it snowed!!!

During the winter, snowy days are my favorite. The beauty of the snow flakes that fall, the sparkle of the snow during wee hours in the morning, the softness of the snow on the ground..it takes some of the cold away. In fact, it is usually not so cold when it snows unless there's strong wind at the same time. Unfortunately, we haven't gotten much snow this year. I have been here in Michigan for 5 years and none of the 5 winters were the same.

My Mid-Western friends always give me an annoyed look when I get all excited when it snows because it can be a mess especially if you're driving. But hey, coming from Malaysia, a country right on the Equator line where it's hot all year long, we don't like it when it rains heavily either. It is a mess but it is always kinda nice when you're out there playing under the rain. The snow is like the same thing...it's a mess especially if it's gonna be really cold the next day and they freeze up, making it hard to walk what more drive, or if it's gonna warm up the next day, making all the snow turn to slush...but when it is snowing, it's a beautiful sight. You don't even have to be out there in the cold to appreciate it because it looks pretty enough from the window.

When it started snowing last night, I was hoping it will last through the night. With my crappy mood from my weird stomach ache, any cheering up will be good for me. So the first thing I did when I woke up this morning was to look out my bedroom window and guess what???...the snow did last through the night!! It's definitely something to rejoice about since the last snow we got was during Christmas and it has been dull and depressing. Isn't it pretty? Even without the sun, the snow somehow has a sparkle and brightness that can brighten the day.

The other thing I love about the snow is the leftovers. Not the grey slush by the road side from the dirty car tires. Not the sticky ones that stick to the sole of your shoe and make a mess outside your door. It's the ice-sculptures.

There are all kinds of shapes that you can find and they are all natural! Sometimes I'll let my imagination run wild and try to look for hidden patterns. This particular one reminds me of King Triton's spear from the Little Mermaid. If I'm lucky, there might be more around the campus tomorrow if the temperature stays low. The unique ones are usually by the river bank, where the shape is molded not just by the roots of the trees there but also by the water flow below the ice layer.