First Snow Fall of 2012

Several days ago, my wife Nancy called me to our large front door to view the first snow fall of these winter months. A sprinkling here...a sprinkling there...not the white Christmas that is sung about I thought, but a white touch to the new year. How special it has always seemed to see the first snow flakes of winter. [The picture to the right shows our house at its first dusting.]

Having grown up in Kentucky, you were always uncertain as to when this event would happen. It might even happen before Christmas, but often it would wait until January. However, twenty five years of experiencing snow falls in Kentucky did little to prepare me for my first Iowa snow fall. Here it seemed that winter snow started around Thanksgiving, and the ground stayed covered with snow until Easter! Piles and piles of it, blown by the snow plow to stacks that at times seemed 10 feet tall. [Rough estimate from this UK Big Blue disciple!]. Natives frequently started our conversation with..."You're not from here, are you?" [Perhaps my chattering teeth gave me away.] "I am from Kentucky", I would say. "Oh, you're from the South then", often came the reply. Five Iowa winters taught me a lot about hard working folks who knew how to turn winter into play time. [My three daughters were all born in the corn fields of Iowa!]

Then moving to Alabama some years later [Roll Tide!] I looked forward to Alabama winters. No snow, no plows, no icy roads were in my expectations. Not! [As was frequently said!]. My first Alabama winter was spent at 6 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit)! "...You're not from here, are you..?", was often asked. "I'm from Kentucky" was my reply. "Oh, you're from the North", came the response. What!? North!? I thought I was from the South! Who would have guessed! I could be from both the North and the South!

Wow, I thought...maybe that is what it means to be from Kentucky. Our State Motto is: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall". Perhaps we need to spread it around a little bit. Funny what the first snow flakes of winter will bring to mind.

Countenance of an Angel

The ground around my house has been covered in snow most of these winter months. Cold, ice, salt, poor roads, and housebound for many days, makes one look out the window and hope for the spring.

Outside my study is a well that was place some 176 years ago. I guess it has seen its share of Kentucky snow and ice. It is part of a cistern system that runs underground collecting the runoff from the snow and ice. Capturing this melting snow, it provided a source of water for the continuation of life around this place. Of course, it no longer operates as a source of water, for time has replaced it with pipes and faucets, and a water bill!

Over this well is placed a fountain. Central to this fountain is an angel statue which looks toward our house. On a sunny day, between the snow and ice, the sun reflected off our angel, and left hope for the spring. The picture to the right is the angel, and I thought it might help those who are still facing the snow and ice. The countenance of an angel...spring is on the way!