It’s been snowing since I got up this morning. What a great day!

It is wonderful…

Being Here Now

I’ve been photographing the snow as it falls and it is absolutely beautiful! The temperature has been hovering at 34 degrees and while the snow is accumulating a bit, the snow is wet and will surely not last more than a day or two. The weather forecast keeps predicting that the snow will change over to rain, but so far the snow persists. The snowflakes vary from a haze of tiny white flakes that obscure the horizon to huge white flakes that streak through the air. Every once in a while it looks like the snow is done and rain has begun but then the big white flakes start floating down again.

At one time all the pine needles on the evergreens and branches of the birches and other trees were frosted with snow but then it melted off or was blown off by wind gusts and now just a few remnants of snow lie along the larger branches. In patches where the evergreens shelter the ground green grass abounds.

A friend came up last weekend and we hiked in the woods, canoed, worked on designing her new website, and talked. It was a lovely north woods weekend. Both of us were sorry when she left last night.

Today has been a great day for making and editing photographs after my busy mild weather weekend. Every time I pause to look out the window I see something that I want to photograph. I’ve been going out on the front porch, sticking my camera out the balcony door, and making photos through the windows to avoid taking my camera (and myself) out in the wet weather.

While I have been longing to get out on the trails and wishing that the snow would stop, I’ve learned that it doesn’t last long and that if I simply relax and enjoy it, it’s really lovely. It also helps to have the right clothing and boots to get out and enjoy the weather, whatever it is.

Last evening when Sam and I were talking about what he had heard about the predicted snowstorm, I mentioned that I hoped that it was the last one of the season. Sam calmly replied, “Oh, it will probably snow again in a week or so. The snow usually doesn’t end up here until about the time of the fishing opener.” (Fishing opener is always Mother’s Day weekend in Minnesota.)

I’m thinking that the secret to being a happy north woods resident is to enjoy and accept the weather whatever it is (and to get out and enjoy it whatever it is).

This morning I saw a post on Facebook that said, “Only in Minnesota do you hear, ‘I have to hurry up and mow my lawn before it snows tonight.’ ” HA! It’s true. Saturday afternoon when my friend and I were canoeing in the Burntside river with the sunshine and mild weather, today’s snowy day was almost unimaginable. Today as I look out at the snowflakes falling and the white snow on the ground, our weekend canoeing seems unimaginable.

Being here now means living one day at a time and sometimes even one minute or one second at a time.

It is a lifetime lesson, learning to accept and appreciate each moment just as it is. I wish I could say that I live in the present moment most of the time, but sadly I’m often stuck in resisting what is instead of simply being in it.

The turning of the seasons, patience of the trees in the forest, and resilience of wild creatures in this place help me remember to embrace each moment.

Is there something that you are resisting in your life instead of accepting? Have you tried being here now?

May you walk in beauty.