This past Christmas my seven year old niece danced out on to our deck while it was lightly snowing (she rarely runs or walks anywhere, she twirls and flits about like a little pixie). Suddenly, she came back into the kitchen shouting, “Look, look, I caught a snowflake and they really do look like snowflakes!” Balancing on the tip of her index finger was a single white snowflake that was so big you could see its intricate shape with the naked eye. The adults laughed gently and went right back to their conversations, but Laurel continued to stare with awe at the snowflake as it melted and disappeared. Of all the gifts she opened that day, none elicited the same amount of excitement and joy as seeing the divine design of a snowflake with her own eyes for the very first time.
My sister Carrie took that photo of a snowflake on our mailbox at Thanksgiving with the macro setting on my Canon G9, it seems to be a year for giant snowflakes here in Michigan. If you’d like to make your own virtual snowflake, click here and start snipping!
Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake… Francis Bacon, Sr.
bookbabie 
Beautiful. Sometimes I miss Michigan winters. The Francis Bacon quote is so perfect, thanks.
This is such a beautiful snowflake! Seems so small in the scheme of things, but I grew up in Michigan and now that I live in Florida, I really miss the small things like this. Thanks for sharing.
That’s a sweet story. I always try to admire anything a child brings to me that they think is wonderful.
Don’t be missing Michigan this morning ladies. The wind has been howling all night, the temp dropped 35 degrees, it’s 11 with a wind chill of -15:(
Oh, right (slaps self in forehead).. that’s why I moved to California!
Very interesting.
Lovely photo of the snowflake. I’ve never thought to shoot one, though I am surrounded by them. As for the snowflake making site, it’s quite awesome, isn’t it? I’ve made my fair share!
This was so lovely…thank you. 😉
Damn that is beautiful.
That is one of the most amazing photos I’ve ever seen. Looks like a Christmas ornament made of glass, but it’s real! There should be some sort of contest that can be entered in. 🙂
I hate to be unoriginal, but I have the exact same comment as Gretchen. I thought it was a Christmas ornament, not a real snowflake. So beautiful. I live in MI too, and can get mesmerized by falling snowflakes when I’m driving — dangerous!
Awesome photo! Have you ever been to the website snowcrystals.com? It’s really fun.
Beautiful snowflake!! Excellent shape!
I have some here, that taken by me: http://toma01.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/a-real-snowflake-close-up/ .
Hi, followed your comment you left on my brothers blog – to your blog.
Great quote..
Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake… Francis Bacon, Sr.
Cheers
John
thanks for blogging my snowflake picture!!