Tuesday 13 February 2007

Ain't Snow Brilliant.

I love snow me.

It never ceases to amaze me, the capacity that some people chose to be grumpy about such a wonderful thing as snow. I can understand it if you live somewhere where it snows for months on end but, if we are really lucky, we get around one snow fall per winter where I live. Yet still you hear people who moan that the transport isn't working or that "it looks all right now, but it will look horrible when it goes all slushy".

These people simply have no soul; a big dump of snow transforms the ordinary and mundane sogginess of winter into a magical and fresh vista. Just for a few special hours, everything is transformed into an amazing beauty.



Green Lane (Roding Valley Meadows)
(Click to view large)


Last Thursday was a fantastic day, as I went to bed the forecasters had already predicted a lot of snow over night. I had already packed my rucksack and checked that everything was ready to go.

6:00am I was woken by one of my dogs who, it seems, was just as keen to get out and see the snow as I was. The first sight that greeted me when I looked out the windows was about four inches of snow on the window sill..... BRILLIANT!

20 Minutes later I was out the front door and heading for the local nature reserve, Roding Valley Meadows. I love this place; I continually find inspiration in its ever-changing moods, but Thursday surpassed all expectations.

As I crossed over the bridge, I could see that I was the first person to walk into the reserve since the snow had fallen. Perfect!

I did my best to capture the stillness and beauty the snow had created.




Stick in Snow
(Click to view large)

The sun didn't actually come up that morning, the white sky just got progressively brighter. So I didn’t need any filters to compensate for a sky that was just as white as the ground.

The first person I met on the reserve was an elderly chap who said to me "As soon as I saw it had snowed I had to get out here and enjoy it". I hope that I am doing the same thing when I am his age, that is if global warming hasn't put an end to snowfall in Southern England!

Later the dogs got their chance to play in the snow:




Spaniels in Snow (one for the family album)
(Click to view large)

Oh, Did I mention that I think Snow is brilliant!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I do believe that snow is a kind of magic, when it snows I feel a warm blanket of love is holding me. you feel cosy, sitting by the window and watch the snow falling. I think you are great in capturing such beautiful views.