Photos of a March Snowstorm

 

We had a snowstorm that started on March 9 in the evening and lasted through midday today, March 10.  It was one of those wet heavy snows, the kind of snows perfect for making snowmen.  It was the kind of snow that will be gone in a day or two.  Others in Chicago and Michigan were complaining on social media about another snowstorm so late in the season.  I have made no secret of my love a good snowstorm and even a good spell of frigid air.  So, I loved this storm and snow.  I can understand my Michigan friends being weary of such storms as they lost power for several days in the past two storms.  Certainly, my enjoyment of snowstorms and cold blasts is heavily dependent on having a warm, well-lit, house to retreat to.

Today’s snowstorm was also the kind of snow that sticks to the branches and twiggy parts of the trees making for a Currier and Ives setting.  It was just that this morning, a beautiful sight with last of the snow lightly tapering off.  With the temperatures in the mid to high thirties, I did not expect the snow cling to the trees for very long.  So, I grabbed my camera, went out  to take some photos, and share them with here.

My favorite is the lead photo of one of our two cherry variant trees right outside my office windows.  These trees produce a lot of fruit and feed several species of birds as well as squirrels the entire winter.  We have robins year-round because of these trees, so for us there is no longer the excitement of seeing the first robin of the spring.  They are always around.  During a typical winter day finches might gather to feed, followed by robins, and lastly squirrels scurrying up and down the trees in the lull periods.  Every once in a while, I see a red tail hawk perched in one of the trees.  The finches and robins are nowhere to be seen when one of these massive hawks is perched in one of the trees.                              

The birds seem to clean all the cherries off one of the trees completely before starting on the second tree.  I am guessing that one of the trees is male and the other female.  An internet search confirmed that there are indeed male and female cherry trees but yielded no insight into which is tastier to finches and robins.

I love this lead photo because of the contrast of the colors of the cherry to the almost black and white of the tree branches and the snow.  I love the photo because you can see drops of water on the cherries formed by the already melting snow defying gravity and refusing to fall. 

The other photos are not bad at all.  The one of our street shows how the landscape was flocked with snow.  But these other photos are just OK compared to the photo of the cherries in my humble view.  I should make note cards out of this photo and use them for thank you notes and other correspondence.

A month or two from today, the cherry trees will be adorned with beautiful pink blossoms.  I just might have to some more photos then.