I wanted to spend this morning re-writing an essay but Aki had other plans. She hopped into my lap and demanded attention. It was either cuddle or head out to the moraine. While petting the little dog is fun, we are both happy with the choice I made to take a walk. Snow falls on the open sections of trail and even manages to invade the troll woods. Flakes dampen the electric green moss that grows on tree trunks and branches. Aki finally has snow soft enough for sliding. Low clouds obscure the mountains and snow already covers reflecting ice so I hunt for beauty where snow clings to bare alders and the tips of hemlock branches. In this faint light, the white snow diminishes rather than brightens the green of hemlock needles. A painter might create the same effect by applying a white/gray color to soften the deep hemlock green.