(S)no(w) More

Or the big melt. As much fun as the snow has been, it is kind of nice to see it slowly retreating across the yard, revealing the all but dead and brown, though not lifeless lawn beneath. I think the departure of the snow is quite possibly even more fascinating than its arrival.

The snow falling is beautiful, but the build up of it isn’t particularly interesting. The melt however is a different story altogether. I was driving home the other day and noted that one particular road that I was traveling on was white on one shoulder and completely barren of snow on the other. The roofs are similar and it becomes quite apparent that it only takes a little bit of a lee to create an environment in which the snow will hold out for a few more days than where it exposed to more direct sunlight.

One of the more unexpected things that I have noticed is that the area around the bases of trees seems to become devoid of snow quicker than the areas further out. I have no idea why. Perhaps the trees are getting thirsty with the burst of energy that will be required for spring. After all, I would have thought that in the more shaded environment that this place provides, the snow would have lasted longer here. Or perhaps there simply isn’t as much snow there to begin with because the branches restrict the amount that manages to accumulate there.

And in the larger accumulations on the side of the road, the pattern in which it melts also appears to relate to the aspect in which it sits in relation to the sun’s path. In some instances it appears to melt out from the bottom. And so ledges form at the edge of the bank that are undermined as the snow melts out from beneath them.

Other than that, there is of course the appearing garbage and dirt that you’ve carefully hidden away for the winter months. Nothing a little cleaning up won’t help!