Department Store Snow

Have you ever been to a department store and scene the fake snow that shimmers and glitters like little crystals? Have you ever thought "Why do they make it look so fake. Snow doesn't really look like that." Well, as Shaun discovered and pointed out to all of us, the snow looks like that in Alaska. When it first falls, it looks like the white fluffy snow that you would see anyplace. But, as the cold or wind or something hits it, the snow actually begins to shimmer. Crystals form on the top layer of snow, and everywhere the snow begins to sparkle and glimmer like a million tiny diamonds catching the light. Even at night the snow glows in the car headlights. Whether we spent time gazing at the snow covered terrain or simply were catching it in our sights as we traveled from here to there, the sight was really breathtaking. Who would have thought that mere snow, the tiny crystals of snow, could be so beautiful. We all take the time to look at the snowey vistas but this requires looking at the snow itself and being awed by its shape and beauty. About 10 inches of new snow has fallen since we took the above pictures in the beginning of November, so we have momentarily lost the amazing crystalline snow. But the shimmer remains: like God stood in heaven and opened a jar of white glitter and poured its sparkling contents all over the snow.