runter, in den Wald hinein und wieder heraus. Als die Sonne vom Horizont dem Zenit entgegenwanderte, kletterte das Thermometer schnell von minus 7 auf plus 1 Grad Celsius, und ich spürte die zunehmende Wärme durch meine Kleiderschichten. Während ich dem Gesang der Vögel lauschte, und zuschaute, wie kleine Schneehäubchen ihre Hochsitze verließen und durch die Luft und auf die Erde flatterten, fühlte ich mich noch mehr Teil des Ganzen, als einige von ihnen dabei meine unbedeckte Gesichtshaut sanft liebkosten.

78 thoughts on “Winter, Finally”

  1. “Winterwonderland” ist mir beim Betrachten Deiner Fotos, liebe Tanja, als erstes eingefallen. Ist das schön! Ich weiss garnicht, wie lange es her ist, dass wir so schönen Schnee hatten. So schön!! Liebe Grüße, Ulrike

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Das beschreibt es perfekt, liebe Ulrike. Es war auch bei uns eine Weile lang her, daß wir solche Schneemengen gesehen haben, aber da wir uns immer am Rande der Dürreperiode bewegen, sind sie herzlich willkommen.
      Ich hoffe es geht Dir gut und Du hast die Stürme in Deutschland ohne Schaden überstanden.
      Ganz liebe Grüße,
      Tanja

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Ja, liebe Tanja, alles gut überstanden. Heute nach einer gefühlten Ewigkeit und 5 Sturmfluten Ruhe und Sonne. Ein ganz ungewohnter entspannender Anblick. Aber das nächste Sturmtief ist schon angekündigt. Ich hab’ da keine Lust mehr drauf…

        Liked by 1 person

      • Das freut mich, Ulrike. Ich hoffe, Ihr übersteht auch die nächste Runde glimpflich. Ich kann mir vorstellen, daß diese Stürme nervenraubend sind.
        Genießt die milden Tage so lange Ihr könnt!
        Seid herzlich gegrüßt,
        Tanja

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Looks beautiful. Funnily enough, this week winter finally arrived here too … at least half an inch of snow! Platypus Towers was cut off from the outside world for hours: we Brits are very bad at coping with “bad” weather 🙂 You guys are so much better at it than we are.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I’m glad you enjoyed my wintry impressions, and glad that you, too, received some snow. I actually love getting snowed in, at least when one is prepared and doesn’t have to leave the house. I find it extremely serene to watch an entire world get transformed by winter. ❄❄❄

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • These days we don’t get much snow in our part of the UK and it rarely sticks around for long. When it comes what I find magical, and slightly eerie, is the way snow muffles the ambient sounds of the world around us. Also, snow is a good excuse to indulge in a steaming cup of mocha or hot chocolate, the undisputed (in my book anyway) nectars of the gods! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • We usually hear the interstate from our back deck, but when I step outside after a snowstorm, it is often utterly still. Definitely magical.
        I don’t think you need to wait for the next snowstorm to pamper yourself with either one of those drinks! ☕

        Liked by 1 person

  5. No weather is as beautiful as an icy winter, ever..!! This is the only weather which is acceptable for 365 or 366 days a year.. 😀
    A good news indeed to cheer up the day..!! Thank you Madam for sharing.. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ich stimme Dir zu, liebe Andrea. Nach etwas Schnee im November und Anfang Dezember, war es hier bis vor kurzem auch nicht weiß, und deshalb ist diese Pracht besonders willkommen. Mein Spaziergang hat mir sehr gutgetan.
      Herzliche Grüße zurück. Vielleicht bekommt Ihr ja auch noch etwas Schnee.
      Tanja

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Wonderful, wonderful that you got much needed snow and moisture. How utterly beautiful it is after a snowstorm when the sky is a brilliant blue and the trees are still white with snow. Hope you get more, but not too much. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Me again, Tanja 🙂 I didn’t see an email for you, and wanted to ask you a question. I am planning a 3-week trip this fall to Colorado Springs for the Aspen foilage and your area’s overall beauty. What would be your suggestion for the starting date of the three weeks? Mid-Sept. or wait til the third week of Sept.? Or end of Sept.? Thank you!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I agree, Neil. As far as skiing, I prefer cross-country. I haven’t been on downhill skis for decades, and probably would break a leg or, more likely, rupture an ACL, so I won’t take that risk. Don’t care for the crowds and the cost of downhill ski areas in Colorado!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. Loved your impressions of walking in the snow. Am I right in thinking that you have quite a number of “wild places” within an easy distance? That must be fun! Our last storms here in Massachusetts have been ice and snow mixes. Great for photography, but much harder to walk in. Thanks for sharing your “puffy snow” pics especially. I haven’t been able to enjoy near enough of that kind of snow this Winter!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • You are right about your assumption, Julie. We are fortunate to have access to multiple city parks, open spaces, and even a State Park right in front of our doorsteps. We are very spoiled, and appreciate it.
      Until this recent snow, we hadn’t seen any since early December, so it was very welcome. I hope you will be able to experience a few occasions like this one in MA before winter is over. ❄❄❄

      Like

      Reply

  19. Nichts zu danken, liebe Tanja. Das Motto könnte dann: Colorados Winterimpressionen lauten? Es sind wirklich gute Aufnahmen – Du hast dafür ein feines Händchen bzw. Gespür.
    Viele (eher herbstliche) Grüße aus Berlin. Rosy

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. What a beautiful collection of images. I smiled at your mention of layers: I always know winter has arrived on the Texas coast when I begin putting silk over silk, and then adding a few more layers over that. It’s often the wind that’s the killer here; nothing is colder than a strong east wind off the bay. But blue skies, sunshine, and no wind? Even the snowy landscape can be as comfortable as it is enchanting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, Linda. I’m glad you enjoyed my wintry peregrination. I won’t leave the house without multiple layers at this time of year, and I’m always amazed how quickly I have to shed some of them, even if the temperature doesn’t climb much above the freezing point. Living 6,000 feet closer to the sun than you Texans near the Gulf Coast makes a huge difference. Unfortunately, we are not spared strong winds, though, and when they prevail, I don’t much enjoy being outdoors.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  22. Hooray! Ein wahres Winterwonderland, liebe Tanja! Was es da in Colorado zu sehen gibt, davon können wir in Berlin bei Frühlingswetter und Krokussen nur träumen. Bisher keine einzige Schneeflocke!! Viele Grüße, Antje

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ja, das war tatsächlich das sprichtwörtliche winter wonderland, liebe Antje. Aber ich muß gestehen daß Krokusse keine schlechte Alternative sind. Die werden hier noch etwas auf sich warten lassen.
      Ich hoffe, es geht Dir gut, und ich sende liebe Grüße zurück nach Berlin.
      Tanja

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Das stimmt, liebe Tanja. Man ist ja des Öfteren dazu geneigt, das haben zu wollen, was es grad nicht gibt. Und die Bilder sehen wirklich sehr sehr schön aus. Aber es stimmt: Krokusse sind kein Grund zur Klage! Viele Grüße, Antje

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Really beautiful writing! Your images were so apt that I not only know how it looked, but also how it felt. I did a lot of shoveling that day; I should have gone walking instead 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  25. Winter? We’ve hardly had it here. Not much snow, not at all like your wonderful pictures, and only a smattering of truly cold days. We had some teens at night but the days are often in the 30’s and 40’s. Love your shots of snow contrasting with that deep rich Colorado blue sky. Glad that you finally have some nice snow there. We’ve still a month or so to see some but the forecast is not encouraging.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, Steve, I’m glad you enjoyed my little wintry excursion. Until that recent snowfall, we hadn’t experienced any since early December either, so all this beauty with its inherent moisture was very welcome.
      I hope that you might get a little taste of winter yet! ❄❄❄

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  27. What a wonderland, so beautiful. It came late, but better late than never. I wonder if we will still get some real snow in Vienna this year. Nothing so far, and temperatures are up to 11 C today.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  30. Jetzt ist es schon eine Weile her, aber dennoch möchte ich sagen, traumhaft schöne Fotos. So macht der Winter besonders Freude, mit blauem Himmel und Sonne! Die Schneehäubchen sind besonders hübsch 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.