Ahh, that first big snow event of the Winter season. But, wait … Winter doesn’t happen for another ten days!

For sure, all this snow might put the kibosh on walking for the short-term.

Anyone who follows this blog knows I am no fan of wintry weather – never have been. But, even I must concede that the snow was beautiful today, and, it will remain so, until that stark white landscape gets chipped away by salt, soot or tire tracks.  Soon the snow plow will scoop up the leaves and street grime and sully those pristine crystals.

In my opinion, there is a calming effect when one goes out to clear the snow. Perhaps it is that rhythmic sound of  the shovel scraping along the cement, followed by the soft plop of snow landing on the pile after hefting shovelfuls to the left, or to the right.  It is soothing because the heavy snow muffles the sounds of the outside world, except for the occasional car travelling ever so slowly as it makes tracks in the snow-filled street.

Yup, the world seems hushed all around.

That is … except for the songbirds.

On this cold and snowy day, in which the flakes quickly morphed into flurries, and our world soon resembled a scene from a Currier and Ives lithograph, a group of birds sat huddled together on a nearby branch and were all atwitter. Clearly, they were filled with joy.  Perhaps they were singing along to my neighbor’s outside Christmas ornament … bells which occasionally peel traditional Christmas carols.

I do know it was not me whistling while I worked, but those songbirds in the tree.

By the time I was finished shoveling, I figure those birds had sent out more tweets than President-elect Trump.