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Every snowflake is
a unique creation, and Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) was the first known
photographer to ever capture them on film. Bentley was a farmer, and so given
his special connection with nature and his respectful appreciation of it, he
helped science understand these magnificent ice crystals. He said of his work:
“Under the
microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty, and it seemed a
shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every
crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a
snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone,
without leaving any record behind.”
Certainly lovely
to look at, but how are individual snowflakes created in the first place? According
to scijnks.gov/snowflakes/: “A snowflake
begins to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a pollen or
dust particle in the sky. This creates an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls
to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new
crystals - the six arms of the snowflake.”
As many as 200 ice
crystals comprise each snowflake, and there are several basic shapes that begin
their formation in the clouds. What they will eventually look like depends on temperature
and humidity levels, constantly changing atmospheric conditions as they descend
on different paths from the sky. So the chance that two natural snowflakes
could have the same arrangement of water molecules is pretty remote. Similar, perhaps,
but differing in details.
“Although the
six-sided shape is always maintained, the ice crystal (and its six arms) may
branch off in new directions….”
Snowflakes can
also vary widely in size. The tiniest snowflakes are called diamond dust, suspended
glittering in the air, and there are documented incidents of snowflakes reaching
a remarkable diameter of two to six inches.
Snowflakes have
always captured our imagination, and in the romantic suspense novel, Looking
for Snowflakes, it’s all about a tiny poodle called Snowflakes. She got her
name because she liked to chase down and catch these beautiful ice crystals on
her tongue. High spirited and adorable, Snowflakes embodies the infectious
spirit of Christmas with her never-ending supply of canine warmth and charm.
Everyone loves her and it’s precisely because she is so irresistible that she
finds herself in a terrible predicament, stolen from Cole’s vehicle on the day
before Christmas:
“The security
officer folded his arms. ‘I don’t know what your chances are of getting the dog
back because there’s so little to go on, but I wish you all the luck in the world.
What kind of dog was it?’
Cole sighed,
dreading the news he would have to break very soon. ‘A small white poodle.’
The store manager
had gotten to his feet behind his desk. ‘At least she’s not out running around
loose. The temperature is supposed to drop fast tonight. It’s going to be a
cold one.’
Minutes later Cole
was back sitting in his truck. Poor little Snowflakes, he only hoped she was
safe and that whoever took her would be kind. He shoved unpleasant images from
his mind with an effort. He had to call Elsa right away and tell her what
happened, but then just as quickly decided he couldn’t do it over the phone.
She at least deserved to be told in person. She was not going to be happy and
he couldn’t blame her. He wouldn’t be too happy either if that had happened to
his dog.
He made his way to
what was now Elsa’s place, alone, in Stoney Creek. He kept a sharp eye out for
a tiny white dog on foot, hoping against hope, but of course there was nothing.
No such luck to have the dog back safely in his care. He might as well face the
music and be done with it. He could see that her car was in the drive when he
pulled in and got out. He was glad she wasn’t in the window watching for them
because she’d know immediately that something was wrong if he was walking to
the door without the dog.
She answered on
the second knock and looked at him strangely when she didn’t see Snowflakes. ‘Where’s
the dog?’ she asked, checking the ground to see if she had walked to the door
instead of being carried.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Certainly you can
come in, but where’s Snowflakes?’
He stepped in and
pulled the door shut behind him. ‘Elsa, I’m afraid I have some really bad news
and I wanted to tell you in person rather than over the phone.’
She looked
stricken. ‘What do you mean you have really bad news? I assume it’s about Snowflakes
since she isn’t with you.’
‘It’s about
Snowflakes. She was….’
‘Run over?’ she
demanded, tears springing to her eyes. ‘Snowflakes is dead?’
He reached to put
his arms around her but she deftly stepped out of his embrace, stiff as a poker
so he dropped his arms. ‘No, she didn’t get hit by a car and as far as I know
she’s not dead.’
“ ‘What do you
mean as far as you know? What’s going
on, Cole? Where’s my dog?’ ”
There is of course
a close connection between snowflakes, the ones that fall from the sky and accumulate
in cold climates, and the Christmas season. We have Charles Dickens to thank
for our preference of a white Christmas. A Christmas Carol was written during
the Victorian era when London and much of England was still experiencing what
is referred to as the little ice age. That meant there was an abundance of snow
on the ground, even a winter fair held on the Thames, frozen solid at that time
in a country where the average winter temperature now is between 36-45 degrees
Fahrenheit. And the small amount of snow that does fall in that area happens in
January or February. However there is usually plenty of opportunity to see
snowflakes in England, lots of them. In the North Pennines located in the
northernmost section of the Pennnine range of hills running north to south
through northern England, it usually snows about fifty-three days in the run of
a year.
Snow or no snow, Dickens
took only six weeks to write A Christmas Carol, seeing it through to
publication in December of 1843. Struggling financially he felt the book would
sell well, and indeed all 6,000 copies sold out in a week. But production costs
were high considering its red fabric binding, gilt edges and coloured
illustrations, so Dickens didn’t fare as well as he’d hoped when all of the
pennies were finally counted. But the
book did achieve immortality, still popular 179 years later, as is the ideal he
created for snow at Christmas.
Whether a backdrop
to a story, or the actual story itself, snowflakes have also become a big part
of our Christmas vernacular through song, immortalized in such timeless
classics as: I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (Irving Berlin); Let it Snow (Styne
& Cahn); Frosty the Snowman (Autry, Rollins & Steve Nelson) and more.
Who hasn’t sung along, given our fascination with snowflakes and their ability
to transform our world at Christmas?
Snow may be
synonymous with the festive season in many parts of the world, but of course nature’s
frozen crystals can be enjoyed at any time during the winter months. That
includes embracing them en masse in a postcard perfect setting; through a
myriad of popular outdoor sports, or simply studying their dazzling beauty individually.
For the latter all you need is black construction paper and a magnifying glass.
Nature will provide the show, and what better way to enjoy some incredible
natural artwork? Looking at
Snowflakes could be a whole new winter pastime.
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