From the 1953 House Chronicle: The first snow flurries of the year fell on the morning of Nov. 4th. Whether or not this means winter has begun remains to be seen.
The first snow flurries of 2023 fell a few days earlier than in 1953, gracing the grounds on Halloween morning. God’s own version of a trick or treat prank, perhaps?
The grounds are beautiful when covered with the first blanket of white, so that was one treat. The flurries were wet and heavy, and added up to a couple of inches, so that definitely comes under the heading of trick. Timing was unfortunate, too, given that Holly, the JustBobCat, is no longer with us and her successor has not yet arrived. The plow truck seems to be on the threshold of the automotive version of the afterlife, so JustBob chose not to risk the inevitable breakdown. So two more in the trick column. JustBob decided to handle it 1953-style, using a shovel to clear an area in the circle drive so staff and visitors had a clear pathway to the door, and that was no treat for him. Brother Sun did take care of the parking lot and the rest of the driveway so that by late afternoon the only evidence of the first snowfall was in shaded or grassy areas. Definite treat! That makes the score Tricks – 4, Treats – 2.
It still remains to be seen if winter has officially arrived or if this was just a little preview of what’s to come. The low-30 degree temperatures, wind and rain last week, and the overnight low in the teens Halloween night/All Saints morning would suggest winter has indeed arrived. The bright sunshine and daytime temps in the upper 30’s that followed the snow and quickly melted much of it might indicate fall has not yet yielded to winter.
All in all, things could have been mush worse, so we are grateful that the first snowfall was both minimal and short-lived. Hopefully, Holly’s successor will arrive before the next snowfall or we may have to rely on the kindness of Village staff to help us in our need. Yet we know winter will arrive, likely sooner than later, as we cannot stop the change of seasons. So we accept the inevitable, and plan and prepare as best we can.
For all the tricks and treats of this season’s first snowfall, and for the snow shovels and Brother Sun to clear it away, we say Deo Gratias!