We woke up yesterday to a soft, downy, blanket of white covering everything. Is this winter’s last icy breath? The dogs are hoping not. They played for hours in the powdery puff, snow so light and soft it practically floated away.

It’s hard to believe that this white expanse turns into a vegetable paradise starting in just a month or so. By mid July beans and corn will reach for the sky, potatoes will fatten in the warm earth, tomatoes will bulge with sweet juice, and countless bees will buzz from dawn to dusk. Few things in life bring happiness as sticking your fingers into the soft earth and feeling the swelling of a big potato. It’s hard to believe the earth will one day warm my toes instead of freezing them off.

The daffodil buds, turning yellow, promise that this too will pass. Enjoy the white. Once the sun has melted it for good, I’ll have to wait many a month to see such beauty again.