[CongressJon]

Winter Dreamland
A TALE BY ********

I strolled outside and saw the white blanket of bitter cold that had enveloped the whole landscape around me. Its winter had begun! My neighborhood was a mattress, tucked in by Mother Nature with a broad quilt, which was as white as a polar bear’s fur. Since school had been terminated in light of the recent snowstorm, children of all ages could be witnessed sliding down slopes on sleds. Some were slinging snowballs, even bellowing out triumphant cries of joy for their lack of a school day. The chill in the air was almost visible, its pale coldness chilling the bone and nipping at the face with its ever-present canines.
Somehow, with so much wonder around, there was an incredible silence among the scene. The snow was bringing everything to a complete standstill, lacking the joyful melody of a bird’s song. Not even the low rustling of the wind shaking up tree branches could be heard. But as one were to budge, one could hear the almost unreal crunch of the powdery dandruff underfoot, or the near unnoticeable chatter of teeth in the icy temperatures.
Trundling along, wrapped in the soft yet heavy embrace of snow gear, snow could still be felt. Its soft roughness would fill its holder with wonder and glee. But snow can be fearful of a person’s hand, and will often jump a way; back under its opaque cover. Of course, one will always have experienced the frozen bullet that is a snowball, rushing into the face like a tiny volley of arrows. And then, away from the arctic temperatures and indescribable beauty of a snow-engulfed winter day there lays the warmth of a home. The comfort of drying off, the simple ecstasy of shedding outer layers of clothing, they are all reminders of how harsh nature can be to all.
In the experience of this frigid season, in addition to the eerie stillness that is present, there is not a hint of scent in the air. This almost completes the illusion that the whole world is frozen in time. While there is essentially nothing to get a whiff of, one could almost smell a chilling coldness that is almost… invigorating in its near nothingness. There are few tastes known to winter, only the mind-numbing coldness of frigid snow, dare any person risk a lick. Of course, hot chocolate, the drink of the soul, is never a bad choice. (As unnatural as it may be…)
Winter is a season of white blankets, bitter cold, frozen bullets and warm houses. It’s like a blue jay, or a cardinal – It’s something beautiful, that one would glimpse every once in a while, but just like that… it’s gone.