First Snow

After yet another self imposed blogging hiatus, I couldn't think of a better time to make my triumphant return than the first snowfall of the season here in Beaverton. I do have to clarify that when I say first snow I don't mean a sea of white as far as the eye can see and snowballs and snow angels....we could only be so lucky. Instead we have been treated to lots of big fluffy flakes falling harmlessly to the ground against a backdrop of pine trees for a beautiful holiday view. It's been enough to bring a smile to my face, inspire a load of phone calls to relatives and friends living outside of the Pacific NW, and most of all get my 5 yr old daughter outside in her pj's in sub-freezing weather to catch some snowflakes on her tongue (a task at which she was wildly successful).

I remember as a child (as well as a young adult and adult I must admit) hearing snow in the forecast for the first time of the season and practically not being able to sleep from the excitement. I would peer out of my bedroom window looking for the falling snow against the light of the streetlights and was always immensely disappointed when there was nothing yet to see. I remember sitting in class at school looking out the window just waiting to see that first flake fall from the sky and then along with the rest of the class, rushing outside once it had officially begun.

After moving to CA from the East Coast and living there for 18 yrs, I never realized how much I missed the snow until last year when the family and I moved to Oregon. Last November we got a bit of snow (I wrote about it on the blog) and I was again filled with that excitement. In January we actually got a real snow-STORM here where my wife and daughter actually got to play in snow for the first time (my wife was born in LA, my daughter in Palo Alto, CA). It was such a blast!!!!

We certainly won't get a big dump today but the first fluffy flakes of the year are certainly a welcome sight for sore eyes.