Life in the country: As the snow falls, so comes the quiet of the country

By late afternoon, the sky was gray and smokey white. There was no sun, just a weak lightness that faded with the hours.

It was a winter sky, heavy with the threat of snow. By evening, all was still. The naked trees were growing black and a sharp coldness settled over the fields as night approached.

First it was a lone snowflake. Then more and more came, floating from a gray sky as delicate, miniature masterpieces in ice. ...