Winchester (winter 2009)

From our second snowfall this winter--new record for December!  21" by the end of the day, taken in the morning 12/19/09 from my bedroom window.

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Dec 20, 2009, appx 1am

The snow stopped hours ago and I'm outside in a black and white and grey world with two cardinal red envelopes in my gloved hand; I'm feeling like a colorized monochrome photo come to life. Stick those in the mailbox (one less thing to remember on Monday morning) and the silence calls me out for a quick walk.

The snow is up to my knees, and I'm retracing the pockmarks of someone else's journey toward plowed pavement.

The lights of the town advertise a night life, a need for traffic control, twinkling holiday cheer . . . but there is only me, two other night wanderers, and the sound of my own footsteps.

A silent city is disturbing; I am one of three people in the world.