I’m no Snowflake Bentley, but I aspire

My bicycle commute to work today was livened up a bit by snowflakes pinging into my eyes and melting on my thighs. There wasn’t much snow coming down – just enough to notice.

And notice I did.

The snowflakes were the beautiful, perfect kind – the kind that put me in awe of nature’s artistry.

When I got to work, the snowflakes landed and then promptly melted on my black bicycle seat, which was still warm from my bum. The black metal rack on the back of my bike, however, was nice and cold – a perfect contrast-y landing site for the snow.

I stood there for several minutes, marveling at the diversity of form, just as Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley did back in the 1880s. I even tried to take a few photos, but Bentley’s got me beat by a mile and a half in that skill. Check out some of his photos here.

Here are two of my attempts:

Next time it snows like this, do yourself a favor. Pause, look and be amazed.

Copyright 2012 by Katie Bradshaw