Mary Ann Hayes

It is, of course, unnecessary to point out that we are buried in snow, not only here in the Pacific Northwest, but apparently everywhere there’s a news station. So, while we’re drowning in the stuff, I’d like to point out the obvious, just for the sake of whining, and share a few facts I’ve never really thought about.

For example — snow shoveling backaches, slips and falls and broken bones, frozen toes, frost bit fingers, cars in ditches, icy roads, and school closures, are just a few reasons why we often feel snow is a negative. There are all the usual things like helping the dog find a place to pee, and the inconvenience of keeping the sugar water in the hummingbird feeder thawed. Not to mention suffering from anxiety over delayed Amazon orders and mail delivery and just exactly when is garbage pick up anyway?

So here’s some more bad stuff. Did you know the moles, voles, and field mice are rejoicing this very minute over the fact that their natural predators can’t find them? Therefore, they are free to gnaw on the bark of trees and shrubs, often killing the plants, then brazenly prance around fat and happy in the spring.

And what about all that road salt? We use 22 million tons of salt a year on U.S. roads. That’s 137 lbs. per US citizen each and every year. It eventually dissolves, becomes surface runoff, and contaminates creeks, rivers, streams, and lakes. This contributes to the degradation of natures ecosystem. We humans are reliant on a healthy ecosystem, so what’s the deal?

Yet snow is also sweet as salve on a sunburn, bringing relief in many ways.

It’s an excellent insulator of the soil. Without snow, extreme cold can freeze deep soil damaging root systems. It helps conserve soil moisture over winter so when the time comes, spring can burst into spectacular bloom.

You know how it is on a sunny snowy day: sunglasses and squinting at all the brilliance. The snows high reflectivity helps Earths energy balance because it reflects solar energy back into space. Somehow, this helps cool the planet, keeping the balance. It’s mother nature magic!

Snow and cold temperatures also keep the insect population under control in summer. Ever notice how we have more mosquitoes and lawn moths following a mild winter? A serious cold snap in winter is imperative for limiting the summer- time insect invasion.

And then there’s the simple beauty of it all. Snow capped mountains, trees trimmed in white, the crunch under snowboots as we walk through the sparkling powder. I am amazed how blue the sky is when everything is covered in snow and the sun is shining. The brightest and bluest of blues. And the evergreens appear a deep, rich, hunter green poking out from under cotton flocking, their trunks milk and dark chocolate showcased against a stark white canvas.

And the snowflakes; each unique, large as quarters and tiny as fairy teardrops. Just watching them float, drift, glide, from the steely gray sky is a joy in itself.

It won’t last much longer, so enjoy it while it’s here.

Later,

Mary Ann