It’s almost cruel that a decision has to be made between staying cozy inside with a warm cup of tea, or heading out for a walk in the silence of the soft, cold air.

At the barn, the only sound is the wind cooing across the eves, pushing white powder through the clattering eucalyptus branches. In the distance is a call and response chorus between kids ATV-ing through the woods and the cows mooing back to them in the pasture. It’s difficult to tell which is which between the cows and the bleat of ATV engines. Physics says that a blanket of snow dampens sounds like acoustical tiles in a performance hall. The silence demands my attention, which paradoxically only seems to amplify the sound.

Then in a moment, the flakes stop falling. The sun is out. The sky is blue. Everything is sparkling, and I’m glad I went for this walk.

“A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.” -Susan Orlean