A still, completely gray, overcast, chilly morning.
At 8.30 a fine snow begins to fall, increasing very gradually, perfectly straight down, till in fifteen minutes the ground is white, the smooth places first, and thus the winter landscape is ushered in.
And now it is falling thus all-the land over, sifting down through the tree-tops in woods, and on the meadow and pastures, where the dry grass and weeds conceal it at first, and on the river and ponds, in which it is dissolved.
But in a few minutes it turns to rain, and so the wintry landscape is postponed for the present.
H. D. Thoreau, Journal, December 9, 1855
See November 18, 1855 (“About an inch of snow fell last night, but the ground was not at all frozen or prepared for it.”); December 16, 1857 ("Begins to snow about 8 A. M., and in fifteen minutes the ground is white, but it soon stops.") See also note to November 29, 1856 ("This is the first snow.")
No comments:
Post a Comment