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| Serenity! (click to enlarge) Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens @ 12mm; 1/5th sec. @ f/5.6; ISO 800 |
Here in southeastern Virginia we have had snow twice since the first of the year. For many of you that is no big deal. For others, you don't ever have snow. But for us, it is unusual to have two snowfalls in January. Since we are near the Atlantic Ocean, our snow normally falls after the ocean cools and a low pressure system moves up the coast, bringing cold air down off the ocean with its accumulated moisture. That occurs in late February and early March. Snow is much more common during those times.
Additionally, after our first snow, the temperature stayed below freezing for several days. Again, very unusual as our typical weather pattern is to have snow, then the next few days the temperatures reach into the 40s (F) or 50s (F). Any snow is normally totally gone within 48 hours of the end of the snowfall. But I digress.
I grew up in the southern edge of the "snow belt" in northwestern Pennsylvania. In other words, it snowed a lot when I was a kid and we loved every minute of it! On the northern edge of the snow belt is Buffalo New York and they get about a zillion inches of snow each year. Our snow wasn't nearly that prolific but enough for us kids to be out in all day, day after day.
One of my favorite things about snow is the "quiet." I would go out at night and just stand and listen to the "quiet." No sounds. The snow absorbed all of them, the cars, the factories, the people, no sounds could be heard at all. Very peaceful, very serene, very satisfying to me, who grew up in a city. I still practice that same activity today.
It snowed the day before yesterday and at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, I went outside with my little Olympus E-M1 Mark II equipped with its 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens and just stood in my street for the longest time listening to "nothing." The quiet was so satisfying. I made a few images then came back inside with a small smile on my face. I slept very well that night.
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| Solitude! (click to enlarge) Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm f/4 PRO lens @ 23mm; 1/5th sec. @ f/5.6; ISO 800 |
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
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Hello Dennis;;
ReplyDeleteThis brings back many memories. At one time I lived in the hills of NW New Jersey and there were several years when we didn't see our lawn from late November until Mid-April. I now live in the Sonoran Desert where we have lots of heat, but of course no snow**. This brought back many memories of the beautiful, snowy days!
**I have lived in N. Phoenix for nearly 12 years. We did have snow in our backyard for about ten minutes a few years back!
Jeff, you owe it to yourself to enjoy the quiet of a cold winter’s night after a snowfall! Take a deep breath of that clean, cold air and just enjoy a slow silent walk with the only sound being the crunch of the snow under your boots. Head back east for a week and you’ll make some good memories.
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