The Final First Snow

This chicken has found a new home in Nagaoka.

As predicted, it started to snow last night in Nagaoka, around six in the evening.

During my first time witnessing snow, I joined the rest of my batch mates to go crazy on the first morning we saw snow. That was two years back, in late November 2007. Last year, the excitement I felt was much toned down but still, the first snow is always something interesting to anticipate it. Even though this is the third time I looked out the window and saw the white fine snow flakes started to fall from the sky, the excitement is still there.

Taken with flash to show the snow flakes more clearly.

That is the dormitory cafeteria at ten at night.

Same angle taken ten hours later.

Tennis courts on the right.

Tennis courts turned white the next morning.

I was in the kitchen cooking Japanese curry for my dinner and Aki opened the window and soon realised that it had started to snow. That was my first time seeing the snow flakes this year.

The next morning, as expected, almost everything was white. I sent this picture below, taken from my room to several friends just for fun. Unexpectedly, Kok Hong, who is in Miyazaki, Kyushu replied me with a picture of his place in return haha. It was a sunny morning in Miyazaki. I got a reply from Cliff in Tokyo as well.

My message was, "ohayou"

Nagaoka, December 15, 2009 at 08:23 a.m.

Kok Hong's reply was this - "おはよう"

Miyazaki, December 15, 2009 at 08:29 a.m. December 11, 2009 at 14:08 p.m.

This is the reply from Cliff - "こんにちは！10度くらいだ"

Tokyo, December 15, 2009 at 14:16 p.m.

It is already mid-December and this year, I would say it started to snow much later than two previous years. The simplest cause that we can infer would be global warming, I suppose? Furthermore, the amount of snow on the first night was relatively lesser than one year ago. Again, global warming is the most likely cause of this phenomenon.

One this I love about this kind of weather is that when it snow heavily at night, it would be a sunny day the next morning. The sky would turn blue, sun will be shining brightly and unless the wind blows, the temperature would be just perfect; not too cold or too hot. I took a stroll around my school compound the next morning since I have no classes before lunch.

That is the indoor gymnasium on the left.

Freezing pool and the field.

No more activities on the artificial-grass field from now onwards, I guess.

Rice fields covered with snow as well.

A random signboard just in case you are lost in the school compound haha.

This would be my final winter in Nagaoka, and I suppose I shall treasure the snow as much as I could. Saying this, wait till I start to complain about how troublesome it can get when the real heavy snow is here haha.