Melting . . .

Yesterday the yard was this beautiful, pristine picture of lovely pure white snow:

And today it has turned into one of my least favorite things . . . the mid-winter melt:

Which must be distinguished from the early-spring melt. With the early-spring melt there is the distinct fragance of warming earth and air filled with bird song. The mid-winter melt . . . cold, wet mud, blah,gray skies, and the knowledge that this is only January. The mud will not warm and soak up the damp for another 2 months. Instead it will freeze on the surface. Leaving me hoping for another big snow to cover it all up again.

On a less winter blah note . . . even though the skies were rather gray yesterday, the sun made an interesting appearance late in the day. Just barely showing itself through the clouds.