Winter Wonderland

Last night it snowed in Nantes.

The river has been frozen for 2 days. We watched as families big and small come to the river to marvel at the ice, toss rocks, listen to the sounds. Even the birds are walking on the ice delighting in the wonder. I found out why… this river hasn’t frozen since 2017. Its not a common occurrence.

And then last night it started raining big cold sloppy drops of rain right as we were going out for an evening walk. Then it turned into a real snow around 10:00. I was so tired, falling asleep, and Terry said, “come look!” Then people came out in droves. Kids laughing and running around. Throwing snowballs, making snowmen. Dogs jumping and delighting. It was way too exciting to sleep! And now, in the very early hours, this bustling noisy city is silent. No trains, no cars, no sirens. The constant stream of cyclists commuting to work has vanished.

The silence that accompanies a blanket of snow has always been my favorite part of it all. It brings back memories of lying in bed under the blue light of a full moon in Waynesville, NC, the very first time I experienced the whole world silenced by new fallen snow.

This peaceful, quiet joy is contagious!