The north wind shushes the sleet,
preferring instead
the lazy fall of fine snow
just dusting the cedar boughs.
And not so much
to weigh the afternoon down
with drifts
or discouraging sounds
of the opinionated crows,
but just the right amount
to suggest the coming winter
and all its heavy lifting.
But not today-
today is the first glaze of ice
on the path
with just enough substance
to lay paw prints
of fox and hare
across the dimly lit day
as it drifts
towards twilight
with the cold north wind.
thecourseofourseasons 
Nice poem and great photo. What species of bird is it?
Thank you, Eric. That is a male Northern Cardinal. They are pretty common backyard birds here in the Missouri Ozarks. The males with their dashing red plumage and black masks are very distinctive. The females are a pretty buff color with touches of red.
wonderful! it almost makes me miss that first real snow of the season
Magical! Really lovely and fine. You brought me right into the scene.
Beautiful image in both words and picture. Thanks for sharing.
What a spectacular photo!!!!!! Beautiful! Love the idea of just enough ice to show fox tracks…….this morning my car doors were iced shut – since the rear doors only open from the inside, this necessitated me inserting my considerable bulk between the bucket seats and kicking the door open like a super-hero, to the delight of my five year old companion!!!!!! LOL. Winter fun begins.
So lovely and perfect to herald the beginning of winter. Your poems do a wonderful job of following the seasons and the days.
Nancy
Excellent.