Snow Hug

Photograph by Alex Shapiro

Snow Hug

We had a good dose
of that white fluffy stuff
the night before last.
Everyone knows just how giddy
snowfalls make me,
and this one was no exception.

It’s rare to get “real” snow here
because it’s usually so warm
that whenever a few flakes
hit the ground
they quickly morph into liquid.

But as some may have heard
and others are experiencing,
the Pacific Northwest is in a week-long grip
of the coldest snap in almost twenty years–
and even broke a 44 year old record low today
with 19 degrees in the Seattle area.

On the islands,
it’s been in the low 20’s every day,
and for those exposed to the sturdy wind
on the west side, well,
I can’t imagine what that chill factor makes it,
but the views across the wave-driven straits are spectacular.

Normal temps this time of year
would be in the low to upper 40’s.
But perhaps nothing is “normal” any more,
or perhaps we’ve been keeping records
for far too short a period
in the grand scheme of things
for any of this to raise an eyebrow
with the Universe.

Business as usual, maybe,
if you’ve been around
a few hundred thousand years.
I’m working to achieve that goal myself
because I enjoy my life so much
I don’t particularly want it
to come to an inevitable cadence.
But my fondness for wines,
spirits and dark chocolate
may be cutting into my competitive edge.
We’ll see.


Alex Shapiro December 2008