Snow

East Coast weather is weird. We've been getting random days of super warm (60-70°F) weather interspersed among the typical 30-40°F winter chilliness. Last week I saw ladies in dresses and guys in flip-flops, but a few days ago, we had hail and snow thunderstorms. Was California weather ever fickle like this? I can't remember anymore...

Living in a part of the world where snow is to be dealt with on a daily basis during the winter is something brand new to me. Apparently, the blizzards this year were especially bad. I've never been in an East Coast winter before, so I have nothing to compare it against. All I know is that the apartments are kept nice and toasty, and that waking up to a fresh layer of powder is absolutely magical. 

Oh, so this is what a "big storm" looks like? Okay, I can deal with that.

Ice skating at the Rockefeller Center during Christmas.

 

I love disrupting virgin powder. When nature lays down a vast blank canvas, what's better to do than to explore it with creativity? One night, I found this blank spot in Central Park. I couldn't believe it hadn't been walked all over yet, so I took it upon myself to trudge out a little design:

Of course, art isn't limited to two-dimensions, when you have such a versatile medium. On my way to the grocery store, I saw a guy hunched over the sidewalk carving out "Paul" from the massive snow pile that was pushed onto the space between where people walked and where cars parked. I asked for and was granted permission to photograph his work.

"Hi I'm Paul." Hi Paul. :)

There are always random pieces of art in NYC. I really like how snow sculptures are ephemeral, so time plays an important role in both its creation and appreciation. I'm glad there are other people out there who like playing with snow too.

Creepy? 

This guy (gal?) in Chinatown/LES was massive and had fruits for features.

Someone went around my hood carving faces in the snow blown on trees.

My first winter in New York is almost over, and spring is just around the corner. It probably didn't feel as bad for me because I knew I didn't like cold, so I stocked up on proper winter gear. I'm not really sure what to expect next, but I guess that's all part of the fun and excitement!