Last nights snow has shut nearly everything down in Dublin, amounting to 6-8 inches with drifting in places. Hardly anyone is out, except myself and the dog, and he is one happy fella running about in the snow. He hasn’t stopped grinning since we went outside.

There’s more due in the next few hours – you can see it on the far edges of the pictures – but for now, it’s bright, clear, pristine, and beautiful. Yes, it’s the morning after – and despite all the “don’t drive” warnings, the “travel chaos” alerts, the “we’re running out of water so we have to shut it off (more on that later)” worries – I can’t help but smile.

Why? Because winter is my favorite time of year – not because of Christmas, or New Years – because somehow, when it Snows, it’s easy to Believe in Magic.