Sunday, October 30, 2011

Snow Fall

It's not unusual to get snow in Maine, of course, and it's not unheard of, even, to get big Nor'easters this time of year, but the last memorable one was twenty years ago. So when Saturday came and this was our forecast, we were a little surprised, and a good deal concerned as most of the trees still have all their leaves, which never combines well with heavy, wet snow and high winds.

October snow
snow blanket

As the bulk of the storm happened during the overnight, we went to bed with visions of snow laden trees, bent over from the weight and fearing what the wind would do to them. We tossed a bit, due to the month early, snow-bright behind our shutters, waking to the snow plows grumbling up our street. We hoped we wouldn't lose power.

autumn snow

Peering out our bedroom window this morning, I saw an autumn scene inside a snow globe. At first glance, all looked well.

Halloween Eve snow
snow capped viburnum
snow leaves
snow fall

I put on my boots and sweater and walked the garden. Leaves were crusted into the snow, branches still adorned by leaves bowed to the the ground. Everything was soggy and slushy, the snow already melting. I then made my one discovery of damage. The big Newtown Spitzenburg, an heirloom variety and our largest apple tree, was cracked in the middle, taking a large branch with it. A lump formed in my throat. I was already sad about having to tell Alex about his favorite apple tree.

oh no, the big apple tree
bird bath
looking down our street

Walking back to the house, I saw just how crushed the normally lush, normally 15' high viburnum was. We'll have to brush the snow off and hope it bounces back.

our poor 15' viburnum

The snow on this eve of Samhain, it is a reminder that we are truly on the brink of winter. The branches and leaves bend to the earth, the snow blankets and we enter increasing darkness, the time of going deep, until Solstice. Tonight we transform, we carve pumpkins and we will light candles for the glow and warmth and know that winter is truly here.

2 comments:

  1. Wandering around on a cool fall evening, found your lovely blog. Amazing Oct. snowstorm, sorry about your apple tree. Amazingly, VT had almost no snow, at least northern VT. I'm a bit jealous. I hope everything melts and there is no further damage.

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  2. Thanks, Andrea. As of this morning, we still have a good amount of snow on the ground, so it will be interesting to see if the kids are trick-or-treating in it. The apple tree, yes, so sad, and thanks!

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