The first plow-worthy snowfall of the new decade occurred Thursday (January 16) and we ventured forth into it during the morning. It snowed the entire time that we were out, sometimes a fine powder and sometimes the chunky variety, as these images would show, if enlarged. By the end of day, we got almost four inches of snow at our house.
The Town of Brooklin carried on as usual. The General Store seemed to be doing a good business; people were walking in and out of the Library as if nothing had happened; most of the fishing vessels were out of Naskeag Harbor, and the residents of the Brooklin Cemetery got some good insulation.
It was in the woods and fields — where there were no people — that the storm created some serious beauty. The snow became a sticky meringue icing on the spruce and fir.
The old, rugged apple and crab apple trees gained racing stripes. Those that had yet to let go of their apples often took on some of the qualities of Japanese Sumi-e painting.
Country lanes and paths had no traffic early in the morning. The purity and grace of their lines for once trumped their functionality.
There was little color, but winterberry and ornamental grasses provided daubs of red and rich browns here and there.
The woods, streams, and marshes were silent and virtually monochromatic, except for water-polished granite and trail blazes.
The human touch became more apparent in the half-light and included wood fences and log piles; a classic bench and stone wall under a frosted Katsura tree; lobster traps in the side lot, and Revolution Red paint jobs:
In the sun of the prior day, the Fuller Family road banner seemed out of place. But, as the snow came down on it Thursday, it proved prophetic.
The wildlife came out at dusk and went about their business of surviving as best they could.
(All images taken on January 16, 2020, in Brooklin, Maine.)