Pages

11.23.2009

Under The Influence


Last night while I lay bundled and warm in my bed the flakes began to fall.

In the afternoon I padded around the house in thick sweat pants, fluffing up the corners of my nest, watching the ground slowly disappear under a thick dusting of sugar. I simmered a pot of soup and brought out the heavy boots from storage while The Holbs shoveled the driveway snow.


The dogs ran, biting mouthfuls of snow. Their barks echoed against the snowy sky, they chased and chased until blissfully exhausted, panting and shivering under the wet snow clinging to their fur.

In the night I cranked on the heaters, lit all the candles, pulled out the blankets, turned on the Christmas music. Some knitting and some football and some cold toes in warm socks, and a Monday looming with nowhere to be but in this house, under the influence of snow on snow on snow.

27 comments:

  1. Ah, I love those big flakes, the ones that linger on the edge of a wool scarf, showing you just how beautiful each flake is just before it fades into a tiny drop of water. Two more days, and then I get a nice long break from work. Just a tiny little dusting for us tonight, and then sun, sun, sun, teetering in the 40s-50s. Perfect weather (in my opinion) for a post-turkey day Christmas tree hunt!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous photos. I do miss the snow but not the sludge afterwards.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That was awesome. I am so jealous of your snow. It just rains in Wales.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am under the influence now too! I want snow. Florida sucks. It is still in the 70s. Ugh!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's nice looking. I live in Toronto, Canada. We get a fair amount of snow here. We don't have any yet and I'm happy about that. Pretty pictures of snowy scenes will do me just fine ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. How beautiful! I wish we had snow in Sacramento...but at least we can make the two hour drive to Tahoe. You're dogs are adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I enjoy reading your blogs, the pictures of snow is all very nice but, its not for me. Give me beautiful Florida of sunshine all year round. To me, Delray Beach is utterly paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful post! I wish I had snow.. soon enough (i'm in upstate NY) it certainly is cold enough!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You make me crave snow! It is beautiful the first time it snows, but I'll hate it soon enough! Love your writing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, Nat, you make me want to curl up by the fire with blankets and hot tea and a great book! Wishing I had snow in DC.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Snow is beautiful! But.... I hate it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you for casting a winter image that will linger for awhile in my mind. We don't get a winter wonderland here except on VERY rare occasions but the mountains are a 4 hour drive away when we can escape to them. I have lovely memories of our dogs bounding in the snow perplexed with it. Drinking mugs of hot chocolate with marshmellows with our kids before dashing out to sled....still my favorite is a walk on a still morning with snow gently falling...no cars just the footsteps I leave as I walk along.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you. I needed this white enchanted wonderland today as I'm currently living in hot sticky West Africa. My mind is full of snow angels while my body is unsuccessfully blocking sun rays from all sides.
    Cheers ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. it may be because we so-calians never get to see that kind of stuff (snow, did you call it??) but it seems dreamy :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your dog is freaking awesome! Love it! Love the photo of him jumping in teh snow!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Writing to you from Wisconsin with a sincere thank you....this is the first time since May that I haven't dreaded the idea of the winter that's coming. Thank you, Natalie.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Do you know that I love your blog and I read your posts regularly? But I just get so discouraged when it comes to leaving a comment as I'm always at the bottom of the heap. I hope you get to read this anyway. I loved this poat. It's winter here too and we're waiting for the snow although all we've got at the moment is rain rain rain and dreaded floods.

    ReplyDelete
  18. p.s I meant 'post' not poat!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I just love snow days! Too bad we don't get many in Arkansas. And when we do it only lasts a few hours... maybe a day or two if we're really really lucky. Enjoy it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love the snow. I love watching it and eating it and WATCHING the kids play in it :) haha The dogs jumping is awesome. They are hillarious

    ReplyDelete
  21. Snow is amazing... :)
    The closest thing we have to snow in the gross subtropical sandstone hot sweaty "bliss" of this part of Australia is hail. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Those of us in Southern California do not know a thing about what you are saying. The beach and the sun reign supreme around here, and although it might sound somwhat glamorous to some, I feel cheated that I don't get to experience the seasons. The turning of the leaves, the brisk wind, the frigid air. I want to know what a season is and I want to have to shovel snow, at least one time anyway. Great post Nat.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I really miss Utah for this reason. We don't have much snow here in Kansas-thank goodness for Christmas with the in-laws and a joyous return to Provolandia.

    Thank you for a glimpse into my near future.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I live in Texas, and it's 70 degrees outside right now. I wish that I could enjoy lovely winter weather like you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I need me some snow! We don't get much of that down south in Boise!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wishing the snow would make it's way to VA this winter...we had one good one last year and that was it. It's flurrying right now as I type, it's not a lot but it's a start:) Pretty pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Beautiful photos!!! I wish we got pretty snow, but we just get yucky ice!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated because mama ain't no fool.