Lake-effect snow (from the Great Lakes) often follows on the heels of a huge coastal storm. The snow fell off and on today, but it was just a tease. No, we did not get even a single snowflake out of the coastal blizzard that swept New York City. Yes, we're unhappy about that, but although the cross-country skiers and snowmobile enthusiasts are miserable, the mountain continues to make snow 24 hours a day, as it has for the psat nine to ten days.

When I got home from work, the snow started coming down in earnest. I poured a glass of Excelsior Cabernet (a house favorite from a vineyard not far from Capetown, South Africa), and stood in the living room looking out the windows toward the northeast. The snow fell furiously for about 20 minutes and I was transfixed, watching the snow fall and the landscape become obscured. Only the fir trees remained, their dark, conical heads appearing in the distance. As time passed, the nearest hills reappeared, then the mountains. Before long, the birch trees emerged. I watched until the last snowflakes fell and clouds appeared in the distance. I was filled with sadness because I wanted more. After an incredibly busy day answering phones that refused to stop ringing, I longed to lose myself in the swirling whiteness for hours. Reluctantly, I picked up the laptop to blog awhile, but words are always inadequate.

Tomorrow I have a day off, and part of me is crying out for adventure and solitude. A hike to a place we've never been? Perhaps. I wonder if Valentine's Day is a good day to drive to Speculator with Ken. We've been wanting to go west. There's plenty of nuthin' between here and Speculator, which is 29 miles west. That's what lots of people say. But in truth, the Siamese Ponds Wilderness is there, home to bears, bobcat, lynx, and many other Adirondack mammals that are rarely found further east and south. I'd like to drive by and imagine them roaming freely, with nothing to encumber them. The town of Speculator has several stores, so it would be a fun destination.