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Last winter

It came after the December rains in early January. Temperatures fell below zero and snow started falling from the sky to the dark earth. Though the ground had barely cooled down from the new normal temperatures above freezing, the snow persisted and started forming a white blanket, which then grew and grew until the ground was covered and the branches of the evergreens sagged under the weight of the accumulating frozen powder.

Practically overnight the landscape had changed from the dreary, dark and damp autumn to a wintery wonderland. It was no white Christmas, but it sure was a welcome change from the snowless winter thus far. The mostly cloudy weather combined with the barely couple of hours of sunlight each day made for exceptionally dark and depressing outdoors environments. The new coat of snow, reflecting the light from what few rays made it through the clouds or were emitted by street lights gave the world a whole new level of brightness. Even close to the midnight darkness was it still possible to see the snowbanks and the outlines of trees, which were highlighted by the contrast from the snow on their branches.

It lasted for days, weeks, until eventually the power of winter could hold no more and the increasing sunlight warmed the air and the earth, leaving the snow to melt into puddles, where it would join the falling rain, leaving no trace of what was before. Before you knew it, the white snows were exchanged for yet more darkness and dampness. But spring was coming and the winter snows had helped keep us sane until the days grew longer and the worst of the darkness passed.

So, that is how the last winter came and went. It didn't last anywhere close to the ones that came before. It couldn't last. It arrived at the door, said its farewells and disappeared. All we could expect after the next scorching summer was just half of a year of autumn. A world of two seasons.

Goodbye, winter.