Winter Wonderland

Anybody in my facebook friend's list can tell you how much I hate the winter. I hate practically everything associated with it - the grey skies, the leafless trees, the dried grass, the mushy roads, the slippery sidewalks, the dry skin, the heavy coats.. like I said - everything... except one.

A lot of people I know like winter - they talk about the cool breeze, the peace it bring, the holiday season. I have a favorite thing about winter too - the one thing which makes the whole season bearable - the way the landscape changes overnight. Spring comes over a fortnight and it merges into summer. Autumn takes a few months to gradually set it. Winter, though, comes overnight - 3 inches of snow is all it takes to change a barren grey landscape to a beautiful storybook-ish one in a matter of hours. I can go to sleep to a depressing sight and wake up to a 'winter wonderland'. It is the only thing that convinces me to put up with the cold harsh northern winds.

After the terrible (read: awesome) snow storm last year, the Pittsburgh municipality has been on its toes to clear the snow ASAP. Though it started snowing by the end of November, I have not been able to see the white landscape so far because by the time I wake up, the streets (and pavements) have already been cleared.

However, on the 25th of December, after a late Christmas dinner and a game of Monopoly which ran into the wee hours of the morning, I stepped out to see the road covered with three inches of snow. It was bee-uuu-ti-ful. The snow was untrodden and peaceful and silent - my footsteps ruining the beauty as I trudged home in the cool morning. Sleepy as I was, I was happy to be awake and alone so early in the morning. It was oh-so-peaceful!

It was a real white christmas.