Snow is quite inspiring for some.  It really depends on whether you focus on the weather surrounding it or the miracle of snow itself.  It has a very mystical effect on the world.  When it snows everything is covered in white and it looks so clean.  The snow also acts as insulation for noise so its very quiet.  All the usual noises are muffled and so its both quiet and clean.  It’s peaceful and a marvel as well.  The way it accumulates on some trees and rocks it looks like frosting on a cinnamon roll. 

Of course when we get engaged in our daily activities we tend to ruin the pristine state of the snow.  We shovel it, track through it, plow it from the streets and splatter dirt and grime on it.  We warm our houses so it melts from the roof; but if we are fortunate enough that it is still below freezing we do get some very interesting icicles where the water drops.  By the time we get finished the snow is tramped, dirty, melted, piled up and out of our way.  So the pristine state of the snow is even more precious; because we usually don’t have it for long. 

I went up to Lake Tahoe the other day and noticed many undamaged areas of snow.  It was so beautiful, I wish I could have captured its whole essence in my photos; but I don’t think my little pocket camera was up for the task.   I was amused by the number of tracks and trails in the snow left solely by animals as if they got a kick out of running across a pristine field as much as kids do. 

It’s a silly idea I suppose.  But don’t you ever get the impression that animals really appreciate the wonders of nature much more than humans do?  After all, we’re the ones that make a mess of the fresh, clean, quiet snow-fallen day.  While you expect the animals to all be hidden in their warm dens; they are often outside playing in it.  Perhaps they are smarter than we give them credit for.  Perhaps they have a better handle on priorities than we do.