Where Have All The Snowflakes Gone?

We haven't had much snow in the northeast this winter.

I miss sitting at my kitchen table watching snowflakes paint a natural scene that can never quite be captured  in a photo or on a canvass. A snowfall is truly on of those events that has to be savored as it happens. I wonder where the flurries, squalls and blizzards are. Maybe they're stuck in Alaska. Check it out....

The most fascinating thing about a snowfall, at least for me, is the individual flake. Minuscule ice crystals floating down from the sky to brighten the lifeless land. Each morsel with its own design that if enlarged and solidified would surely be the most exquisite gem in a jewelry box. I actually like going outside and letting them fall on my black gloved hand. Seeing if I can detect their differences before they melt. It's sort of like going to a snowflake museum. Check out some of these "real" snowflakes:

They really do fit into the category of ordinary miracles. Just think about that five-foot snowman that you might make after a storm. Scientists estimate that you'll need two million snowflakes depending on how hard you pack them and each one will be different from its neighbor. I'm sure you've heard that before, but each time I think about that fact it amazes me. So for all it's worth, I'll take a moment to make a wish:

Let it snow!  Let it snow!  Let it snow!

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA:

A snowflake is one of the most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they ban together:

Unknown Author

My young sons pack together at least
2 million snowflakes for a snowman

Gliding through Gatineau Park in Ottawa, Ontario, CA

A Nice Scene Somewhere