The palette of winter

It's the first snow of the season. Tilly and I woke up to a world that's been dusted with icing sugar.

Admittedly it's not much of a snow, not compared to the storms of last January....

...but this lighter touch of snow has a magic of its own, painting the landscape with a whole new palette of colors: of snow gleam and shadow, silver and ash,  subtle greens and ochres and reds and blue-greys, composed into quiet beauty.

Tilly loves it, of course. And so do I. It won't last long, and that makes it more precious...

...much like life itself. A reminder this morning, from old, wise Mama Nature, to treasure it all while we're here.