We are having a late cold-snap, perhaps the last before the warming that will come before Spring. And with that snap we have had some snow falling at the higher reaches of the Blue Mountains and beyond. Being close to a major city means that the first report of snow leads (usually) to a massive influx of car-bound tourists, all hoping to catch a moment of white magic. The highway had been in-passable due to the sheer volume of traffic, though I'll wager that they will be lucky to find much settled snow this side of Oberon. Here at Hazelbrook it sleeted yesterday but was not quite cold enough to snow.

I understand the attraction of snow, the way it silently creates an entirely new landscape seemingly out of nothing. Even the unsightly can wear a short-lived loveliness. I have written in the past about living in a country in which it snows heavily (Japan) and how this can make life quite difficult, once the first gasp of adoration is lost. It is not much fun to walk or drive in and if you have pneumonia, well, the romance is quickly diminished.

Yet still, the feeling of waking up and finding everything so stealthily changed is quite powerful. Yes, like the frost, snow flakes perform a "secret ministry."