11″  in the last 18 hours and still piling up. The first big snow always brings welcome changes — to the landscape and people’s attitudes, usually. Most people feel a sense of excitement anticipating the first major snow storm of the season. And even though snow means work for many (shoveling), and potentially a change of plans due to treacherous travel, the first big snow seems somehow less inconvenient than all the other snow storms we’ll see.

I spent the day baking – cinnamon swirl bread and turkey pot pies. Snow seems to bring this out in me. Perhaps some hibernation instinct kicks in, and I feel the need to store more food, particularly more carbs, for the winter. Others spend the day engaging in other creative pursuits, enjoying the outdoors, watching football, or all of the above. Even though we could do these things any other day, somehow it’s more special to be doing these things on the first snow day. Less of a chore.

The natural world changes, and invests us with new moods, new ideas, and new energy. I’m lucky to be living in a place that has all four seasons, so I can reliably count on lots of changes in the natural world to help recharge my day-to-day life.